The Wallcreeper, a mythical bird
Photo Mathieu Bally
Today I am telling you the story of an incredible bird of breathtaking beauty. The text is embellished with exceptional photos taken by our guide Mathieu Bally.
Enter into the life of the Wallcreeper
Uncontested star among ornithologists and photographers, this small-sized passerine bird recalls, by its rounded wings, its behavior and its bright colors, a butterfly. The Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria), the only representative of its family the "Tichodromidae" owes its name from ancient Greek, literally "which runs on the walls". It is a mountain species, not very shy, which sometimes approaches observers very closely. It is still necessary to be able to flush it out in these landscapes of immense mountains, it is not always easy to take pictures of this bird. The first photo was taken by Eugène Huttenmoser in the 1980s.
The Wallcreeper knows how to surprise us in winter when it appears at lower altitude in our towns and villages. This bird has not finished fascinating nature lovers, as we can say it is one of the great curiosities of our world.
Mythical bird and ornithologist's dream
The Wallcreeper is the only representative of its family, it is therefore unique in the world. Its behavior and beauty make it a powerful attraction for the majority of photographers and bird watchers around the world.
For Europeans, this bird is rather well-known and familiar, although the observations of this bird are always striking for an enthusiast. How to get bored of it? For North Americans, for example, his quest is a priority objective during a stay on the Eurasian continent. This bird is simply a dream.
Photo Mathieu Bally
Photo Mathieu Bally
We are incredibly lucky to be able to see it close to home, make the most of it when the opportunity arises and be vigilant in the mountains so as not to disturb it!
Description and identification criteria
Unique in its kind, the Wallcreeper cannot be confused with any other species. It resembles a Nuthatch when perched. It often goes unnoticed when it's climbing rock faces with wings closed.
Photo Mathieu Bally
It is a remarkable bird in flight with its black and gray wings with blood red patterns, with white dots that create a stunning contrast. Its flight is fluttering, direct with brief glides, especially before landing.
The male, in breeding plumage, has a black throat and breast. The red on the wings is very extensive.
Females, immatures and individuals in internuptial plumage have greyish-white throat and breast. The coat is gray, the tail black with the tips of the flight feather white.
Photo Mathieu Bally
Its beak is long and thin, adapted to seek prey in the crevices of rock walls. Its legs are powerful which allows it to hang easily vertically, without tiring too much.
Geographical distribution
The species is found in most of the western Palearctic mountain ranges generally between 1000-3000m elevation. It is thus found in the Cantabria, the Pyrenees, the Alps (main populations) but also in the Carpathian Mountains, the Balkans, the Caucasus and the Himalayas (also large populations). Its distribution is therefore spread over the Eurasian continent.
In France, the Alps and the Pyrenees host the most important breeding populations. In the Alps, it is present throughout the massif, from north to south, while in the Pyrenees, it mainly concentrates on the highest mountain parts.
In winter, its distribution is much larger. The species goes down to much lower altitudes, probably because mountain conditions are harsh and food availability greatly reduced. Some individuals are erratic and get lost hundreds of kilometers from their original birth or breeding area. In France, each year, several individuals are observed in the west, in the plains, where they spend part or all of the winter.
Where to look for the Wallcreeper?
To be able to observe the Wallcreeper in good conditions, the winter season should be favored. This is a time when the birds are less discreet and willingly approach observers. It is found at lower altitudes and in more easily accessible areas. Some are natural like cliffs, others are artificial. It can then be looked for near old stone bridges, near churches and cathedrals, castles, etc. If you prefer to observe it in breeding plumage, you will have to survey the high mountain ranges, choose large cliffs and be patient.
Photo Mathieu Bally
Biology
Ecology
The Wallcreeper is completely adapted to climbing. Throughout its annual cycle, it mainly occupies the vertical rock faces of large mountains. It can nest between 350 and 3000m altitude, according to data collected in Switzerland. In France, it is mainly a medium and high mountain bird in the Alps and the Jura, where the majority of breeding sites are between 1000 and 1500m altitude. The low-lying cliffs, often frequented in winter, are rarely used for breeding, suggesting it has alpine requirements.
The Wallcreeper is fairly silent, it is rarely heard, nuptial songs take place at the start of the breeding season. The species sometimes sings during the winter, even in substitution habitats.
Behavior
This bird searches for food on a quest, usually from the bottom up. When it reaches the top, it sometimes descends in stakes, literally letting itself fall into the void to start a new ascent. The Wallcreeper is often seen alone, it is also noted that outside the breeding season, this bird is generally solitary but remains territorial. However, a case of gregariousness has already been reported in the Alps.
Photo Mathieu Bally
During the nesting period, each pair defends their territory in an arduous manner. Several couples can frequent the same cliff, the quarrels are sometimes numerous. Immediately after the fledglings have fledged, some birds may move to higher elevations before descending in the fall to lower elevations.
