The Forest Rock Thrush (Monticola sharpei) is a songbird

Songbird

A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...

 in the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Muscicapidae, formerly placed in the Turdidae together with the other chat

Chat (bird)

Chats are a group of small Old World insectivorous birds formerly classed as members of the thrush family Turdidae, but now considered Old World flycatchers....

s. It nowadays usually includes Benson's Rock Thrush as a subspecies

Subspecies

Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...

 M. s. bensoni, while the Amber Mountain Rock-thrush

Amber Mountain Rock-thrush

The Amber Mountain Rock-thrush is a songbird in the family Muscicapidae, formerly placed in the Turdidae together with the other chats. It was for long included in the Forest Rock Thrush as a subspecies, but it is usually considered a separate species nowadays.It is endemic to Madagascar...

 (M. erythronotus) has been raised to distinct species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 status.

It is endemic to Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

. The type locality is the forests east of Ambatondrazaka

Ambatondrazaka

Ambatondrazaka is a city in MadagascarAmbatondrazaka is also the capital of the Alaotra-Mangoro region.- History :The oral history states the town was founded by Randriambololona and children. The recorded history of the town begins with Radama I of Madagascar.- Transports :The city is at the MLA...

, which in turn lies south of Lake Alaotra

Lake Alaotra

Lake Alaotra is the largest lake in Madagascar, located in Toamasina Province, in the northern central plateau. Its basin is composed of shallow freshwater lakes and marshes surrounded by areas of dense vegetation. It forms the center of the island's most important rice-growing region...

.

Its natural habitat

Habitat

* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...

s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest

Forest

A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

s and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.