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Blue Rock Thrush - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 23:30, 8 July 2018 by Deliatodd-18346 (talk | contribs) (Amended caption.)
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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:
  • M. s. longirostris:
  • M. s. pandoo:
  • M. s. philippensis:
  • M. s. madoci:

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

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. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Avibase
  3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved May 2018)
  4. Wikipedia

Recommended Citation

External Links


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