Blue Rock Thrush - BirdForum Opus

Male
Photo © by Jamie MacArthur
Lesvos , April 2009

Monticola solitarius

Identification

Female
Photo © by Jamie MacArthur
Lesvos, April 2009

20–23 cm (7¾-9 in)
Male nominate

• Blue-grey plumage
• Darker wings and tail
  

Female variable and immature

• Dark brown upperparts
• Pale brown scaly underparts

Distribution

Southern Europe, north-western Africa (wintering to north-eastern and central Africa), Siberia to central Asia to northern China and Malaysia.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Subspecies philippenis
Photo © by robby thai
Koh Chang Island, Ranong Province, Thailand, April 2014

There are 5 subspecies^[1]:

• M. s. solitarius:

• Southern Europe, north-western Africa and Middle East; winters to central Africa

• M. s. longirostris:

• Northern Iraq and Iran to Pakistan; winters to northern India and north-eastern Africa

• M. s. pandoo:

• Central Asia and Himalayas; winters to Malaysia and Indonesia

• M. s. philippensis:

• South-eastern Siberia to China, Japan and Lan-yü Island; winters to Indonesia

• M. s. madoci:

• Malay Peninsula and Sumatra

Habitat

Fairly conspicuous on exposed rocky slopes, road cuts even through forests, open areas including parks, and along rocky streams and rivers (on wintering grounds).

Behaviour

Subspecies philippensis, Autumn male
Photo © by bievreJJ
Hachijo-jima, Izu Islands, Japan, September 2012

Breeding

They nest on steep cliffs in rock cavities and walls. The clutch consists of 3-5 eggs.

Diet

The diet vertebrates, small vertebrates, insects and fruit. Insects include grasshoppers, locusts and crickets.

Vocalisation

<flashmp3>Monticola solitarius (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

Gallery

Click on photo for larger image

• 

  Juvenile, subspecies longirostris
  Photo © by max1
  Panna Nat.Park, C. India, February 2018]]

• 

  Fresh-plumaged, non-breeding male, subspecies pandoo
  Photo © by BKKBen
  Phu Suan Sai NP, Loei, Thailand, October 2017

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Avibase
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved May 2018)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Blue Rock Thrush. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Blue_Rock_Thrush

External Links

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