Blue-capped Rock Thrush vs Cape Rock Thrush

Blue-capped Rock Thrush

Monticola cinclorhyncha

Small36 gForest

The male has a blue head, chin and throat. The upper parts are blue and black. The rump and underparts are chestnut brown. There is a white patch on the wing that is visible during flight. The female bird is brown with a brown and white underside.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Vedant Raju Kasambe · CC BY 4.0

Cape Rock Thrush

Monticola rupestris

Medium61 gShrubland

This bird is large and stocky for a rock thrush, measuring 21-22 cm (8.26in) in length. The adult male during the summer features a blue-grey head, orange underparts and outer tail feathers, and brown wings and back. Females have a brown head and richer orange underparts compared to other female rock thrushes. Vocalizations are an important aspect of this species’ behavior. The male produces a whistled song described as “tsee-tsee-tseet-chee-chweeeoo” and is known to mimic other bird species.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Derek Keats, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Blue-capped Rock Thrush and Cape Rock Thrush.