Australasian treecreeper
Encyclopedia
There are 7 species
of Australasian treecreeper in the passerine
bird family
Climacteridae. They are medium-small, mostly brown birds with patterning on their underparts, and all are endemic to Australia-New Guinea. They resemble, but are not closely related to, the Holarctic
treecreeper
s. The family is one of several families identified by DNA-DNA hybridisation
studies to be part of the Australo-Papuan songbird radiation. There is some molecular support for suggesting that their closest relatives are the large lyrebird
s.
As their name implies, treecreepers forage for insects and other small creatures living on and under the bark of trees, mostly eucalypt
s, though several species also hunt on the ground, through leaf-litter, and on fallen timber. Unlike the Holarctic treecreepers they do not use their tail for support when climbing tree trunks, only their feet.
Australasian treecreepers nest
in holes in trees. The species in the family hold breeding territories
, although the extent to which they are defended and last varies. Some species, such as the Red-browed Treecreeper
and the Brown Treecreeper
are cooperative breeders, others, like the White-throated Treecreeper
are not. The cooperative breeders form groups or a single breeding pair as well as up to three helpers
, which are usually the young males of previous parings. Helpers assist with the construction of the nest, feeding of the incubating female and feeding and defending the young.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of Australasian treecreeper in the passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Climacteridae. They are medium-small, mostly brown birds with patterning on their underparts, and all are endemic to Australia-New Guinea. They resemble, but are not closely related to, the Holarctic
Holarctic
The Holarctic ecozone refers to the habitats found throughout the northern continents of the world as a whole. This region is divided into the Palearctic, consisting of Northern Africa and all of Eurasia, with the exception of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and the Nearctic,...
treecreeper
Treecreeper
The treecreepers are a family, Certhiidae, of small passerine birds, widespread in wooded regions of the Northern Hemisphere and sub-Saharan Africa. The family contains ten species in two genera, Certhia and Salpornis...
s. The family is one of several families identified by DNA-DNA hybridisation
DNA-DNA hybridisation
DNA-DNA hybridization generally refers to a molecular biology technique that measures the degree of genetic similarity between pools of DNA sequences. It is usually used to determine the genetic distance between two species...
studies to be part of the Australo-Papuan songbird radiation. There is some molecular support for suggesting that their closest relatives are the large lyrebird
Lyrebird
A Lyrebird is either of two species of ground-dwelling Australian birds, that form the genus, Menura, and the family Menuridae. They are most notable for their superb ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment. Lyrebirds have unique plumes of neutral coloured...
s.
As their name implies, treecreepers forage for insects and other small creatures living on and under the bark of trees, mostly eucalypt
Eucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
s, though several species also hunt on the ground, through leaf-litter, and on fallen timber. Unlike the Holarctic treecreepers they do not use their tail for support when climbing tree trunks, only their feet.
Australasian treecreepers nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
in holes in trees. The species in the family hold breeding territories
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
, although the extent to which they are defended and last varies. Some species, such as the Red-browed Treecreeper
Red-browed Treecreeper
The Red-browed Treecreeper is a species of bird in the Climacteridae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
and the Brown Treecreeper
Brown Treecreeper
The Brown Treecreeper is the largest Australasian treecreeper. The bird is endemic to eastern Australia, found in eucalypt forests and woodlands of the Great Dividing Range. The Brown Treecreeper is pale brown to grey-brown, with black streaking on the underparts and black bars on the undertail....
are cooperative breeders, others, like the White-throated Treecreeper
White-throated Treecreeper
The White-throated Treecreeper is an Australian treecreeper found in the forests of eastern Australia. It is unrelated to the northern hemisphere treecreepers. It is a small passerine bird with predominantly brown and white plumage and measuring some 15 cm long on average. It is...
are not. The cooperative breeders form groups or a single breeding pair as well as up to three helpers
Helpers at the nest
Helpers at the nest is a term used in behavioural ecology and evolutionary biology to describe a social structure in which juveniles and sexually mature adolescents of either one or both sexes, remain in association with their parents and help them raise subsequent broods or litters, instead of...
, which are usually the young males of previous parings. Helpers assist with the construction of the nest, feeding of the incubating female and feeding and defending the young.
Species of Climacteridae
- Genus Cormobates
- Papuan TreecreeperPapuan TreecreeperThe Papuan Treecreeper is a species of bird in the Climacteridae family. It was previously considered a subspecies of the White-throated Treecreeper .It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.-References:...
, Cormobates placens - White-throated TreecreeperWhite-throated TreecreeperThe White-throated Treecreeper is an Australian treecreeper found in the forests of eastern Australia. It is unrelated to the northern hemisphere treecreepers. It is a small passerine bird with predominantly brown and white plumage and measuring some 15 cm long on average. It is...
, Cormobates leucophaea
- Papuan Treecreeper
- Genus Climacteris
- White-browed TreecreeperWhite-browed TreecreeperThe White-browed Treecreeper is a species of bird in the Climacteridae family.It is endemic to Australia.-Conservation Status:...
, Climacteris affinis - Red-browed TreecreeperRed-browed TreecreeperThe Red-browed Treecreeper is a species of bird in the Climacteridae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
, Climacteris erythrops - Brown TreecreeperBrown TreecreeperThe Brown Treecreeper is the largest Australasian treecreeper. The bird is endemic to eastern Australia, found in eucalypt forests and woodlands of the Great Dividing Range. The Brown Treecreeper is pale brown to grey-brown, with black streaking on the underparts and black bars on the undertail....
, Climacteris picumnus - Black-tailed TreecreeperBlack-tailed TreecreeperThe Black-tailed Treecreeper is a species of bird in the Climacteridae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Climacteris melanura - Rufous TreecreeperRufous TreecreeperThe Rufous Treecreeper is a species of bird in the Climacteridae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Climacteris rufa
- White-browed Treecreeper
External links
- Australasian Treecreeper videos on the Internet Bird Collection