The first wintering individuals arrive at their sites around October. It is during this period that it is possible to observe the species on churches, castles, bridges and other artificial structures. The presence of old, poorly maintained walls seems to suit it more, the resource must be sufficient to spend the winter.
From April, the wintering individuals, sometimes seen all winter on the same site, return to higher altitude mountains.
Reproduction and population dynamics
In the Alps, the bird begin to sing as early as February. The nest is made inside a crevice where 3-4 eggs are laid. The female takes care of the incubation, which lasts about 19 days. Male and female take care of the feeding and rear the chicks for 30 to 31 days, often in June-July.
The densities recorded in this species are not well known. However, in Switzerland, densities of 3-4 pairs per 100km² have been noted, especially in the north of the Alps. The limiting factor would be the availability of food resources on the rock faces which pushes the breeding individuals to prospect over vast territories. The altitude and the presence of vegetation on the walls would be important factors in choosing a territory for a pair of Wallcreeper.
Diet
The Wallcreeper feeds on arthropods, including spiders and insects that it dislodges in crevices in rock walls. More rarely, it can attack very young reptiles.
Photo Mathieu Bally
Legal and conservation status of the species
The species is protected in France and listed in Appendix I of the Birds Directive and in Appendix III of the Bern Convention. In terms of its state of conservation, it is classified as Least Concern (LC) globally and in Europe according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In France, the species is classified as Near Threatened (NT). Its conservation status is unfavorable in several regions such as Auvergne (VU), Franche-Comté (CR), Languedoc-Roussillon (CR) or Corsica (VU).
Changing population trends
Even if its conservation status is considered favorable, the species remains "rare" given the low densities recorded, even in the largest mountain ranges. The French population would be between 600 and 1200 pairs (period 2009-2012) and the European population is estimated at around 10,000 pairs. The Alps would welcome the largest number of couples in France.
It turns out that the census methods are difficult to reliable, which suggests an underestimation of breeding numbers. This difficulty in studying populations comes from the fact that favorable breeding areas are sometimes very difficult to access, by the type of natural environment studied (cliffs, rock faces) and by the altitude which also determines detection.
Regarding participatory sciences (naturalist database), observations also remain very low during the breeding season. Although the species is difficult to study, the populations appear stable because the natural environments used are little disturbed by humans, due to their inaccessibility in many cases. However, the species would be potentially subject to seasonal fluctuations.
Potential threats
The habitat of Wallcreeper appears to be under little threat, as it is widely available in the mountains. The potential threats, mainly concern mountain sports, in particular the practice of climbing, which can disturb breeding individuals on a cliff, even if, it must be emphasized, the species seems not to be shy and not very worried about it. These causes of disturbance remain very specific. It seems that the winter conditions can have an impact on the populations, in case of a big cold snap, the species which is mainly insectivorous can find itself in difficulty. The state of the populations therefore depends mainly on the ability of the species to survive during the winter period.
Research and studies on the species
The Wallcreeper is a species that remains relatively unknown despite its popularity. It is quite difficult to find scientific studies focused on this species, probably due to the fact that it is very discreet during the nesting period and its large territories are difficult to access. It's not for everyone to track a species hanging on a cliff! It would be interesting to be able to develop studies on the choice of breeding cliffs or on the diet between the spring and winter period.
Discover the Wallcreeper
As said previously, the Wallcreeper is not very shy, your presence will hardly disturb it. That said, the animal approach must remain ethical in the sense that we must adapt our behavior according to the reactions of the subject and, for sensitive species, avoid being intrusive in their natural habitat as much as possible.
Photo Mathieu Bally
If you practice mountain sports like rock climbing, be sure to choose cliffs that are well known and frequented by clubs. However, if you do come across it during an abseiling, especially during the nesting period, do not dwell on the area, the nest may not be so far away.
So you can go on an adventure in nature and try to meet this extraordinary bird. And if you want us to lead you to it, our excursions and naturalist tours in Valais in Switzerland are an excellent opportunity to find it.
And before leaving you, I recommend an extraordinary film dedicated to our dear Wallcreeper. Entitled simply, "L’Oiseau Papillon", this film by Frank Neveu took more than 3 years of work, and the result is simply exceptional. You can order it on the website of La Salamandre which produced the film.
Thibaut
Guide Salva Fauna
References:
Le Guide Ornitho, L. Svensson, K. Mullarney, D. Zetterström, Delachaux et Niestlé, p 350-351.
Cahiers d’Habitat « Oiseaux » - MEEDDAT-MNHN-Fiche projet, Tichodrome échelette, Tichodroma muraria (Linné, 1766). Document PDF.
Les Oiseaux de Franche-Comté, Répartition, tendances et conservation. LPO Franche-Comté - Biotope Editions 2018, p261-262.
Handbook of western paleactic birds – Volume II, Passerines : Flycatchers to Buntings, Hadoram Shirihai, Helm Guides, p. 131-133.
Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature (UICN), Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria). Site web : www.iucnredlist.org/species/22711234/155489183 (consulté le 11/05/2020).
