Cape Rock-thrush
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| Cape Rock Thrush | ||||||||||||||
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| Monticola rupestris (Vieillot, 1818) |
The Cape Rock-Thrush Monticola rupestris is a member of the thrush family of birds. This rock thrush breeds in eastern and southern South Africa. It is a common endemic resident, non-migratory apart from seasonal altitudinal movements in some areas.
This species breeds in mountainous rocky areas with scattered vegetation. It lays 2-3 eggs in a cup nest in a rock cavity or on a ledge. It eats a wide range of insects and other small animals, and some berries.
This is a large stocky rock thrush 19-21 cm in length . The summer male has a blue-grey head, orange underparts and outer tail feathers, and brown wings and back.
Females have a brown head, but their underparts are a much richer orange than those of other female rock thrushes. The outer tail feathers are reddish, like the male's. Immatures are like the female , but the upperparts have buff spots and the underparts show black scaling.
The male Cape Rock Thrush has a whistled song tsee-tsee-tseet-chee-chweeeoo, and occasionally mimics other birds.
[edit] References
- Clement and Hathaway, Thrushes ISBN 0-7136-3940-7
- Sinclair, Hockey and Tarboton, SASOL Birds of Southern Africa, ISBN 1-86872-721-1
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