Blue rock thrush: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
imported>Spicemix →Behaviour: ce |
imported>Charlesjsharp No edit summary |
||
| Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
| status = LC | | status = LC | ||
| status_system = IUCN3.1 | | status_system = IUCN3.1 | ||
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 13 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Monticola solitarius'' |volume=2016 | | | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 13 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Monticola solitarius'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T22708286A87933903 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22708286A87933903.en |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref> | ||
| genus = Monticola | | genus = Monticola | ||
| species = solitarius | | species = solitarius | ||
| Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
}} | }} | ||
The '''blue rock thrush''' ('''''Monticola solitarius''''') is a species of [[chat (bird)|chat]]. This [[thrush (bird)|thrush]]-like [[Old World flycatcher]] was formerly placed in the [[family (biology)|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 word for it in Maltese being ''Merill'') and was shown on the [[Maltese lira|Lm 1 coins]] that were part of the country's former currency. | The '''blue rock thrush''' ('''''Monticola solitarius''''') is a species of [[chat (bird)|chat]]. This [[thrush (bird)|thrush]]-like [[Old World flycatcher]] was formerly placed in the [[family (biology)|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 word for it in Maltese being ''Merill'') and was shown on the [[Maltese lira|Lm 1 coins]] that were part of the country's former currency.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://era.org.mt/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/BioSnippet_23-Blue_Rock_Thrush.pdf|format=PDF|title=Blue Rock Thrush|journal=BioSnippet|publisher=Environment & Resources Authority|year=2019|volume=23|issue=9|access-date=29 July 2025}}</ref> | ||
==Taxonomy== | ==Taxonomy== | ||
The blue rock thrush was described by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in 1758 in the [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|10th edition]] of his ''[[Systema Naturae]]'' under the [[Binomial nomenclature|binomial name]] ''Turdus solitarius''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=C. | author-link= Carl Linnaeus | title=Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata | publisher= | The blue rock thrush was described by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in 1758 in the [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|10th edition]] of his ''[[Systema Naturae]]'' under the [[Binomial nomenclature|binomial name]] ''Turdus solitarius''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=C. | author-link= Carl Linnaeus | title=Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata | location=Holmiae (Stockholm) | publisher=Laurentii Salvii | year=1758 | volume=1 | language=la | page=170| url= https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/727077 }}</ref> The [[type locality (biology)|type locality]] is Italy.<ref>{{ cite book | last1=Mayr | first1=Ernst | last2=Paynter Jr.| first2=Raymond A. | year=1964 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World | volume=10 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=138 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14486327 }}</ref> The scientific name is from [[Latin]]. ''Monticola'' is from ''mons, montis'' "mountain", and ''colere'', "to dwell", and the [[Specific epithet (zoology)|specific epithet]] ''solitarius'' means "solitary".<ref name ="job">{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A. | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher=Christopher Helm | location = London, United Kingdom | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages=260, 359}}</ref> | ||
The rock thrush genus [[Monticola]] was formerly placed in the family [[Turdidae]]<ref name= | The rock thrush genus ''[[Monticola]]'' was formerly placed in the family [[Turdidae]]<ref name="hbw">{{ cite book | last=Collar | first=N.J. | year=2005 | chapter=Family Turdidae (Thrushes) | editor1-last=del Hoyo | editor1-first=J. | editor2-last=Elliott | editor2-first=A. | editor3-last=Christie | editor3-first=D.A. | title=Handbook of the Birds of the World | volume=10: Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes | location=Barcelona, Spain | publisher=Lynx Edicions | isbn=978-84-87334-72-6 | pages=514-807 [515] | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/handbookofbirdso0010unse/page/515/mode/1up | chapter-url-access=registration }}</ref> 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]].<ref name="sangster2010">{{ cite journal | last1=Sangster | first1=G. | last2=Alström | first2=P. | last3=Forsmark | first3=E. | last4=Olsson | first4=U. | year=2010 | title=Multi-locus phylogenetic analysis of Old World chats and flycatchers reveals extensive paraphyly at family, subfamily and genus level (Aves: Muscicapidae) | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume=57 | issue=1 | pages=380–392 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2010.07.008 | pmid=20656044| bibcode=2010MolPE..57..380S }}</ref> | ||
