Perching birds
Wallcreeper
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Tichodroma muraria
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How to recognize it
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15.5–17 cm long
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Blue-grey upperparts; folded wings show little red, but in flight they are red with white spots
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Short flights and quick hops across walls and rocks, wings often partly spread
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Found on buildings and in quarries in winter
About the species
Its body is blue-grey, with darker flight feathers and a short black tail edged in white. With its wings folded, most of the crimson is hidden; when they open, white spots show across the red. In summer, males have a black throat, while females may have a white throat or a small dark patch; in winter, both sexes are white-throated.
It moves across cliff faces in quick hops and short flights, often with its wings partly spread, and climbs without bracing itself with its tail. Most of the time it is quiet, but its song sounds like a high, wavering whistle, with notes that rise and fall. Males sing while perched or climbing in the breeding season; in winter, females may sing while defending feeding territories.
It breeds on steep cliffs in high mountains across Eurasia, then moves to lower elevations in winter, sometimes turning up on buildings and in quarries. It searches rock faces for insects and spiders, and sometimes darts out from a perch to catch flying insects.
Where to find
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During the breeding season on high mountain cliffs, listen for a long whistle as a male sings while climbing or perched on a ledge.
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At quarries in winter, scan the steep rock faces: the Wallcreeper feeds alone on insects and spiders, moving in quick hops and short flights.
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In Brittany and Normandy in winter, check cathedral walls and viaducts for a small figure clinging to the masonry.
