Brown Treecreeper Climacteris picumnus
What do they look like ? Small dark brown bird 15 - 18 cm long . Slightly curved beak , pale ‘ eyebrow ’ and pale streaks on the belly . Hops up and down rough tree trunks and branches and can hold onto the underside of branches . Some people mistakenly refer to Brown Treecreepers as ‘ woodpeckers ’. Call is distinctive - a series of loud , strong , rapid ‘ pip pip pips ’. The call carries a long way . Sometimes the pips rapidly slow down , as though the bird has quickly run out of batteries !
Where do they live ? Open woodland with mixed ground layer , open understorey and fallen timber . Woodlands dominated by box and ironbark and other rough barked trees are preferred . Widespread in eastern Australia but has declined alarmingly in southern parts and on Cape York .
What do they need to live , eat and breed ? Mostly hunts insects and spiders gleaned from cracks in rough bark – the narrow , curved beak is well suited to this task . Sometimes feeds on the ground as well . Nests in dead , hollow limbs , fallen timber with branches that project off the ground or old wooden fence posts .
When might I see ( or hear ) them ? Active by day , sometimes associates with other groups of birds . The strident call may be uttered at any time during the day .
What management actions affect this species ? Maintaining woodland structural diversity , a mixed ground layer and careful fire management benefits Brown Treecreepers . Extensive tree clearing , overgrazing and wildfires that deplete fallen timber are major threats , and these practices have led to serious declines and local extinctions in the south . Wildfires on Cape York may be responsible for declines there . Property plans which retain ironbark and box woodlands may benefit this species .
How do they benefit the land I manage ? As part of a large suite of insectivorous ( insect eating ) birds , Brown Treecreepers help keep woodlands healthy by keeping in check insect populations and preventing excessive insect attack on trees , shrubs and grasses .
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