Littoral Rock-thrush
Encyclopedia
The Littoral Rock Thrush (Monticola imerinus), previously classified as Pseudocossyphus imerinus, is a species of bird
in the Muscicapidae family.
It is endemic to Madagascar
.
first described the Littoral Rock Thrush in 1860, he assigned it to the genus Cossypha, believing it to be a robin-chat. It is monotypic
, with no distinctive subspecies in its small range.
es, the Littoral Rock Thrush is sexually dimorphic; the male has much more colorful plumage
than the female does. He is pale gray on the head, breast, mantle and wing coverts, with dull orange underparts, gray-brown wings and a dark brown tail.
to Lake Anony, just to the west of Tôlanaro
(formerly Fort Dauphin). It prefers euphorbia bushes and low shrubs on sandy substrate or coral rag
, and is found at elevations ranging from sea level to 200 m (656.2 ft).
. However, the scrub habitat which it prefers is among the most degraded in Madagascar, and its population centers are largely outside of protected areas. Threats included clearing of scrub for agriculture, logging for firewood, and the presence of roaming livestock.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the Muscicapidae family.
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...
.
Taxonomy
When Gustav HartlaubGustav Hartlaub
Karel Johan Gustav Hartlaub was a German physician and ornithologist.Hartlaub was born in Bremen, and studied at Bonn and Berlin before graduating in medicine at Göttingen. In 1840, he began to study and collect exotic birds, which he donated to the Bremen Natural History Museum. He described some...
first described the Littoral Rock Thrush in 1860, he assigned it to the genus Cossypha, believing it to be a robin-chat. It is monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
, with no distinctive subspecies in its small range.
Description
As with the other rock thrushRock thrush
The rock thrushes, Monticola, are a genus of chats, medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous songbirds. They were in former times placed in the thrush family Turdidae but actually belong in the closely related Muscicapidae...
es, the Littoral Rock Thrush is sexually dimorphic; the male has much more colorful plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
than the female does. He is pale gray on the head, breast, mantle and wing coverts, with dull orange underparts, gray-brown wings and a dark brown tail.
Habitat and range
Endemic to Madagascar, the Littoral Rock Thrush is found only in the country's southern coastal region, from the Onilahy RiverOnilahy River
Onilahy is a river in Toliara Province, southern Madagascar. It flows down from the hills near Betroka to the Mozambique Channel. It empties at ....
to Lake Anony, just to the west of Tôlanaro
Tôlanaro
Tôlanaro or Tolagnaro is a city in Madagascar. It is the capital of Anosy Region and of Tôlanaro District. It has a port of local importance, and a new port has been built at Ehoala...
(formerly Fort Dauphin). It prefers euphorbia bushes and low shrubs on sandy substrate or coral rag
Coral rag
Coral rag is a rubbly limestone composed of ancient coral reef material. The term also refers to the building blocks quarried from these strata which are an important local building material in areas such as the east African coast and the Caribbean basin .It is also the name of a member — the Coral...
, and is found at elevations ranging from sea level to 200 m (656.2 ft).
Conservation and threats
Although the Littoral Rock Thrush has a restricted range, its population appears to be stable, and the IUCN lists it as a species of Least ConcernLeast Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
. However, the scrub habitat which it prefers is among the most degraded in Madagascar, and its population centers are largely outside of protected areas. Threats included clearing of scrub for agriculture, logging for firewood, and the presence of roaming livestock.