Birds · Passeriformes · Muscicapidae

Blue Rock Thrush

Monticola solitarius

Least Concern

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

The blue rock thrush is a slender bird of the Mediterranean rocky places: the male is a uniform slate blue and the female brown with a scaled breast. It is resident in the south of its range and sings from prominent ledges a fluting, wistful and powerful melody that echoes through the gorges. It occupies natural cliffs as well as ruins, castles and tall buildings, and is a regular sight in many Mediterranean towns and cities.

Weight

40 g – 70 g

Size

21 cm – 23 cm

Lifespan

10 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

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Fun facts

GeneralThe slate-blue male sings from rooftops and towers in spring.
It is the national bird of Malta, where it is known as the merill and appears on the country's euro coins.
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.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Rock faces, sea cliffs, canyons, ruins and tall buildings of the Mediterranean basin and Asia
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 14 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 4 eggs

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