Editing Short-toed treecreeper

{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
 | image = Short-toed treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla megarhynchos).jpg
 | image_caption = ''Certhia brachydactyla megarhynchos'', Spain
 | status = LC
 | status_system = IUCN3.1
 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Certhia brachydactyla'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T22711249A87839163 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22711249A87839163.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
 | genus = Certhia
 | species = brachydactyla
 | authority = [[Christian Ludwig Brehm|Brehm]], 1820
 | range_map = CerthiaBrachydactylaIUCN.svg
 | range_map_caption =  Range of ''C. brachydactyla'' {{leftlegend|#008000|Resident|outline=gray}} 
}}
[[File:Cyprus treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla dorotheae).jpg|thumb|''Certhia brachydactyla dorotheae'', Cyprus]]

The '''short-toed treecreeper''' ('''''Certhia brachydactyla''''') is a small [[passerine]] [[bird]] found in woodlands through much of the warmer regions of Europe and into north Africa. It has a generally more southerly distribution than the other European [[Certhia|treecreeper]] species, the [[common treecreeper]], with which it is easily confused where they both occur. The short-toed treecreeper tends to prefer deciduous trees and lower altitudes than its relative in these overlap areas. Although mainly sedentary, vagrants have occurred outside the breeding range.

The short-toed treecreeper is one of a group of four very similar [[Holarctic]] treecreepers, including the closely related North American [[brown creeper]]s,<ref name=Tietze/> and has five subspecies differing in appearance and song. Like other treecreepers, the short-toed is inconspicuously plumaged brown above and whitish below, and has a curved bill and stiff tail feathers. It is a resident in woodlands throughout its range, and nests in tree crevices or behind bark flakes, laying about six eggs. This common, unwary, but inconspicuous species feeds mainly on insects which are picked from the tree trunk as the treecreeper ascends with short hops.

==Taxonomy==
The short-toed treecreeper was first described by [[Christian Ludwig Brehm]] in 1820.<ref name= Brehm >{{cite book | last = Brehm | first = Christian  | title = Handbuch der Naturgeschichte aller Vogel Deutschlands | year = 1820 | page = 266&ndash;271 |language=de}}</ref> The binomial name is derived from Greek; ''kerthios'' is a small tree-dwelling bird described by [[Aristotle]] and others, and ''brachydactyla'' comes from ''brakhus'', "short" and ''dactulos'' "finger", which refers, like the English name, to the fact that this species has shorter toes than the common treecreeper.<ref name = BTO>{{cite web|title= Short-toed Treecreeper ''Certhia brachydactyla'' [CL Brehm, 1820] |work=BirdFacts  |url= http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob14870.htm  |publisher= [[British Trust for Ornithology]] (BTO) |access-date=2008-05-23}}</ref>

This species is one of a group of very similar [[treecreeper]] species, all placed in the single genus ''[[Certhia]]''. Eight species are currently recognised, in two [[evolution]]ary lineages, a  [[Holarctic]] radiation, and a Sino-Himalayan group south and east of the [[Himalayas]]. The former group has a more warbling song, always (except in ''C. familiaris'' from China) starting or ending with a shrill ''sreeh''. The Himalayan species, in contrast, have a faster-paced trill without the ''sreeh'' sound. The short-toed treecreeper belongs to the northern group, along with the North American [[brown creeper]], ''C. americana'', the [[common treecreeper]], ''C. familaris'', of temperate Eurasia, and [[Hodgson's treecreeper]], ''C. hodgsoni'', from the southern rim of the [[Himalayas]].<ref name=Tietze>{{cite journal|last1=Tietze |first1=Dieter Thomas |last2= Martens|first2=Jochen |last3=Sun|first3=Yue-Hua |year= 2006|title= Molecular phylogeny of treecreepers (''Certhia'') detects hidden diversity|journal= [[Ibis (journal)|Ibis]] |volume=148 |issue= 3|pages= 477&ndash;488  |doi=10.1111/j.1474-919X.2006.00547.x|doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Subspecies===
There are five subspecies of short-toed treecreeper, which are all very similar and often [[hybrid (biology)|intergrade]] in areas where their ranges overlap. There is a general [[cline (biology)|cline]] in appearance from west to east across Europe, with upperparts becoming a darker and colder brown. The currently recognised subspecies are as follows:<ref name= Harrap/>
{| width=75% class="wikitable"
!width=20% | Subspecies
!width=35% | Range
!width=45% | Notes<ref name= Harrap/>
|-
| ''Certhia brachydactyla megarhyncha''
| [[Channel Islands]] and western Europe in northwest Spain, western and northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands and western Germany.
| See "Description". Western birds are paler and more rufous than those further east.
|-
| ''Certhia brachydactyla brachydactyla ''
| Continental Europe east of ''C. b. megarhyncha'', [[Sicily]] and [[Crete]].
| The [[Subspecies#Nomenclature|nominate subspecies]]; darker and colder brown above and more clearly white-streaked below than ''C. b. megarhyncha''.
|-
| ''Certhia brachydactyla mauritanica''
| North Africa.
| Darker and colder brown upperparts and more extensively buff-washed underparts than nominate subspecies. Different song.
|-
|''Certhia brachydactyla dorotheae''
|[[Cyprus]].
| Greyer upperparts and purer white underparts than nominate.<ref>{{cite book |last=Charalambidou |first=Iris |last2=Sparrow |first2= David J |last3=Stapley |first3=John |last4=Richardson |first4=Colin |editor-last=Sparrow |editor-first=David J |editor2-last=John |editor2-first=Eddie |title=An Introduction to the Wildlife of Cyprus|publisher=Terra Cypria |date=2016 |ISBN=978-9963-601-45-5|page= |url= }}</ref> Different song.
|-
| ''C. b. harterti''
| [[Asia Minor]] and the  [[Caucasus]].
| Similar to ''C. b. megarhyncha'', but duller rufous upperparts.
|}

