African Spotted Creeper

Salpornis salvadori

The African spotted creeper (Salpornis salvadori) is a small passerine bird, which is a member of the subfamily Salpornithinae of the treecreeper family Certhiidae. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa in open deciduous forest and mango groves. It does not migrate other than local movements. The African spotted creeper has strongly spotted and barred plumage, clearly different from the treecreepers of the subfamily Certhiinae. It weighs up to 16 grams, twice as much as treecreepers of similar length [up to 15 cm]. The African spotted creeper has a thin pointed down-curved bill, which it uses to extricate insects from bark, but it lacks the stiff tail feathers which the true treecreepers use to support themselves on vertical trees. Its nests and eggs are quite different from those of the Certhiinae. The nest is a cup placed on a horizontal branch, usually in a crotch, and camouflaged with spiders' egg sacs, caterpillar frass, and lichen. The clutch is usually of three eggs, which are blue or greenish, marked with grey, lavender, and brown.
Birda logo
Download Birda for free and join the community of curious everyday people connecting with the natural world
Birda logo
Download Birda for free and join the community

African Spotted Creepers on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
🦢
Craig Clow
Saturday 18 Feb 2023 - 10:29am
Uganda
A photo of a African Spotted Creeper photographed in  Zimbabwe
🦅
Louis Ferreira
Saturday 12 Jan 2019 - 2:29pm
Zimbabwe
Connect with nature,
Find your flock
Copyright © 2023 Chirp Birding Ltd. All rights reserved.