There are five recognised [[subspecies]]:<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2016 | title=Chats, Old World flycatchers | work=World Bird List Version 6.2 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/chats/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union| access-date=20 May 2016 }}</ref><ref name= | There are five recognised [[subspecies]]:<ref name="ioc">{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2016 | title=Chats, Old World flycatchers | work=World Bird List Version 6.2 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/chats/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union| access-date=20 May 2016 }}</ref><ref name="bow">{{cite book| last1=Collar | first1=N. | chapter=Blue Rock-thrush (''Monticola solitarius'') | editor1-last=del Hoyo | editor1-first=J. | editor2-last=Elliott | editor2-first=A. | editor3-last=Sargatal | editor3-first=J. | editor4-last=Christie | editor4-first=D.A. | editor5-last=de Juana | editor5-first=E. | title=Birds of the World | year=2020 | publisher=Lynx Edicions | doi=10.2173/bow.burthr.01 | s2cid=216233603 | chapter-url=http://www.hbw.com/node/58415 | access-date= 9 July 2016}}{{subscription required}}</ref> | ||
* ''M. s. solitarius'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – northwest Africa, south Europe, north Turkey to Georgia and Azerbaijan. | * ''M. s. solitarius'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – northwest Africa, south Europe, north Turkey to Georgia and Azerbaijan. | ||
| Line 32: | Line 32: | ||
* ''M. s. madoci'' [[Frederick Nutter Chasen|Chasen]], 1940 – [[Malay Peninsula]] and north [[Sumatra]] | * ''M. s. madoci'' [[Frederick Nutter Chasen|Chasen]], 1940 – [[Malay Peninsula]] and north [[Sumatra]] | ||
There is a proposal to split ''Monticola solitarius'' into two species: a western taxon comprising ''M. s. solitarius'' and ''M. s. longirostris'' and an eastern taxon with ''M. s. philippensis'', ''M. s. pandoo'' and ''M. s. madoci''.<ref name=zuccon2010>{{cite journal | last1=Zuccon | first1=D. | last2=Ericson | first2=Per G.P. | year=2010 | title=The ''Monticola'' rock-thrushes: phylogeny and biogeography revisited | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume=55 | issue=3 | pages=901–910 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2010.01.009 | pmid=20079862| bibcode=2010MolPE..55..901Z }}</ref> | There is a proposal to split ''Monticola solitarius'' into two species: a western taxon comprising ''M. s. solitarius'' and ''M. s. longirostris'' and an eastern taxon with ''M. s. philippensis'', ''M. s. pandoo'' and ''M. s. madoci''.<ref name="zuccon2010">{{cite journal | last1=Zuccon | first1=D. | last2=Ericson | first2=Per G.P. | year=2010 | title=The ''Monticola'' rock-thrushes: phylogeny and biogeography revisited | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume=55 | issue=3 | pages=901–910 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2010.01.009 | pmid=20079862| bibcode=2010MolPE..55..901Z }}</ref> | ||
[[File:BlueRock-Thrush.jpg|thumb|center|Male blue rock thrush of subspecies ''M. s. philippensis'' showing rufous underbelly]] | |||
==Description== | ==Description== | ||
The blue rock thrush is a [[starling]]-sized bird, {{convert|21|–|23|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length with a long slim bill. The breeding male of the [[nominate subspecies]] is unmistakable, with all blue-grey plumage apart from its darker wings.<ref name=hbw/> Females and immatures are much less striking, with dark brown upperparts, and paler brown scaly underparts. The male of the subspecies ''M. s. philippensis'' has rufous-chestnut plumage from the mid-breast down to the undertail.<ref name=hbw/> Both sexes lack the reddish outer tail feathers of rock thrush. | The blue rock thrush is a [[starling]]-sized bird, {{convert|21|–|23|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length with a long slim bill. The breeding male of the [[nominate subspecies]] is unmistakable, with all blue-grey plumage apart from its darker wings.<ref name="hbw"/> Females and immatures are much less striking, with dark brown upperparts, and paler brown scaly underparts. The male of the subspecies ''M. s. philippensis'' has rufous-chestnut plumage from the mid-breast down to the undertail.<ref name="hbw"/> Both sexes lack the reddish outer tail feathers of rock thrush. | ||
The male blue rock thrush sings a clear, melodious call that is similar to, but louder than, the call of the rock thrush. | The male blue rock thrush sings a clear, melodious call that is similar to, but louder than, the call of the rock thrush. | ||
==Distribution and habitat== | ==Distribution and habitat== | ||
The European, north African and southeast Asian birds are mainly resident, apart from altitudinal movements. Other Asian populations are more [[bird migration|migratory]], wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, India and southeast Asia. This bird is a very uncommon visitor to northern and western Europe. It is known to have been spotted in [[North America]] twice: once in [[British Columbia]] in 1997 and once in [[Oregon]] in 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/oregon-teacher-captures-images-very-rare-bird-never-before-seen-us|title=Oregon teacher captures images of 'very rare' bird never before seen in US|website=[[Fox News]]|last=Eichenberg |first=Gretchen|date=May 1, 2024|access-date=May | The European, north African and southeast Asian birds are mainly resident, apart from altitudinal movements. Other Asian populations are more [[bird migration|migratory]], wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, India and southeast Asia. This bird is a very uncommon visitor to northern and western Europe. There is some overlap in breeding and wintering ranges with the [[common rock thrush]] (''Monticola saxatilis''); Palearctic and southwestern Asia for breeding and northern Africa for wintering.<ref name="outlaw">{{cite journal|journal=The Auk|title=Molecular Systematics and Historical Biogeography of the Rock-Thrushes (Muscicapidae: ''Monticola'')|last1=Outlaw|first1=Robert K.|last2=Voelker|first2=Gary|last3=Outlaw|first3= Diana C.