==Description==
All the treecreepers are similar in appearance, being small birds with streaked and spotted brown upperparts, rufous rumps and whitish underparts. They have long decurved bills, and long stiff tail feathers which provide support as they creep up tree trunks looking for insects.<ref name= Harrap/>

The short-toed treecreeper is {{convert|12.5|cm|in|abbr=off}} long and weighs {{convert|7.5|-|11|g|oz|abbr=on}}. It has dull grey-brown upperparts intricately patterned with black, buff and white, a weak off-white [[supercilium]] and dingy underparts contrasting with the white throat. The sexes are similar, but juveniles have whitish underparts, sometimes with a buff belly.

The call of this species is a repeated shrill ''tyt...tyt tyt-tyt'' and the song of the [[Subspecies#Nomenclature|nominate subspecies]] is an evenly spaced sequence of notes ''teet-teet-teet-e-roi-tiit''. There is some geographical variation; the song of Danish birds is shorter, that of the Cyprus subspecies is very short and simple, and the North African version is lower pitched. European birds do not respond to latter two song variants.<ref name= Harrap/>

This species shares much of its range with the common treecreeper. Compared to the short-toed, that bird is whiter below, warmer and more spotted above, and has a whiter [[supercilium]] and slightly shorter bill. However, identification by sight may be impossible for poorly-marked birds. Vocal birds are usually identifiable, since Common has a distinctive song composed of twitters, ripples and a final whistle and a ''shree''' call rarely given by the short-toed; however, both species have been known to sing the other's song. Even in the hand, although the short-toed usually has a longer bill and shorter toes, 5% of birds are not safely identifiable.<ref name= Harrap>{{cite book | last1 = Harrap | first1 =Simon |last2=Quinn|first2=David  |title = Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers | year = 1996 | publisher = Christopher Helm | pages = 177&ndash;195|isbn = 0-7136-3964-4}}</ref>

The brown treecreeper has never been recorded in Europe, but would be difficult to separate from the short-toed treecreeper, which it much resembles in appearance. Its call is more like the common treecreeper's, but a vagrant brown treecreeper might still not be possible to identify with certainty given the similarities between the three species.<ref name= Harrap/>

==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:Cork tree.jpg|thumb|[[Cork oak]] is a preferred nesting tree in Spain]]
The short-toed treecreeper breeds in temperate woodlands across Europe from Portugal to Turkey and Greece, and in north west Africa. It prefers well-grown trees, especially [[oak]] and avoids pure stands of [[conifer]]s. Where it shares its European range with common treecreeper, the latter species tends to be found mainly in coniferous forest and at higher altitudes.<ref name= BWP/>

It is usually found in the lowlands, but breeds locally at up to {{convert|900|m|ft|abbr=off}} in Germany, {{convert|1800|m|ft|abbr=off}} in France and {{convert|1400|m|ft|abbr=off}} in Switzerland. In Turkey and North Africa it is a mountain species.<ref name= Harrap/> The breeding areas have July [[Isotherm (contour line)|isotherm]]s between 17&ndash;18&nbsp;°C and 26&nbsp;°C (63&ndash;64&nbsp;°F and 79&nbsp;°F).<ref name=BWP>{{cite book| editor-last = Snow | editor-first =  David  |editor2-last= Perrins|editor2-first=Christopher M. | title = The Birds of the Western Palearctic concise edition (2 volumes) | publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] |year = 1998| location =Oxford | isbn = 0-19-854099-X}} 1411&ndash;1416</ref>

This treecreeper is essentially [[bird migration|non-migratory]] but post-breeding dispersal may lead to vagrancy outside the normal range. It has occurred as a vagrant to England, Sweden, [[Lithuania]] and the [[Balearic Islands]]. Three birds on [[Corsica]] in 1969 appeared to be of the North African subspecies ''C. b. mauritanica''.<ref name= Harrap/>

