Hume's treecreeper was earlier included within the brown-throated treecreeper complex and identified as a separate species on the basis of their distinctive calls. This species in the treecreeper family is found in Assam, Myanmar, Shan Mountains, Northern Thailand, Laos and the Dalat Plateau.
Region
Northeast India and Mainland Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane evergreen and mixed broadleaf–conifer forests with abundant moss and lichen. Found from Assam and Manipur in northeast India through Myanmar (including the Shan Plateau) to northern Thailand and Laos, with a disjunct population on Vietnam’s Da Lat Plateau. Prefers mature forest with rough-barked trunks, snags, and layered understory. Often uses edges of dense forest, ravines, and mossy ridgelines where large trees offer foraging surfaces.
Altitude Range
900–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Hume's treecreeper was split from the brown-throated treecreeper complex chiefly on the basis of distinctive vocalizations. It creeps up trunks in a spiral, using its stiff tail as a prop while probing bark crevices for tiny invertebrates. Its distribution is patchy across montane forests from northeast India through Myanmar to Indochina. Despite subtle plumage differences, its call is often the best field cue for identification.
Temperament
solitary and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between trees; weak undulating flights
Social Behavior
Typically forages alone or in pairs, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks in winter. Breeding pairs nest in crevices behind loose bark, in natural fissures, or shallow cavities lined with fine bark strips and plant fibers. Territorial around nest sites but otherwise quiet and inconspicuous.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a thin, high-pitched series of clear, rising notes with delicate trills; calls include sharp, sibilant see notes. Vocalizations are distinctive within the complex and are a key field mark.
