The Himalayas, is a mountain range which separates the Great Indian Plains from the Tibetan Plateau. This range is home to nine of the ten highest peaks on the Earth, including the highest, Mount Everest. The abrupt rise of the Himalayan Mountains from less than 500 meters to more than 8,000 meters in a few hundred kilometers has resulted in a huge diversity of flora and fauna. Nearly 1000 birds have been recorded in the Himalayas of which 15 species are fully endemic.
The wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) is the only member of the genus Tichodroma and very closely related to the nuthatches. A bird of the high mountains, the wallcreeper breeds at elevations ranging between 1000-3000 metres (3300-9800 ft). The species is resident across much of the Himalayas, ranging across India, Nepal, Bhutan and parts of Tibet. The wallcreeper is an insectivore, feeding on terrestrial invertebrates-primarily insects and spiders-gleaned from rock faces. It sometimes also chases flying insects in short sallies from a rock wall perch. Feeding birds move across a cliff face in short flights and quick hops, often with their wings partially spread.
IUCN Status: Least Concern (LC) Photo: Soumyajit Nandi