Littoral Rock-Thrush Monticola imerina Scientific name definitions

16 cm. Sexes like respective sexes of M. sharpei, but longer-billed, with no rufous in tail; male much greyer on head , breast and mantle; female greyer, with pale orange-tinged rump, and unstreaked below. Juvenile is like female, but mottled whitish above; young male soon acquires orange flecks.

Coastal SW & S Madagascar (Salary Nord, where recently recorded (3 Gardner, C.J. and Jasper, L.D. (2014). Northward range extension for Littoral Rock Thrush Monticola imerinus in south-west Madagascar. Bull. Afr. Bird Club 21(1): 89–90. Close ), S to Cap Sainte-Marie and L Anony).

Berries, fruit and insects. Forages by hopping along ground; if disturbed, flies to higher perch and adopts characteristic upright posture, with bill pointing upwards. Also searches for prey from perches on termitaria or pieces of limestone.

Song  consists of various repeated short scratchy phrases, including “cheearr tu-tu-tu”, and longer phrases mingling clear whistles with scratchy notes. Alarm call  a quiet “kirr-tak-tak-tak”.

Oct–Feb. Territory size estimated at 1 ha. Nest a bowl made of lichens, moss and other fibrous material, strengthened with feathers, bits of snakeskin and twiglets, with lining of softer material; usually suspended among branches, supported below by twig, 1·5–3 m above ground in Euphorbia stenoclada tree. Eggs 3, plain turquoise; nestling period 18 days in captivity. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in South Malagasy Spiny Forests EBA. Recently recorded at Salary Nord, c. 120 km N of previously known range limit (4 Gardner, C.J. and Jasper, L.D. (2014). Northward range extension for Littoral Rock Thrush Monticola imerinus in south-west Madagascar. Bull. African Bird Club. 21(1): 89–90. Close ). Abundant within its small range. Tolerant of areas grazed by livestock and near villages, although scarcer towards Fort Dauphin.