Eurasian treecreeper / Waldbaumläufer (Certhia familiaris)

Waldbaumläufer oder Gartenbaumläufer am Aabach. 2023-02-09 15:34:48 Sils

Observations

First documented observation: 2020-04-23 at the Luppmen. Most recent observation: 2025-07-24 in Fehraltorf.

Description

Classification: Genus Certhia (Certhia); Subfamily Certhiinae (Certhiinae); Family Certhiidae (Certhiidae)
General: The Eurasian treecreeper or common treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) is a small passerine bird also known in the British Isles, where it is the only living member of its genus, simply as treecreeper. It is similar to other treecreepers, and has a curved bill, patterned brown upperparts, whitish underparts, and long stiff tail feathers which help it creep up tree trunks. It can be most easily distinguished from the similar short-toed treecreeper, which shares much of its European range, by its different song. [more]
Deutschland: Brut-, Jahresvogel

Seasonal behavior

Year-round bird
Breeding: 04-20 - 07-20
More details at Vogelwarte.ch

Other Details

Physical details

Physical details: length=12 cm, wingspan=17-21 cm, weight=8-11 g
Habitats: Forest

Similar species

Looks similar to: Short-toed treecreeper.

Vocalisation

Song: I say: it sounds like a faster higher chaffinch song. Wikipedia says: The male's song begins with srrih, srrih followed in turn by a few twittering notes, a longer descending ripple, and a whistle that falls and then rises.
Song: Lang u. klar! (Waldwege sind lang). Tonreihe im Ganzen absinkend, nur letzter Ton höher. [Link]
Song a short, continuous three-part phrase. [Link] Song attributes: Mnemnoics: Waldwege sind lang, Sagging tree branch Melody: stereotype melodic, slow, Frequency: medium (1-5 KHz)
Calls: weniger scharf, „srih,“ weniger eindringlich als oben [Link]
Contact call a drawn, high-pitched "tzreeee". Similar to Goldcrest in timbre, but of longer duration with a vibrating and slightly rolling tone. Generally repeated in evenly paced, slow series (unlike Goldcrest). Each phrase starts with a few contact call-like notes followed by a Willow Warbler-like descending part, which then jumps to a few descending high notes to form a marked conclusion. Note that "mixed singers" are not uncommon in areas where both species of treecreepers occur. [Link] 1: General: Wikipedia says: The contact call is a very quiet, thin and high-pitched sit, but the most distinctive call is a penetrating tsree, with a vibrato quality, sometimes repeated as a series of notes.
Fairly regularly spaced single tseep at 7-9KHz.
Call: Contact call a drawn, high-pitched "tzreeee". Similar to Goldcrest in timbre, but of longer duration with a vibrating and slightly rolling tone. Generally repeated in evenly paced, slow series (unlike Goldcrest). [Link]
XC206282 Eurasian treecreeper call.

XC206282 Eurasian treecreeper call. ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC206282 Eurasian treecreeper call.mp3 (call)


2: No details but a Xeno-Canto recording.
XC574757 Eurasian treecreeper alarm call.

XC574757 Eurasian treecreeper alarm call. ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC574757 Eurasian treecreeper alarm call.mp3 (alarm call)


Call attributes: Call melody: one note, slow, Frequency: 7-9 KHz,