- Lifespan
- 8–9 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 12–13 cm, wingspan 17–20 cm; 7–12 g
- Habitat
- Woodlands, copses, parks and gardens with mature trees, particularly those with rough bark such as oak and pine.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout England, Wales and Scotland south of the Highlands; resident year-round with some populations supplemented by continental visitors in winter.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from tree bark, including small beetles, earwigs, aphids, and insect larvae; occasionally takes seeds and plant matter.
- Prey
- Small invertebrates including beetles, lacewings, pseudoscorpions, spiders, and insect eggs
- Predators
- Sparrowhawks, other raptors, and occasionally domestic cats; eggs and nestlings vulnerable to woodpeckers and other nest predators.
- Mating Season
- March to June
- Breeding
- Clutch size 6–8 eggs; incubation period 14–15 days; fledging at 15–17 days; typically one or two broods per season.
- Behaviour
- Characteristically creeps upwards along tree trunks and branches in a spiral fashion, using its stiff tail as a prop, then flies down to the base of another tree to repeat. Largely solitary except in breeding season; males are highly territorial. Roosts behind loose bark or in crevices at night.