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White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaeus) Alternate name(s): "Little Treecreeper"; misnomer: "Woodpecker*" Size: 13-15 cm; wing span 19-26 cm Body mass: 16-24 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.18-0.22

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

Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description White-throated Treecreepers have a dark grey-brown head and back. The upperwings are also dark grey-brown, with a rufous wing patch. The throat and chest are white, the belly is mostly dark grey-brown, with white streaking. The vent is white with dark-brown barring. White-throated Treecreepers do not have a visible eyebrow. Female White-throated Treecreepers have a small orange cheek mark that males don't have. The irises of both sexes are dark, the bill, legs and feet are all dark-grey.

Taxonomy, classification See White-throated 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 White-throated Treecreeper is available HERE . White-throated Treecreepers are endemic to Australia. There are in total five races of White-throated Treecreepers (for details see a field guide). Their overall range extends along the East coast and associated ranges from QLD through NSW and VIC, to about the VIC/SA border. Races "minor" and "intermedius" are found in the tablelands just off the East coast of northern and central QLD, respectively. Race "metastasis" occupies a range from just North of the tropic of Capricorn to roughly the Manning River in NSW, in a region encompassing also the Great Dividing Range behind the coastline. Further South, throughout eastern NSW and VIC towards the border with SA, nominate race "leucophaeus" is found. Race "grisescens" exists only just to the North of Adelaide, SA. White-throated Treecreepers live in various types of forest, from rainforest to more open eucalypt forest and open woodland. Where to look? How to find this species? Although this may be a triviality, the best way of finding White-throated Treecreepers is to follow their loud, often piercing calls to find birds that will usually be foraging in tree bark, working their way upwards, hopping and probing from near the base of a tree towards the top.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "leucophaeus" We first found White-throated Treecreepers, race "leucophaeus", at Wingham Brush NR, NSW, in September 2011. M. Eaton found a White-throated Treecreeper, race "leucophaeus", at Barrington Tops NP, NSW, in December 2019. Race "metastasis" White-throated Treecreepers, race "metastasis", came to the place where we lived from 2003 to 2006, 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, and into the adjacent bush area, Jack's Creek State Forest, infrequently. In late 2005, we also encountered a pair in Mt. Kaputar NP, some 50 km East of Narrabri. White-throated Treecreepers, race "metastasis", were spotted again in October of 2006 and on many other occasions in the Nandewar Range and other parts of the Great Dividing Range, e.g. in Deriah Aboriginal Area, near Maules Creek, Barraba, and Manilla, NSW. A nesting pair was seen at Dripping Rock, near Maules Creek, NSW, in October 2011. More White-browed Treecreepers were seen by R. Druce in Leard State Forest, NSW, in November 2012. They were also found by us at Warrumbungle NP in December 2012. M. Mearns reports spotting White-throated Treecreepers, race "metastasis", at Bunya Mountains NP, QLD, in December 2015. Race "minor" J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours found a White-throated Treecreeper, race "minor", at Shared Earth Reserve, Mareeba, QLD, in July 2020. Others were found at Lake Eacham, Tablelands, QLD, in April 2023, and at Mt. Hypipamee, QLD, in September 2023. M. Eaton reports spotting a White-throated Treecreeper, race "minor", in the Atherton Tablelands, QLD, in June 2024.

Photos

Race "leucophaeus"

ADULT

MALE

Dorsal of a male White-throated Treecreeper in rainforest
[Wingham Brush NR, NSW, September 2011]

FEMALE

Near-lateral view of a female White-throated Treecreeper; note the orange cheek spot
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barrington Tops NP, NSW, December 2019]

Race "metastasis"

ADULT

PAIR

Lateral views of a pair White-throated Treecreepers
Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
note the female's orange spot that the male does not have.
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, January 2026]

MALE

Frontal view of a male White-throated Treecreeper; note the absence of an orange cheek spot
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, September 2010]

Near-frontal view of a male White-throated Treecreeper
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2018]

Partly obscured near-lateral view of a male White-throated Treecreeper
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2013]

Lateral view of a male White-throated Treecreeper looking backwards
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2013]

Lateral view of a male White-throated Treecreeper hanging upside down
[Maules Creek, NSW, October 2012]

Lateral view of a male White-throated Treecreeper that was observed feeding a juvenile Black-eared Cuckoo; more information on these birds is available HERE
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2018]

Lateral view of an air-borne male White-throated Treecreeper (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Leard State Forest, near Maules Creek, NSW, November 2012]

Near-dorsal view of a male White-throated Treecreeper (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Leard State Forest, near Maules Creek, NSW, October 2012]

Dorsal view of a male White-throated Treecreeper, with its head turned sideways; in this posture identification is easy
[Warrumbungle NP, NSW, December2012]

Dorsal view of a male White-throated Treecreeper; like this, the bird is very well camouflaged and hard to identify
[Warrumbungle NP, NSW, December2012]

Dorsal/ventral view of a male White-throated Treecreeper
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, September 2010]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female White-throated Treecreeper looking at the observer
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, December 2011]

Lateral view of a female White-throated Treecreeper (photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg)

Lateral view of a female White-throated Treecreeper (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, June 2012]

Near-dorsal view of a female White-throated Treecreeper
[January 2011]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a female White-throated Treecreeper climbing up a tree trunk
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, December 2011]

Race "minor"

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Note the female's orange spot that the male does not have.

