Wallcreeper

Tichodroma muraria

Flutters up sheer alpine cliffs flashing crimson wings like a butterfly the size of a starling. Delivers from places nothing else goes.

Population: ~500,000–1,500,000 mature individuals globally (BirdLife/IUCN estimate; European population ~57,900–139,000 mature individuals, ~10% of global range)
Habitat: Steep, rugged cliffs, boulder-strewn slopes, and damp shady gorges in high mountains, typically 1,000–3,000 m in Europe (up to ~4,900-5,100 m in the Himalaya/Asia); descends to lower elevations, quarries, and even buildings in winter
Fun fact: The wallcreeper is the sole surviving member of its genus and family (Tichodromidae) and, despite superficially resembling a nuthatch as it flits up sheer rock faces, it reveals a flash of crimson, spot-studded wings and an oddly butterfly-like, floating flight whenever it takes to the air.
Range: High mountains of the Palearctic, from Spain and Morocco across the Alps, Balkans, and Caucasus through Central Asia (Iran, Kazakhstan) to the Himalaya and western/central China
Diet: Terrestrial invertebrates, chiefly insects and spiders, gleaned from crevices on rock faces; occasionally sallies after flying insects
Size: 0.16 m
Wingspan: 0.265 m
Lifespan: 8 years

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