Treecreeper Certhia familiaris   [Linnaeus, 1758]

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   Page updated:16-January-2013

Order: Passeriformes Family: Certhiidae
BTO Codes: TC, TREEC EURING No: 14860
Number in Britain: 204 thousand territories (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: GREEN
European: Not a species of concern
Global: (Details)
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Resident Breeder
Subspecies: britannica (R), familiaris (S) recorded in Britain (of 13 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 12 cm Wingspan: 19 cm Weight: M/F: 10 g    
Scientific name from: Gr.: kerthios=small tree-dwelling bird described by Aristotle and others and L.: familiaris-familiar
World Distribution: Europe, n&c Asia
Habitat: Forest, woodland
Diet: Insects and spiders also pine/spruce seeds in winter, from crevices in trunk, feeds going up tree

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: BirdTrends   
Regional Trends: Scotland   Wales   England   English Regions
Distribution: Atlas Maps    BBS Maps
British Population Size:
    Summer: 204 thousand territories in 2000     Note: Best estimate
    First Record: Recorded in Medieval times
    Conservation Status: GREEN
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 GREEN     1996-2001 GREEN  
   Races of Concern: britannica AMBER (Important Population)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Deciduous Wood
    And found in: Coniferous Wood
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
    Summer: 3.7 to 7 million pairs   (Trend in Numbers)
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: Bern(III)
Survey Results: Results from BirdTrack
Results from Garden BirdWatch

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 16 x 12 mm Egg Weight: 1.2 g (of which 6 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 55   (more would be welcome!)
Clutch Size: 5 - 6 eggs 5.24 ± 1.07 (2 - 9) N = 498
Incubation: 13- 17 days 14.55 ± 2.06 (11.5 - 17.5) N = 498   by the: Female
Fledging: 15 - 17days 15.54 ± 1.69 (12 - 18.5) N = 931 as: Altricial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid: 27 Apr (5 Apr - 29 May)
Number of Broods: 2
See trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.477 ± 0.050       
Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: 2 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 8 years 0 months 18 days (set in 1987)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics

Ring Size: AA
Wing Length Adult: 63.1 ± 2.1     Range 53.0 - 71.0 mm, (N = 2126)
Juvenile: 62.9 ± 2.1     Range 53.0 - 73.0 mm, (N = 10629)
Male: 64.3 ± 1.6     Range 54.0 - 71.0 mm, (N = 422)
Female: 61.9 ± 1.8     Range 56.0 - 68.0 mm, (N = 293)
Weight Adult: 8.79 ± 0.69 Range 7.00 - 11.40 g , (N =1762)
Juvenile: 8.6 ± 0.6 Range 6.1 - 11.4 . , (N =9271)
Male: 8.93 ± 0.49 Range 7.20 - 10.50 g , (N =360)
Female: 8.88 ± 0.89 Range 7.10 - 11.40 g , (N =226)
Seasonal: Summer 8.87 ± 0.62 (N = 1351)   Autumn 8.98 ± 0.67 (N = 345)   Winter 8.80 ± 0.63 (N = 1781)  
Source: British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data

Other Names

Eurasia Treecreeper
Gaelic: Snàgair Welsh: Dringwr bach
Danish: Træløber Dutch: Taigaboomkruiper
Finnish: Puukiipijä French: Grimpereau des bois
German: Waldbaumläufer Hungarian: Hegyi fakusz
Icelandic: Skógfeti Irish: Snag
Italian: Rampichino alpestre Norwegian: Trekryper
Polish: Pelzacz lesny Portuguese: Trepadeira-do-bosque
Spanish: Agateador norteño Swedish: Trädkrypare

For More Information...

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Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
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