MALE

Close-up lateral view of a male White-throated Treecreeper looking towards the observer; note the absence of a check patch (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mt. Hypipamee, QLD, September 2023]

Lateral view of a male White-throated Treecreeper hanging off a major branch
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mt. Hypipamee, QLD, September 2023]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female White-throated Treecreeper looking sideways; note the conspicuous orange cheek patch
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Shared Earth Reserve, Mareeba, QLD, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a female White-throated Treecreeper (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mt. Hypipamee, QLD, September 2023]

Near-lateral view of a female White-throated Treecreeper (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mt. Hypipamee, QLD, September 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a female White-throated Treecreeper (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mt. Hypipamee, QLD, September 2023]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a female White-throated Treecreeper (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lake Eacham, QLD, April 2023]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Dec

Eggs: 2 - 4

Incubation period: 21 - 22 days

Fledging age: 25 days

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Tree hollow

Material: Bark, fur, grass

Height above ground: 1.5 - 20 m

All species of Australian treecreepers build grass (and/or bark) nests inside tree hollows, either in tree trunks or dead limbs.

The White-throated Treecreeper chicks' calls for food are what alerted us to the nest's location
[Dripping Rock, near Maules Creek, NSW, October 2011]

Two White-throated Treecreeper chicks waiting in their nest; this hollow was only about 1.5 m above ground, which enabled us to take photos from this perspective
[Dripping Rock, near Maules Creek, NSW, October 2011]

Food has arrived for White-throated Treecreeper chicks - time for dinner!
[Dripping Rock, near Maules Creek, NSW, October 2011]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 23 x 17 mm

Colour: White with sparse brown specks

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Pair

White-throated Treecreepers can often be seen in pairs, hunting for insects by starting from the bottom of a tree going upwards.

Food, Diet

Like all treecreepers, White-throated Treecreepers forage for insects in the bark of trees and fallen timber.

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.

Once their loud, piercingly sharp, calls are known to the observer, White-throated Treecreepers are easy to locate in the bush. The calls have one of the highest volumes of any bird species in the neighbourhood.

wttrcrp_20140226.mp3	metastasis (NW NSW)	Contact calls	© MD
wttrcrp_20180131.m4a	metastasis (NW NSW)	Contact calls	© MD
wttrcrp_20151016_2.m4a	metastasis (NW NSW)	Territorial calls(?)	© MD
wttrcrp_20151016_3.m4a	metastasis (NW NSW)	Territorial calls(?)	© MD
wttrcrp_20211210.m4a	metastasis (NW NSW)	Territorial calls(?)	© MD
wttrcrp_20200801.m4a	metastasis (NW NSW)	Territorial calls(?) (Q&A)	© MD
wttrcrp_20151016.m4a	metastasis (W NSW)	Male (calling female?)	© MD
wttrcrp_20141225.mp3	metastasis (NW NSW)	Feeding call(?)	© MD
wttrcrp_20190912.m4a	metastasis (NW NSW)	Pair Q&A (foraging & feeding)	© MD
wttrcrp_20190912_2.m4a	metastasis (NW NSW)	Pair Q&A (foraging & feeding)	© MD
wttrcrp_20180131_2.m4a	metastasis (NW NSW)	? (Q&A?)	© MD
wttrcrp_20191014.m4a	metastasis (NW NSW)	? (male; going to roost?)	© MD
wttrcrp_20231118.m4a	metastasis (NW NSW)	? (at dusk)	© MD
wttrcrp_me_20200927.m4a	minor (N QLD)	Male calling female?	© ME
wttrcrp_me_20230816.mp3	minor (N QLD)	Territorial calls? (+ Fernwren)	© ME
wttrcrp_me_20240622.m4a	minor (N QLD)	Q&A? (+Willie Wagtail)	© ME

On 13 March 2014 we noticed the following peculiarity: On five separate occasions a White-throated Treecreeper "triggered" a response by a group of Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters. Our recordings suggest a direct relation between the White-throated Treecreeper's call and the response. A single chirp did not warrant a response, but repeated calls did. The more vigorous the White-throated Treecreeper call, the more energetic the response by the Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters. The recordings are sorted by the intensity of the calls. In the last recording of the sequence, the Yellow-tufted Honeyeaters are "triggered" twice in quick succession.

yelthon_20140313_6.mp3	metastasis (NW NSW)	Triggering other species	© MD
yelthon_20140313_5.mp3	metastasis (NW NSW)	Triggering other species	© MD
yelthon_20140313_4.mp3	metastasis (NW NSW)	Triggering other species	© MD
yelthon_20140313.mp3	metastasis (NW NSW)	Triggering other species	© MD
yelthon_20140313_2.mp3	metastasis (NW NSW)	Triggering other species	© MD

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this website, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Thu, 10 September 2026, 6:41 +00:00