Blue Rock-Thrush
Monticola solitarius
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyMuscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats)
- GenusMonticola (Rock-Thrushes)
- SpeciesMonticola solitarius (Blue Rock-Thrush)
About the Blue Rock-Thrush
The blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius) is a species of chat. This thrush-like Old World flycatcher was formerly placed in the family Turdidae. It breeds in southern Europe, northwest Africa, and from Central Asia to northern China and Malaysia. The blue rock thrush is the official national bird of Malta.
The blue rock thrush was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Turdus solitarius. The type locality is Italy. The scientific name is from Latin. Monticola is from mons, montis "mountain", and colere, "to dwell", and the specific epithet solitarius means "solitary".
The rock thrush genus Monticola was formerly placed in the family Turdidae but molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the species in the genus are more closely related to members of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
There are five recognised subspecies: M. s. solitarius (Linnaeus, 1758) – northwest Africa, south Europe, north Turkey to Georgia and Azerbaijan. M. s. longirostris (Blyth, 1847) – Greece and west and south Turkey through the Middle East to the northwest Himalayas to northeast Africa and India
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Recent sightings of Blue Rock-Thrush in Royal Bardia National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Royal Bardia National Park
Blue-capped Rock-Thrush
Monticola cinclorhynchus
Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush
Monticola rufiventris
Pied Bushchat
Saxicola caprata
Oriental Magpie-Robin
Copsychus saularis
Siberian Stonechat
Saxicola maurus
White-rumped Shama
Copsychus malabaricus
Taiga Flycatcher
Ficedula albicilla
Blue Whistling-Thrush
Myophonus caeruleus
Grey Bushchat
Saxicola ferreus
Verditer Flycatcher
Eumyias thalassinus
White-tailed Stonechat
Saxicola leucurus
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.