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Red-browed Treecreeper
(Climacteris erythrops)
: "Red-eyebrowed Treecreeper"; misnomer:
"Woodpecker"
Size: 13.5-16 cm
Weight: 20-30 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Red-browed Treecreepers have a dark grey-brown cap, neck, back
and upperwings with a rufous wing patch, a white throat, grey
chest and heavily streaked belly. The vent is grey with dark-brown
barring. They have dark-brown ear patches. The eyebrows are
reddish-brown.
Their plumage is
dimorphic, i.e.
males and
females
are slightly different.
Female
Red-browed Treecreepers have clearly visible rufous chest streaks,
whereas males
have a grey breast.
The irises of both sexes are dark, the bill, legs and feet are
all dark-grey.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Compared to Brown
Treecreepers, Red-browed Treecreepers are noticeably darker.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Red-browed
Treecreeper at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Red-browed Treecreeper is available
HERE
.
Red-browed Treecreepers are endemic to Australia.
The range of Red-browed Treecreepers is restricted to the Great
Dividing Range in the South-East of the continent. They are found
in an about 300-km wide area along the coast and Great Dividing
Range from Brisbane, QLD, in the North to Melbourne, VIC, in the
South. Near both ends of their range there are areas along the
coastline where they are not found.
Red-browed Treecreepers have a preference for tall eucalypt forest and woodland in (sub-)alpine areas.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
B. Hensen reports spotting a Red-browed Treecreeper near Armidale,
NSW, in February 2013. C. Hayne spotted a Red-browed Treecreeper
in the same area in September 2013.
R. Plumtree
reports spotting Red-browed Treecreepers occasionally in
East Gippsland, VIC, e.g. in April 2013 and in March 2014.
We first spotted Red-browed Treecreepers at Bald Rock NP in May
2014, where they were found to be numerous at the time.
B. Hensen reports finding a Red-browed Treecreeper near Evans
Lookout, Blackheath, NSW, in September 2017.
M. Eaton reports spotting a Red-browed Treecreeper at Gloucester Tops,
Barrington Tops NP,
NSW, in December 2019, and at O'Reilly's Plateau,
Lamington NP,
Gold Coast, QLD, in January 2020.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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Lateral view of a male Red-browed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Near Evans Lookout, Blackheath, NSW, September 2017]
Lateral view of a male Red-browed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Near Evans Lookout, Blackheath, NSW, September 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a male Red-browed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barrington Tops NP,
NSW, December 2019]
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FEMALE |
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Lateral view of a female Red-browed Treecreeper; note
the rufous patch on the upper breast
[Bald Rock NP,
NSW, May 2014]
Lateral view of a female Red-browed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, April 2013]
Lateral view of a female Red-browed Treecreeper
[Bald Rock NP,
NSW, May 2014]
Female(?) Red-browed Treecreeper hanging from a branch
[Bald Rock NP,
NSW, May 2014]
Dorsal view of a female Red-browed Treecreeper; note
the dark eye patch
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Near Armidale, NSW, February 2013]
Dorsal view of a Red-browed Treecreeper on the ground (photo courtesy
of C. Hayne)
[Gara Gorge, Oxley
Wild Rivers NP, NSW, September 2013]
Dorsal/ventral view of a Red-browed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[O'Reilly's Plateau,
Lamington NP,
Gold Coast, QLD, January 2020]
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Food, Diet |
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Lateral view of a female Red-browed Treecreeper with its prey,
a small insect (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Doctors Flat Road, Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2014]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.