Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush

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Rock Thrush
Male (center), female (below) and young bird (top). Public domain image from 1905 handbook.
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Turdidae Genus: Monticola Species: M. saxatilis
Binomial name
Monticola saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1766)

The Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush, or just Rock Thrush, Monticola saxatilis is a member of the thrush family Turdidae.

It breeds in southern Europe across central Asia to northern China. This species is strongly migratory, all populations wintering in Africa south of the Sahara. It is an uncommon visitor to northern Europe. Its range has contracted somewhat at the periphery in recent decades due to habitat destruction. For example, in the early 20th century it bred in the Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska (Poland) where none occur today (Tomek & Bocheński 2005), but it is not considered globally endangered (BirdLife International 2004).

This is a medium-sized but stocky thrush 17-20cm in length . The summer male is unmistakable, with a blue-grey head, orange underparts and outer tail feathers, dark brown wings and white back. Females and immatures are much less striking, with dark brown scaly upperparts, and paler brown scaly underparts. The outer tail feathers are reddish, like the male.

This species breeds in open dry hilly areas, usually above 1500m. It nests in rock cavities, laying 4-5 eggs. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects and berries.

The male Rock Thrush has a clear and tuneful song.

[edit] References

• BirdLife International (2004). Monticola saxatilis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

• Clement, Peter & Hathaway, Ren (2000): Thrushes. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-3940-7

• Tomek, Teresa & Bocheński, Zygmunt (2005): Weichselian and Holocene bird remains from Komarowa Cave, Central Poland. Acta zoologica cracoviensia 48A(1-2): 43-65. PDF fulltext