Small bird (about 12 cm or 4.5 in) difficult to detect. It has a relatively long tail and a characteristic fine, long and curved bill. The upper part of the body is brown and the underparts are light coloured. The wings have a mosaic of brown colours with small light, grey or cream-coloured spots that allow the bird to camouflage perfectly. When the Short-Toed Treecreeper moves it is unmistakable because it looks like a small mouse climbing up tree trunks. It advances through the bark easily, spiraling up to fly to the base of another tree.
Woodland environment
It lives in woods and all types of forest systems, both deciduous and evergreen; in parks and gardens, in olive groves and tree crops, in grassland and thickets. Frequent in holm, cork and Portuguese oak woods and pine woods. Absent in areas lacking in trees.
The Short-Toed Treecreeper is a resident bird all year round in Malaga. It breeds from March, laying twice 6 to 7 eggs each time. The nest is usually placed in cracks and holes in trees. This bird feeds on spiders, insects and their larvae, that it captures in the bark of trees while climbing up the trunk, exploring the cracks with its bill.
It is a frequent bird, present in all the forest stages of the Great Path. For example, it can be observed in stages 5, 6, 7, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 31, 33 and 34.
Short-toed treecreepers are of great value in the fight against forest pests. They actually feed on all the larvae of those boring insects or those that cause tree diseases.
- Altos de Hondonero
- Arroyo de la Ventilla
- Camino de la Fuenfría
- El Alcázar - La Maroma
- El Cerro de Santi Petri
- El Chorro (Paraje Natural del Desfiladero de Los Gaitanes)
- El Torcal
- Fuente de los 100 Caños
- Fuente del Acebuche
- Genil River banks
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 05. Nerja - Frigiliana
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 06. Frigiliana - Cómpeta
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 08. Canillas de Aceituno - Periana
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 10. Riogordo - Alfarnate
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 11. Alfarnate - Villanueva del Rosario
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 13. Archidona - Villanueva de Tapia
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 14. Villanueva de Tapia - Villanueva de Algaidas
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora)
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 23. El Burgo - Ronda
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 25. Estación de Benaoján - Jimera de Líbar
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 26. Jimera de Líbar - Benalauría
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 27. Benalauría - Genalguacil
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 28. Genalguacil - Casares
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 29. Casares - Estepona
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 30. Estepona - Marbella
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 31. Marbella - Ojén
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 32. Ojén - Mijas
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 33. Mijas - Benalmádena
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 34. Benalmádena - Alhaurín de la Torre
- Hoz de Marín
- Llanos de Líbar
- Montes de Malaga Natural Park
- Nacimiento Río Jorox
- Quejigales - Puerto de Los Pilones
- Refugio de Juanar
- Río del Burgo
- Río Guadalmina
- Río Jorox
- Sierra de Mollina y Laguna de la Ratosa
- Sierra del Padrastro
- Tajos del Fraile, Doña Ana y Gómer
- Valley of Genal River
- Valley of the Guadalhorce River
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