White-throated Treecreepers in the ascendancy

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Yes partly shown in the photo from Denis: long claws and syndactylous toes. See also the bottom right paragraph of page 237 of: Sibley, C.G., Schodde, R. & Ahlquist, J.E. 1984, ‘The relationships of the Australo-Papuan Treecreepers Climacteridae as indicated by DNA-DNA hybridisation’, Emu 84: 236–241 for a description of this. Why the article did not give a picture of this, is a mystery to me. That is the forward toes are joined, not separate as in most passerines.

 

The other bird group with syndactylous toes are the Coraciiformes, (Bee-eater, Kingfishers, Rollers, etc), which do not move around trees in any way remotely similar. So something quite different going on there.

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----From: Denis Wilson [ Sent: Sunday, 8 June 2014 5:06 PM      To: Mark Clayton
Cc: Con Boekel; COG list      Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] White-throated Treecreepers in the ascendancy

I cannot answer their apparent ability to defy gravity. But I can at least show why they are so remarkable at clinging to tree branches.
Its all in the foot and toe structure.

Denis

Denis Wilson

JP Morgan once said
''If everyone can draw on the power, then where do we put the meter?'' 
That's why we need Renewable energy.

"The Nature of Robertson"
www.peonyden.blogspot.com.au

On Sun, Jun 8, 2014 at 3:23 PM, Mark Clayton <> wrote:

G'day Con,

I think just about every treecreeper species I have watched moves with both
legs together, not one at a time. I have also watched White-throated
Treecreepers moving along the underside of a branch where they move the same
way but don't open their wings. I have no idea as to how they stay upside
down without "dropping" as they move.

Cheers,
Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: Con Boekel [
Sent: Sunday, 8 June 2014 2:52 PM
To: COG list
Subject: [canberrabirds] White-throated Treecreepers in the ascendancy

I have some evidence, but not conclusive evidence, in relation to the
following question:

'Do treecreepers hop up trees using two legs at a time, or do they step up
trees using one leg at a time?'