Short-toed treecreeper
Certhia brachydactyla
Certhiidae
| Other names | |
|---|---|
| Catalan | Raspinell |
| Spanish | Agateador común |
| English | Short-toed treecreeper |
| French | Grimpereau des jardins |
| Basque | Gerri-txori arrunt |
| Galician | Gabeador común |
Description
Small white bird, spotted with brownish tones, with a pointed and slightly curved bill. The belly is greyish white. The wings have a white stripe, and the eyebrows are also white. The tail is smooth and brown. Its feathers are strong and flexible. It is about 12-13 cm long and weighs about 10 grams. It lives in forests, riverside groves and in parks and gardens. It feeds on insects found in the bark of tree trunks.
Furthermore, it builds its nest with grass, roots, bark fragments and feathers in holes found in the tree trunks or among the stems of ivy. The female lays 5-6 white eggs with brown spots and incubates them for two weeks. The chicks start to fly 15 days later. It might lay two clutches per year.
It can be found very rarely occupying the edible dormouse nest boxes, where it can breed.