==Behaviour and ecology==

===Breeding===
[[File:Certhia brachydactyla mauritanica Witherby, 1905, Souk Ahras.jpg|thumb|Eggs of ''Certhia brachydactyla'' [[MHNT]]]]
[[File:Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)cropped.jpg|thumb|Adult foraging on a trunk]]
The short-toed nests in tree crevices or behind bark flakes. Old [[woodpecker]] nests, crevices in buildings or walls, and artificial nest boxes or flaps are also used.<ref name=Harrap/>

The nest has an often bulky base of twigs, pine needles, grass or bark, and a lining of finer material such as feathers, wool, moss, [[lichen]] or spider web. The eggs are laid between April and mid June (typical clutch 5&ndash;7 eggs); they are white with purple-red blotches, {{convert|15.6|x|12.2|mm|in|abbr=on}} in size. The eggs are incubated by the female alone for 13 – 15 days until the [[altricial]] downy chicks hatch; they are then fed by both parents, but brooded by the female alone, for a further 15 – 18 days to fledging.<ref name =BWP/> This species often raises a second brood. The male starts constructing a new nest while the female is still feeding the first brood, and when the chicks are 10–12 days old, he takes over feeding duties while the female completes the new nest.<ref name=Harrap/>

A Spanish study suggests that [[Habitat fragmentation|forest fragmentation]] adversely affects the numbers of short-toed treecreepers present, as is also the case with the common treecreeper. Species that depend on relatively scarce resources, such as tree trunks, only occupy the larger forests, whereas those such as [[tit (bird)|tits]] and [[common firecrest]]s that exploit abundant, ubiquitous resources are distributed uniformly through woodlands of all sizes.<ref name= Tellería >{{cite journal|last1= Tellería |first1= J. L. |last2=Santos|first2=T. |year=1995 |title= Effects of forest fragmentation on a guild of wintering passerines: The role of habitat selection |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=71 |issue=1 |pages=61&ndash;67| doi = 10.1016/0006-3207(94)00021-H }}</ref><ref name= Huhta>{{cite journal|last1= Huhta |first1= Esa |last2=Aho|first2=Teija |last3=Jäntti|first3=Ari |last4=Suorsa|first4=Petri |last5=Kuitunen|first5=Markku |last6=Nikula|first6=Ari |last7= Hakkarainen|first7=Harri  |date=February 2004 |title= Forest Fragmentation Increases Nest Predation in the Eurasian Treecreeper |journal= Conservation Biology|volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=148&ndash;155 | doi=10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.00270.x}}</ref>

===Feeding===
The short-toed treecreeper typically seeks [[invertebrate]] food on tree trunks, starting near the tree base and spiralling its way up using its stiff tail feathers for support. Unlike a [[nuthatch]], it does not come down trees head first, but flies to the base of another nearby tree. It uses its long thin bill to extract insects and spiders from crevices in the bark. Although normally found on trees, it will occasionally feed on walls or bare ground, or amongst fallen pine needles. It may add some seeds to its diet in the colder months.<ref name = BWP/>

===Habits===
As a small woodland bird with [[crypsis|cryptic]] plumage and a quiet call, the short-toed treecreeper is easily overlooked as it hops [[mouse|mouse-like]] up a vertical trunk, progressing in short hops, using its stiff tail and widely splayed feet as support. Nevertheless, it is not wary, and is largely indifferent to the presence of humans. It has a distinctive erratic and undulating flight, alternating fluttering [[butterfly|butterfly-like]] wing beats with side-slips and tumbles. It is solitary in winter, but in cold weather up to twenty or more birds will roost together in a suitable sheltered crevice, or in a star formation under eaves of buildings.<ref name=Harrap/>

==Status and conservation==
This species has an extensive range of between 1&ndash;10&nbsp;million square kilometres (0.4&ndash;3.8&nbsp;million square mi). It has a large population, estimated at between 4.1&ndash;14 million individuals. Population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the short-toed treecreeper is evaluated as Least Concern.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" />

It is common through much of its range, but is rare in the  [[Caucasus]] and on the smaller Channel Islands. In the west of its range it is spreading north through Denmark, where it first bred in 1946.<ref name = Harrap/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://aulaenred.ibercaja.es/wp-content/uploads/398_ShorttoedTreecreeperCbrachydactyla.pdf Ageing and sexing (PDF; 0.78 MB) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze]
* [http://www.ornithos.de/Ornithos/Feather_Collection/Certhia_brachydactyla/Certhia_brachydactyla.htm Feathers of Short-toed treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)]
* [http://www.limicola.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Dateien_Limicola/Limicola_Dokumente/DaunichtBauml%C3%A4uferLimicola1991.pdf Article on the identification of common and short-toed treecreepers] (in German with an English summary)

{{Taxonbar|from=Q125895}}

[[Category:Certhia|short-toed treecreeper]]
[[Category:Birds of Europe]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1820|short-toed treecreeper]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Christian Ludwig Brehm|short-toed treecreeper]]