Species group · Birds

Rock Thrushes

WAnimals has 2 species of rock thrush, all in the family Muscicapidae.

2 species
1 family
35 countries
93 parks
Weight
40 g – 70 g
Length
17 cm – 23 cm
Lifespan
9 – 10 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 2.

All 2 species of rock thrushes on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

2 Least Concern

No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 35 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • The male has a blue head, orange breast and rusty tail; very shy.

    From Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush

  • It is a trans-Saharan migrant weighing fifty grams: it breeds on the scree of the Iberian high mountains and spends the winter in the savannahs of the Sahel, crossing the desert twice a year.

    From Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush

  • It is in marked decline in Spain and across Europe, and the main cause appears to be the abandonment of mountain grazing, which closes up the open stony grassland it needs.

    From Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush

  • The slate-blue male sings from rooftops and towers in spring.

    From Blue Rock Thrush

  • It is the national bird of Malta, where it is known as the merill and appears on the country's euro coins.

    From Blue Rock Thrush

  • Its fluting, wistful song from a rock ledge, sustained for minutes at a time, has earned it its Spanish name of the solitary one and it has been cited in Mediterranean poetry since antiquity.

    From Blue Rock Thrush

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one