| Benson's Rock Thrush | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Muscicapidae |
| Genus: | Monticola |
| Species: | M. sharpei |
| Subspecies: | M. s. bensoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Monticola sharpei bensoni (Farkas, 1971) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Monticola bensoni |
|
Benson's Rock Thrush (Monticola sharpei bensoni) is a songbird in the family Muscicapidae, formerly placed in the Turdidae together with the other chats. Often considered a distinct species, it is nowadays usually included in the Forest Rock Thrush (M. sharpei) as a subspecies; e.g. BirdLife International revised its status to subspecies in 2008.[2]
This bird is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss; when it was still considered a good species, it was classified as Near threatened by the IUCN.[3]