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MUSCICAPIDAE

Muscicapidae is a large family of small birds restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, take their prey on the wing. The appearance of these birds is very varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls. They vary 10 to 21 cm. Many species are a dull brown in color. Most have broad, flattened, bill, suited to catching insects in flight, although the few ground foraging species typically have finer bills. They live in almost every environment with a suitable supply of trees, from dense forest to open scrub. The more northerly species migrate south in winter, ensuring a continuous diet of insects.


Alethe, Palm-Thrush, Rock-Thrush,_Whistling-Thrush

Order Passeriformes    Family Muscicapidae


Genus Alethe

Alethe,_White-tailed Alethe diademata  Found: west Africa
Image by: 1) Michael Andersen  2) Nik_Borrow - Ghana


Alethe, Fire-crested Alethe castanea  Found: Nigeria to Uganda
Image by: 1)Julie Dewilde  2) Mike Piazzi - Cameroon 
1) Juvenile



Genus Cichladusa
Found: tropical Africa

Thrush,_Collared_Palm-  Cichladusa arquata  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Charlie Westerinen - Zimbabwe  2, 3) Ian White - Botswana   4, 5) Nik_Borrow



Thrush,_Rufous-tailed Palm-  Cichladusa ruficauda  Found: Africa
The Rufous-tailed Palm-Thrush rufous-brown upperparts; brighter head, nape; pale gray face; yellowish-buff throat, upper-breast; pale gray lower-breast, flanks; pale buff center of belly.
Image by: 1) Ian White - Namibia  2) Ron Knight


Thrush,_Spotted_Morning also known as Spotted Palm Thrush  Cichladusa guttata   Found: Africa
The Spotted Morning Thrush has rufous-brown upperparts; pale underparts with dark stripes and dashes; pale supercilium.
Image by: 1) Nigel_Voaden - Tanzania  2, 3, 4) DIck Daniels - Tanzania   



Genus Monticola  Rock-thrush
Found: Europe, Asia, Africa

Thrush,_Blue-capped Rock-  Monticola cinclorhynchus  Found: Asia
The male Blue-capped Rock-Thrush has blue and black upperparts; blue head, chin, throat, chestnut-brown underparts. Female has brown upperparts; brown and white underparts.
Image by: 1) Dhruvaraj S  2) Sumeet Moghe  3) Anon_Ray   4) Dave_Curtis - India  5) Imran_Shah - Pakistan  6) Shrikant_Rao - India
1) Female   2-6) Male



Thrush,_Blue_Rock-  Monticola solitarius  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa 
The breeding male Blue Rock-Thrush has mainly blue plumage; rufous belly. Female has dark brown upperparts; paler brown scaly underparts.
Image by: 1) Juan_lacruz  2) JM_Garg - India   3) Jojo2000  4) Ryan Cheng    5) Lin_Sun_Fong - Taiwan  6) Cristiano Crolle - Spain  7) jose palacios - Spain
1, 2) Female   3 - 5) Breeding male  6, 7) Nonbreeding male



Thrush,_Cape_Rock-  Monticola rupestris  Found: South Africa
The breeding Cape Rock-Thrush has brown upperparts; blue-gray head; orange underparts. Female has brown upperparts head; orange underparts with some black scaling.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Derek_Keats  4 ) Arno Meintjes 
1, 2) Female  3, 4) Male


Thush,_Chestnut-bellied  Monticola rufiventris  Found: India, southeast Asia
The male Chestnut-bellied Thrush bright blue primary feathers; chestnut belly.
Image by: 1) Dave_Curtis  2,  4) Annethingnam   3) Hiyashi_Haka
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male


Thrush,_Common Rock-  also  Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush  Monticola saxatilis  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
The male Common Rock-Thrush has blue-gray head, nape; dark brown wings; orange underparts. Female has dark brown scaly upperparts; pale brown scaly underparts.
Image by: 1) JV Verde - Portugal  2) Imran_Shah - Pakistan  3) Pierre Dalous  4) Francesco Veronesi   5) Andrej_Chudy - Romania
1, 2) Female   3 - 5) Male



