Hume’s Treecreeper

Having heard a Green Cochoa Cochoa viridis call deep inside the forest, we were very disappointed not to see this bird after an hour or more trying, but we were delighted to find this Hume’s Treecreeper Certhis manipurensis as we were leaving. The Treecreeper was on a large tree next to the trail and having located it climbing the main trunk, I pointed my camera in the general direction and clicked the shutter a few times. There was little light in the forest and as a result, the image is rather noisy and the bird not totally sharp in the frame.

Hume’s Treecreeper was earlier included within the Brown-throated Treecreeper complex and identified as a separate species on the basis of molecular evidence and its distinctive calls. This species is found in Assam, Myanmar, Shan Mountains, Laos and the Dalat Plateau as well as north-west Thailand.

I was left wondering if anyone had ever seen and photographed a Green Cochoa, a near mythical species based on my lack of sightings on numerous Himalayan treks. A quick internet search revealed a number of excellent photos of this species. Perhaps another time…

Reference: Thai National Parks