TICHODROMA. 44l 



Genus TICHODROMA Illiger, 1811. 



The genus Tichodroma contains the one species, the well-known 

 Wall-Creeper, which breeds throughout the higher Himalayas, 

 descending lower in the winter. 



The Wall-Creeper, in addition to a complete autumn moult, has 

 a partial one in the spring by which the colour of the chin and 

 throat is changed. The sexes differ slightly from one another in 

 summer. The young birds resemble the adults in winter plumage 

 very closely, but they have more spots on the wings and these 

 rufous instead of white. They also have less crimson on the 

 wing. 



Tichodroma has a very long, slender and almost straight bill, 

 longer than the head, with long, narrow slits for nostrils. The 

 wing is extremely large, but rounded, not pointed, the first 

 primary being about half the length of the second and the second 

 and third also shorter than the tip of the wing. The tail is com- 

 posed of twelve soft feathers, about half as long as the wing and 

 very slightly rounded. The tarsus is smooth and the hind claw 

 longer than its toe. 



Fig. 87.- Head of T. muraria. 



(457) Tichodroma muraria. 

 THE WALL- CREEPER. 



Certhia muraria Linn., S. N., i, p. 184 (1766) (S. Europe). 

 Tichodroma muraria. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 334. 



Vernacular names. Dewal Gaiyulc (Pushtu) ; Say-gorsa-lamdong- 

 pho (Lepcha) ; Suppurotsu (Chamba). 



Description. In winter plumage the forehead, crown, nape and 

 ear-coverts are brown ; a ring round the eye and a short super- 

 cilium white ; lores mixed ashy and brown ; hind neck, back and 

 scapulars ashy grey ; rump and upper tail-coverts iron-grey ; 

 lesser wing-coverts bright crimson; the outer greater coverts and 

 primary-coverts brown on the inner and dull crimson on the outer 

 webs ; the inner greater coverts and inner secondaries brown 

 tinged with ashy; winglet brown; quills black tipped with 

 whitish ; the outer webs of the primaries and outer secondaries, 

 except the first three, with the basal halves crimson ; the first four 

 primaries each with two large white spots on the inner webs ; tail 



