White-throated Treecreeper after food
Female White-throated Treecreeper
Canon EOS R1 with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 1250, 800mm, f/9.0 and 1/1250])
In mid-July 2026, this female White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaea) was looking for food among the trees at Namadgi National Park. Treecreepers tend not to be too concerned about humans and she flew to a tree right in front of me giving me a wonderful view of her search for food. I love how these birds spiral around a branch or a trunk, hardly ever remaining still. Constantly searching for food on the bark of the trees.
For this bird, the orange spot on the cheek is the distinctive mark for the female, males don’t have that spot.
These treecreepers are not related to the European treecreepers, despite the similar look and behaviour. When feeding, these treecreepers generally spiral up a tree, and once they get near the top, they fly down to another tree to restart the process of searching for small animals on the bark. Evolution has provided them very strong claws and feet to allow them to easily move around trunks and branches.
