General

Blue Rock Thrush: Small to medium, slate-blue thrush with chestnut belly and vent, and long wings with black-gray primaries. Rather long, sharp, black bill. Medium length tail. Sturdy gray-black legs and feet. This terrestrial thrush watches from a low perch for insects, small lizards, and other small creatures on the ground. When prey is sighted, the thrush drops to the ground to snatch prey from the surface and crevices between rocks. It also eats small fruits.

Breeding and Nesting

Blue Rock Thrush: Four to five blue-green eggs with small black spots are laid in a cup-shaped nest made of grass, plant stems, bark, moss, and rootlets. The nest is built in a crevice or under an overhanging ledge on a cliff, usually two to five meters above the ground. The female incubates the eggs for 14 to 16 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Blue Rock Thrush: Feeds on insects, small lizards, small frogs, and even small mice. This thrush will also eat small fruits. It forages for prey by watching from a low perch and then hopping down to the ground when a food item is seen. It runs over to the small animal and uses its bill to snatch it from the ground or from a crevice between rocks.

Vocalization

Blue Rock Thrush: Call is a simple, clear "seet", with alarm calls including a deep "tak-tak" or high-pitched "piiiii". Has a melodious, whistled song phrases with whistles, trills, and churrs, transcribed as "tju-sri tjurr-titi wichi-trr-trrt-tri."

Similar Species

Blue Rock Thrush: Eyebrowed Thrush has brown upperparts, and a white eyebrow and mustache. Scaly Thrush is larger, brown to golden overall, and has crisp scaling.