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Rufous Treecreeper (Climacteris rufus) Alternate name(s): Misnomer: "Woodpecker*" Aboriginal name(s): "djini" (WA) Size: 15-18 cm; wing span: 16-18 cm Body mass: 27-37 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.42-0.64

Australia: Family Group 15 Family Group 15 Table Noisy Pitta Rainbow Pitta Superb Lyrebird Albert's Lyrebird Noisy Scrub-bird Rufous Scrub-bird Rufous Bristlebird Western Bristlebird Black-tailed Treecreeper Red-browed Treecreeper White-browed Treecreeper Brown Treecreeper Rufous Treecreeper White-throated Treecreeper Eurasian Hoopoe Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Rufous Treecreepers have a cinnamon-rufous front (face, throat, lower chest, belly, vent) and rump, while the back (cap, nape of the neck, shoulders, mantle, wings and tail) is grey-brown. On the upper chest they have some streaking, which is black and white in males and rufous and white in females. The irises are dark, the bill, legs and feet are dark-grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Rufous Treecreeper at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species 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 Rufous Treecreeper is available HERE . Rufous Treecreepers are endemic to Australia. They are found only in the South of the continent, in SA and WA. Their range extends from Eyre Peninsula in SA, via the northern fringe of the Nullarbor, to the south-western part of WA (up to about a line connecting Kalgoorlie and Kalbarri NP. Rufous Treecreepers are found in a variety of habitats, from wet forest via open woodland to mallee- and Triodia ("Spinifex")-dominated semi-arid country.

Sightings Click here for sighting information J. Greaves reports spotting a Rufous Treecreeper at Porongurup NP, WA, in March 2015 and at Dryandra Woodlands, near Narrogin, WA, in August 2015 and again in May 2018. M. Eaton found Rufous Treecreepers at Lake Gilles Conservation Park, SA, in October 2022, and again in June 2023.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Male Rufous Treecreepers, left, have black-and-white chest markings. In females these markings are rufous and white. The overall colour of the plumage being rufous, only the white markings show in females.

MALE

Frontal view of a male Rufous Treecreeper; note the black and white streaking on the breast (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, October 2022]

Frontal view of a male Rufous Treecreeper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, June 2023]

Frontal/ventral view of a male Rufous Treecreeper streaking on the breast (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, October 2022]

Near-frontal view of a male Rufous Treecreeper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, October 2022]

Near-frontal view of a male Rufous Treecreeper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, October 2022]

Near-frontal view of a male Rufous Treecreeper looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, June 2023]

Near-lateral view of a male Rufous Treecreeper looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, June 2023]

Near-lateral view of a male Rufous Treecreeper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, October 2022]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Rufous Treecreeper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, October 2022]

Lateral view of a male Rufous Treecreeper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, June 2023]

Lateral view of a male Rufous Treecreeper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, October 2022]

Lateral view of a male Rufous Treecreeper (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Dryandra Woodland, near Narrogin, WA, May 2018]

Lateral view of a male Rufous Treecreeper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, October 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a male Rufous Treecreeper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, October 2022]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Rufous Treecreeper looking sideways; note the rufous and white streaking on the breast
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, June 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a female Rufous Treecreeper looking back at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Gilles CP, SA, June 2023]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

rutrcrp_me_20221025.mp3	(S SA)	Contact calls(?)	© ME
rutrcrp_me_20221024.mp3	(S SA)	Warning/alarm calls(?)	© ME

More Rufous Treecreeper sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.