Thrush,_Forest_Rock-  Monticola sharpei  Found: Madagascar
Image by: 1, 2) David Cook   Frank_Vassen  Heinonlein
1) Juvenile  2) Female  3, 4) Male


Thrush,_Little_Rock-  Monticola rufocinereus  Found; Africa
The male Little Rock-Thrush has blue-gray upperparts, head, throat; orange-red underparts. Female duller and paler than male.
Image by: 1) ) Lip_Kee - Ethiopia  2) Carsten ten Brink - Eritrea  3) Francesco Veronesi - Kenya
  4) Dick Daniels - Kigio Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya  5) Kris Maes - Ethiopia   6) Joseph Mochoge - Gilgil, Kenya
1, 2) Female  3 - 6) Male



Thrush,_Littoral Rock-  Monticola imerinus also Monticola imerina  Found: Madagascar
The male Littoral Rock-Thrush has pale gray mantle, head, breast, wing coverts, neck; dull orange breast, belly.
Image by: 1) Madagascar  1, 2) Daniel Guip   3) Frank Vassen  4) Zak_Pohlen


Thrush,_Miombo_Rock-  Monticola angolensis  Found: Africa
The Miombo Rock-Thrush is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Image by: 1) Nigel_Voaden - DR Congo  2) bathyporeia  3) Hans_Hillewaert


Thrush,_Sentinel_Rock-  Monticola explorator Found: Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland
Image by: 1, 3) Brian_Gratwicke - Cape Town  2) Jo Mur   4) Francesco_Veronesi - South Africa
1) Female 2, 3, 4 Male


Thrush,_Short-toed_Rock- Monticola brevipes Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Cristiano Crolle - Namibia  2) Hans_Hillewaert  - Namibia  3) Francesco_Veronesi  4) Ian White - Namibia 


Thrush,_White-throated Rock-  Monticola gularis  Found: Asia
The male White-throated Rock-Thrush has white patches on throat; chestnut-orange underparts. Female has brown or olive upperparts; scalloped underparts.
Image by: 1) Micky_Lim  2) JJ Harrison - Thailand  3) Jerry_Oldenettel - Thailand
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Chat,_White-winged_Cliff-  Monticola semirufus also Thamnolaea semirufa  Found: Ethiopia
The male White-winged Cliff-Chat has black upperparts, head, upper-breast; chestnut rest of underparts; white wing patch. Female has dull gray underparts.
Image by: 1) Nik_Borrow - Ethiopia  2) Kristian_Svensson - Ethiopia  3) Alastair Rae - Ethiopia
1) Female 2) Male



Genus Myophonus

Thrush,_Blue Whistling-  Myophonus caeruleus  Found: Asia
The Blue-Whistling Thrush dark violet-blue plumage; spangling on back, breast; yellow bill.
Image by: 1) JJ Harrison - Chiang Mai, Thailand    2) JM Garg - West Bengal, India  3) Dibyendu_Ash - India  4) Hiyashi_Haka  5) Shrikant_Rao in India



Thrush,_Bornean Whistling-   Myophonus borneensis Found: Borneo (Indonesia, Malaysia)
Image by: 1) Tom_Brown  2) Tom_Tarrant  3) Mike_Price


Thrush,_Chestnut-winged Whistling-   Myophonus castaneus Found: Sumatra (Indonesia)
The male Chestnut-winged Whistling-Thrush has dark blue head, breast, shoulders; rest  chestnut. Female has mostly dull chestnut-brown plumage; blue patch on shoulder.
Image by: 1) Rob Hutchinson
1) Male


Thrush,_Javan Whistling-   Myophonus glaucinus Found: Java and Bali of Indonesia
Image by: 1) Jakarta_Birder  2, 3) Lip Kee 
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Thrush,_Malabar_Whistling-   Myophonus horsfieldii Found: India
The Malabar Whistling-Thrush has blackish/blue upperparts; black underparts.
Image by: 1) Chandru0072  2, 3) Antony_Grossy  4) Koshy_Koshy - India


