White-throated Treecreeper

1. Brilliant white throat and chest contrasting with dark grey-brown upperparts

2. Bold black-fringed cream streaks on flanks

3. Females show a pale orange cheek patch; juveniles have orange-brown rump

These treecreepers feed mainly on ants, making up the bulk of their diet, but will also eat other insects, spiders, and occasionally nectar. Foraging is mostly done by climbing up tree trunks and probing bark crevices with their slightly downcurved bill. Breeding occurs from August to January, with females constructing a cup-shaped nest of bark, fur, hair, feathers, and moss inside a tree hollow, usually 4–5 metres above ground. Females lay 2-3 white eggs with brownish spots and incubate them alone for about three weeks. Both parents feed the chicks, which remain in the nest for 25–26 days after hatching. Unlike some other treecreepers, this species does not typically engage in cooperative breeding.

White-throated Treecreepers are found from southeastern Queensland through eastern New South Wales, Victoria, and into southeastern South Australia. They inhabit wetter eucalypt forests, rainforests, and timbered river areas, favouring mature trees with rough, fibrous bark. They are most active in the morning, spiralling up tree trunks and branches from ground level to the canopy, and rarely venture to the ground`.`