|volume=124|issue= 2|date=1 April 2007 |page=563 |doi=10.1093/auk/124.2.561}}</ref> It is known to have been spotted in [[North America]] twice: once in [[British Columbia]] in 1997 and once in [[Oregon]] and the [[Farallon Islands]] in 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/oregon-teacher-captures-images-very-rare-bird-never-before-seen-us|title=Oregon teacher captures images of 'very rare' bird never before seen in US|website=[[Fox News]]|last=Eichenberg |first=Gretchen|date=May 1, 2024|access-date= 1 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/extremely-rare-blue-rock-thrush-spotted-in-oregon-might-be-the-first-ever-in-the-united-states-180984256/|title=Extremely Rare Blue Rock Thrush Spotted in Oregon Might Be the First Ever in the United States|website=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian Magazine]]|last=Kuta|first=Sarah|date=May 1, 2024|access-date= 1 May 2024}}</ref> It is unclear whether the Oregon and Farallon Islands spottings were the same bird.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bowman |first=Emma |date= 3 May 2024 |title=Hobbyist photographer snaps photo of extremely rare bird in 1st U.S. sighting |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/05/03/1248845648/rare-bird-oregon-blue-rock-thrush |access-date= 31 August 2025 |work=National Public Radio|language=en}}</ref> | ||
==Behaviour== | ==Behaviour== | ||
The blue rock thrush breeds in open mountainous areas. It nests in rock cavities and walls, and usually lays 3–5 [[Egg (biology)|eggs]]. An [[omnivore]], the blue rock thrush eats a wide variety of [[insect]]s and small [[reptile]]s in addition to berries and seeds.<ref name=hbw/> | The blue rock thrush breeds in open mountainous areas. It nests in rock cavities and walls, and usually lays 3–5 [[Egg (biology)|eggs]]. An [[omnivore]], the blue rock thrush eats a wide variety of [[insect]]s and small [[reptile]]s in addition to berries and seeds.<ref name="hbw"/> | ||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
| Line 64: | Line 64: | ||
{{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}} | ||
[[Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]] | |||
[[Category:Birds described in 1758]] | [[Category:Birds described in 1758]] | ||
[[Category:Birds of Eurasia]] | [[Category:Birds of Eurasia]] | ||
[[Category:Chats (birds)]] | [[Category:Chats (birds)]] | ||
[[Category:Monticola]] | [[Category:Monticola]] | ||
[[Category:National symbols of Malta]] | [[Category:National symbols of Malta]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Wintering birds of Africa]] | ||
[[Category:Wintering birds of Indomalaya]] | |||
Latest revision as of 15:56, 8 December 2025
Template:Short description Template:Speciesbox
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 word for it in Maltese being Merill) and was shown on the Lm 1 coins that were part of the country's former currency.[1]
Taxonomy
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.[2] The type locality is Italy.[3] The scientific name is from Latin. Monticola is from mons, montis "mountain", and colere, "to dwell", and the specific epithet solitarius means "solitary".[4]
The rock thrush genus Monticola was formerly placed in the family Turdidae[5] 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.[6]
There are five recognised subspecies:[7][8]
- 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
- M. s. pandoo (Sykes, 1832) – central Himalayas to east China and north Vietnam to Greater Sunda Islands
- M. s. philippensis (Statius Müller, 1776) – east Mongolia to Sakhalin south to Japan, extreme north Philippines and northeast China to Indonesia
- M. s. madoci Chasen, 1940 – Malay Peninsula and north Sumatra
There is a proposal to split Monticola solitarius into two species: a western taxon comprising M. s. solitarius and M. s. longirostris and an eastern taxon with M. s. philippensis, M. s. pandoo and M. s. madoci.[9]
Description
The blue rock thrush is a starling-sized bird, Script error: No such module "convert". in length with a long slim bill. The breeding male of the nominate subspecies is unmistakable, with all blue-grey plumage apart from its darker wings.[5] Females and immatures are much less striking, with dark brown upperparts, and paler brown scaly underparts. The male of the subspecies M. s. philippensis has rufous-chestnut plumage from the mid-breast down to the undertail.[5] Both sexes lack the reddish outer tail feathers of rock thrush.
The male blue rock thrush sings a clear, melodious call that is similar to, but louder than, the call of the rock thrush.
Distribution and habitat
The European, north African and southeast Asian birds are mainly resident, apart from altitudinal movements. Other Asian populations are more migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, India and southeast Asia. This bird is a very uncommon visitor to northern and western Europe. There is some overlap in breeding and wintering ranges with the common rock thrush (Monticola saxatilis); Palearctic and southwestern Asia for breeding and northern Africa for wintering.[10] It is known to have been spotted in North America twice: once in British Columbia in 1997 and once in Oregon and the Farallon Islands in 2024.[11][12] It is unclear whether the Oregon and Farallon Islands spottings were the same bird.[13]
Behaviour
The blue rock thrush breeds in open mountainous areas. It nests in rock cavities and walls, and usually lays 3–5 eggs. An omnivore, the blue rock thrush eats a wide variety of insects and small reptiles in addition to berries and seeds.[5]
Gallery
-
Male in January, Gamla Nature Reserve, Israel
-
Monticola solitarius solitarius – MHNT
-
Male foraging in Japan
_at_Gamla_Nature_Reserve.jpg){kind=link}
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Link note
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".