The black-tailed treecreeper is a species of bird in the family Climacteridae. It is endemic to north and northwestern Australia.
Region
Northern Australia
Typical Environment
Found across the Top End of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It favors open tropical eucalypt woodlands with rough-barked species such as Darwin stringybark and woollybutt. It also occurs along riparian corridors and in paperbark (Melaleuca) stands, and edges of monsoon vine thickets. Birds are largely sedentary within well-wooded landscapes and are most frequently seen on large trunks and main branches.
Altitude Range
0–600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This bark-foraging specialist creeps up trunks in short, methodical hops, probing under loose bark for insects. Males typically show a darker, often blackish throat, while females are paler with buff tones. Its dark tail contrasts with its browner body, aiding quick field identification. The species is quiet and unobtrusive, often detected by soft piping calls.
Temperament
quiet and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between trunks; mostly hops and creeps rather than prolonged flight
Social Behavior
Typically seen in pairs or small family units holding territories year-round. Nests are placed in natural tree cavities, lined with bark fibers and similar material. Both parents participate in incubation and feeding of the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft piping and thin whistled notes, often delivered from mid-trunk perches. Phrases can be repeated in short series, carrying modestly through open woodland.
Plumage
Plain brown upperparts with slightly paler, faintly streaked underparts and a distinctly dark, blackish tail; feathers are tight and smooth for close contact with bark.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects and other arthropods, including beetles, ants, termites, and larvae taken from crevices in bark. It gleans and probes under flaking bark and in fissures, occasionally picking prey from the ground near the base of trees. Spiders and small caterpillars are also consumed.
Preferred Environment
Forages on large, rough-barked eucalypts and melaleucas, especially on trunks and main limbs. Often remains in mid to lower trunk levels where bark crevices are abundant.
