Hume's Treecreeper

Hume's treecreeper is a small, long-tailed climbing bird with mottled brown upperparts, pale spotting and a slender downcurved bill. Its throat and breast are rich cinnamon, grading paler toward the belly. Stiff tail feathers brace the bird against bark as it ascends trunks. Formerly included in the brown-throated treecreeper complex, it was recognised as a separate species through molecular evidence and distinctive vocalisations (Tietze et al. 2006; Wikipedia, general species account).

Its range includes northeastern India, Myanmar, northern Thailand, Laos and Vietnam's Đà Lạt Plateau. It inhabits the interior of montane oak, pine and other forest and is generally shy and quiet. Birds climb upward while investigating bark crevices, then fly to the base of another trunk. Recorded nests are moss pads placed behind loose bark and lined with fur, holding three to five eggs; historical observations placed breeding from early April into May (Fauna of British India treecreeper account).