Tichodroma

Tichodroma; Temporal range: Late Miocene - Recent
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Superfamily:	Certhioidea
Family:	Tichodromidae; Swainson, 1827
Genus:	Tichodroma; Illiger, 1811
Species
	Tichodroma muraria (wallcreeper); †Tichodroma capeki;

Tichodroma is the only known genus in the family Tichodromidae. The wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) is the only extant species, but the extinct Tichodroma capeki is known from the Late Miocene of Polgardi, Hungary.[1] Initially, Linnaeus placed the wallcreeper in the family Certhiidae, along with the treecreepers,[2] while other authorities have placed it the nuthatch family Sittidae, as its own subfamily. A 2016 phylogenetic study of members in the superfamily Certhioidea suggests it is a sister of the Sittidae.[3]

Certhioidea

Tichodromidae: wallcreeper – 1 species

Sittidae: nuthatches – 29 species

	Salpornithidae: spotted creepers – 2 species

	Certhiidae: treecreepers – 9 species

	Polioptilidae: gnatcatchers – 20 species

	Troglodytidae: wrens – 96 species

Relationships among families in the superfamily Certhioidea.[4][5]

References

^ Kessler, E. 2013. Neogene songbirds (Aves, Passeriformes) from Hungary. – Hantkeniana, Budapest, 2013, 8: 37-149.
^ Campbell, Bruce; Elizabeth Lack (1985). A Dictionary of Birds. Calton: T & A D Poyser. pp. 638–39. ISBN 0-85661-039-9.
^ Zhao, Min; Alström, Per; Olsson, Urban; Qu, Yanhua; Lei, Fumin (2016). "Phylogenetic position of the Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria". Journal of Ornithology. 157 (3): 913. Bibcode:2016JOrni.157..913Z. doi:10.1007/s10336-016-1340-8. S2CID 26838254.
^ Oliveros, C.H.; et al. (2019). "Earth history and the passerine superradiation". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. 116 (16): 7916–7925. Bibcode:2019PNAS..116.7916O. doi:10.1073/pnas.1813206116. PMC 6475423. PMID 30936315.
^ AviList Core Team (2025). "AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025". doi:10.2173/avilist.v2025. Retrieved 4 December 2025.

[1] Kessler, E. 2013. Neogene songbirds (Aves, Passeriformes) from Hungary. – Hantkeniana, Budapest, 2013, 8: 37-149.

[Lack-2] Campbell, Bruce; Elizabeth Lack (1985). A Dictionary of Birds. Calton: T & A D Poyser. pp. 638–39. ISBN 0-85661-039-9.

[3] Zhao, Min; Alström, Per; Olsson, Urban; Qu, Yanhua; Lei, Fumin (2016). "Phylogenetic position of the Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria". Journal of Ornithology. 157 (3): 913. Bibcode:2016JOrni.157..913Z. doi:10.1007/s10336-016-1340-8. S2CID 26838254.

[oliveros-4] Oliveros, C.H.; et al. (2019). "Earth history and the passerine superradiation". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. 116 (16): 7916–7925. Bibcode:2019PNAS..116.7916O. doi:10.1073/pnas.1813206116. PMC 6475423. PMID 30936315.

[avilist-5] AviList Core Team (2025). "AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025". doi:10.2173/avilist.v2025. Retrieved 4 December 2025.