Photo: Hans Hillewaert / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Short-toed Rock Thrush
Monticola brevipes
Short-toed Rock Thrush (Monticola brevipes) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Short-toed Rock Thrush (Monticola brevipes) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 33 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Monticola
- Species brevipes
Quick facts
- Weight
- 33 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Short-toed Rock Thrush is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Short-toed Rock Thrush is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Short-toed Rock Thrush (Monticola brevipes) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF s.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 33 g, with a wing length of about 10.2 cm and a tail of around 6.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Short-toed Rock Thrush?
The Short-toed Rock Thrush is a small bird that weighs around 33 g.
Where does the Short-toed Rock Thrush live?
The Short-toed Rock Thrush is found across Africa with a range covering AF s, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Short-toed Rock Thrush belong to?
The Short-toed Rock Thrush (Monticola brevipes) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Short-toed Rock Thrush eat?
The Short-toed Rock Thrush is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Short-toed Rock Thrush migrate?
The Short-toed Rock Thrush is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Short-toed Rock Thrush endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Short-toed Rock Thrush make?
1 real field recording of the Short-toed Rock Thrush — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Short-toed Rock Thrush's range?
The Short-toed Rock Thrush has a mapped global range of about 1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Muscicapidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.