Birds · Passeriformes · Muscicapidae

Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush

Monticola saxatilis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The rufous-tailed rock thrush is a bird of the European high mountains, the male showing a blue-grey head and neck and an intensely orange belly and tail. In Spain it breeds in the Pyrenees, the Cantabrian Mountains and the Sistema Central and Sistema Ibérico, always on scree and stony grassland above the treeline, and spends the winter in the African Sahel.

Weight

47 g – 52 g

Size

17 cm – 20 cm

Lifespan

9 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaMountainGrasslandInsectivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Savanna Mountain Grassland

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Fun facts

GeneralThe male has a blue head, orange breast and rusty tail; very shy.
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.
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.
The male sings in a display flight: he rises from a rock, hangs for a moment on the spot and then parachutes down with wings and tail spread, showing off the orange.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Scree, boulder fields and high mountain pasture with rock outcrops; winters in the African savannahs
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 14 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 5 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monticola_saxatilis