Thrush,_Malayan Whistling-   Myophonus robinsoni Found: Malaysia
The Malayan Whistling-Thrush has mainly blue-black plumage; some purplish-blue on head. Female is slightly browner.
Image by: 1) Emorhun_Matjo  2) Zakir_Hassan


Thrush,_Shiny Whistling-   Myophonus melanurus Found: Sumatra of Indonesia
Image by: 1) Yan Muzika


Thrush,_Sri Lanka Whistling-
  Myophonus blighi Found: Sri Lanka
The male Sri Lanka Whistling-Thrush has dark blue plumage; darker head, back. Female has brown upperparts; chestnut underparts; blue shoulder patch.
Image by: 1, 2) Buddhika Mawella
1) Female 2) Male


Thrush,_Taiwan Whistling- also Formosan Whistling-Thrush Myophonus insularis  Endemic to Taiwan
The Taiwan Whistling-Thrush has mainly blackish-blue upperparts; some under-wing coverts have white bases; blackish underparts.
Image by:  1, 2) Hiyashi Halso  3) Charles Lam  4) Hank



Genus Pseudalethe

Alethe,_Brown-chested  Pseudalethe poliocephala Found: Africa
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans  2)  Francesco_Veronesi - Kenya


Alethe,_Red-throated  Pseudalethe poliophrys  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya  2) Ross Tsai - Uganda  3, 4) Nik_Borrow - Uganda


Alethe,_Thyolo also Cholo Alethe Pseudalethe choloensis  Found: Malawi, Mozambiquie
The Cholo Alethe has rust colored upperparts; whitish underparts; dark brown tail with white tips.
Image by: 1) Francesco Veronesi  2) Nik_Borrow - Malawi


Alethe, White-chested  Pseudalethe fuellebornFound: Africa
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya  2) KD Dijkstra - Tanzania



Genus Sheppardia

Akalat, Bocage's  Sheppardia bocagei  Found:
Image by: 1) Jacob Cooper - Equatorial Guinea  2) Nigel Voaden - DR Congo  3) Charles_Davies - Angola


Akalat,_East_Coast  Sheppardia gunningi  Found: east Africa
The East Coast Akalat has olive-brown upperparts; blue-gray lores, supercilium, wing coverts; orangish underparts with white on lower belly.
Similer to Equatorial Akalat. East Coast Akalat is found in forest along the coast; Equatorial Akalat is found in highland forests.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya  2) Hugh Chittenden  3) Nik_Borrow - Malawi


Akalat,_Equatorial  Sheppardia aequatorialis  Found: Africa
The Equatorial Akalat has olive-brown upperparts; blue-gray around the eyes; orangish underparts with white on lower belly.
Similer to East Coast Akalat. East Coast Akalat is found in forest along the coast; Equatorial Akalat is found in highland forests.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya  2) Dave Curtis - Kenya  3) Tony_Castro - Kenya


Akalat,_Gabela  Sheppardia gabela  Found: Angola
Image by: 1) Nik_Borrow   2) Charles_Davies


Akalat, Iringa  Sheppardia lowei  Found: Tanzania
Image by: 1) hbw.com


Akalat, Lowland  Sheppardia cyornithopsis  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans  2) Julie DeWilde - DR Congo


Akalat, Rubeho  Sheppardia aurantiithorax  Found: Tanzania
The Rubeho Akalat has rufous throat, breast (rubeho refers to this color).
Image by: pixarc.com


Akalat, Sharpe's  Sheppardia sharpei  Found: Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia
Image by: 1, 2) Nik Borrow - Malawi, Zambia 


Akalat,_Usambara  Sheppardia montana  Found: Tanzania
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya  2) Valery Schollaert   3) Nik_Borrow





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