Papuan Treecreeper Cormobates placens Scientific name definitions

14·5 cm; 12–19·5 g. Male nominate race has dark brown crown with ill-defined pale buff streaks; hindneck to rump and tertials dull brownish-olive, uppertail-coverts as mantle or greyer; upperwing darker than mantle, with rufous-buff bar across remiges, and with secondaries and inner primaries broadly tipped pale brown; tail olive to grey with blackish subterminal spot, outer feathers dark olive to brownish-black with broad pale grey or buff tips; throat whitish, merging into buffy grey on upper breast, more ochraceous on belly, flanks dark brownish-grey with buff streaking, lower abdomen spotted buff, undertail-coverts barred dark brown to black; iris blood-red to red-brown; bill black to greyish-black, basal half of lower mandible whitish; legs greyish-yellow to olive. Female differs from male in having conspicuous rusty-orange cheek patch, throat light buffy grey, lower abdomen with larger, black-bordered ochraceous-buff streaks. Immature resembles adult; young female differs from adult female in having abdomen heavily mottled with ochraceous buff and black. Races differ mainly in plumage: steini is similar to nominate, but more dark greyish-olive above; inexpectata resembles previous, but forehead streaks more sharply defined, rump and uppertail-­coverts pure grey, tail greyer, underparts paler; meridionalis is browner above than last, more strongly ochraceous on belly.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Lower to upper montane rainforest, from 1250 m to 2600 m; also subalpine forest at up to 3000 m in Snow Mts (race inexpectata).

Presumably sedentary.

Insectivorous, but no details. Forages mostly in middle to upper levels, but sometimes close to the ground. Climbs jerkily up and around tree trunks, then swoops down to lower level, whereupon it immediately starts climbing again. Usually seen singly, but occasionally in pairs and family parties.

A mellow series of 5–10 flute-like or bell-like notes, slowly ascending in pitch, with final note sustained; a gradually descending trill similar to that of Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo (Cacomantis castaneiventris); and a faint nasal triplet, “chu chee chu”.

No information.

Not globally threatened. Rarely seen, but reckoned probably to be ­locally common. As logging and slash-and-burn agriculture are concentrated in the lowlands, the species would appear to be secure in its more elevated habitat. Ecology and biology poorly known; research required.