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Blue Rock Thrush
(Monticola solitarius)
German name(s): "Blaumerle"
Size: 21-23 cm
Weight: 37-70 g
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Blue Rock Thrushes are relatively large flycatchers.
Their plumage is
dimorphic, i.e.
males and
females
are different.
Males
are bluish-grey all over, except the wings, which are dark-grey.
Females
have a grey-brown crown and nape of the neck. The rest of the back,
uppertail and upperwings is also homogeneous grey-brown. The front
lores, ear coverts and chin downward is finely barred dark grey-brown
on lighter brown.
Both sexes have dark irises. The long, straight and slender bill is
dark-grey; the legs and feet are also dark-grey.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Blue
Rock Thrush at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Blue Rock Thrush is available
HERE
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Blue Rock Thrushes are permanent residents in the near-coastal
parts of North-west Africa, in particular the Atlas mountain
range, and along the northern Mediterranean near-coastal areas,
plus parts of inland Spain, basically all of Italy and all
of Greece, plus the western and southern coastline of Asia Minor.
They are also found permanently along the eastern coastline of
the Mediterranean Sea.
Their distribution continues eastward throughout subtropical
Asia to Korea and Japan in the far East.
During the summer they extend their breeding range into the
higher parts of mountain ranges (Atlas, Alps) and much of
Asia Minor (except the central part) right into the Caucasus
mountains and further south-eastward. The Asian population
(from Asia Minor via western and central Asia to northern
China and Malaysia) are migratory, wintering in parts of
south-eastern Asia, India, Arabia and sub-Saharan Africa.
In Europe Blue Rock Thrushes are sedentary in near-coastal
mountainous regions of the Mediterranean, from parts of
Iberia, via the Mediterranean islands, the Cote d'Azure,
the Apennine mountains in Italy, and the Adriatic coastline
to most of Greece and southern Bulgaria. They are found as
breeding migrants in some areas of the Alps.
Blue Rock Thrushes are often found in mountainous terrain,
but are found along rocky coastlines, in quarries, ruins
and other stony habitats as well.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
J. Pires reports finding Blue Rock
Thrushes occasionally in various parts of southern to central
Portugal.
M. Eaton reports spotting Blue Rock Thrushes
in Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, in September 2019.
G. Normand found a Blue Rock
Thrush at Tete de Chien, Cap d'Ail, Alpes-Maritimes, France,
in February 2021.
G. Normand also found a pair of Blue Rock
Thrushes at Kruje, Albania, in August 2021.
More photos presented on this page were taken by D. Wilczynska
on the southern slopes of the Caucasus in Georgia in June 2018.
A Blue Rock Thrush was previously spotted by us in
Oman.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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Frontal view of a male Blue Rock Thrush
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2020]
Frontal view of a male Blue Rock Thrush looking sideways
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2020]
Near-frontal view of a male Blue Rock Thrush
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]
Near-lateral view of a male Blue Rock Thrush
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2020]
Lateral view of a male Blue Rock Thrush
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2020]
Lateral view of a male Blue Rock Thrush
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2020]
Lateral view of a male Blue Rock Thrush wiping its bill
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]
Distant near-dorsal view of a male Blue Rock Thrush
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Near-dorsal/ventral view of a male Blue Rock Thrush
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
Distant lateral view of a male Blue Rock Thrush launching itself
into the air
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Impression of the breeding habitat of a Blue Rock Thrush
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[June 2018]
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FEMALE |
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Near-lateral view of a female Blue Rock Thrush on a jagged rock
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Kruje, Albania, August 2021]
Lateral portrait of a female Blue Rock Thrush
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, February 2020]
Lateral view of a female Blue Rock Thrush
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, February 2020]
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Food, Diet |
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Lateral view of a male Blue Rock Thrush with its prey, a small insect
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Kruje, Albania, August 2021]
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Call(s)/Song |
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For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own; are welcome.
More Blue Rock Thrush sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
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These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.