Thrushes (Turdidae)

Forest Rock-thrush (Monticola sharpei) - HBW 10, p. 717

French: Monticole de forêt German: Madagaskarrötel Spanish: Roquero de Sharpe
Other common names: Forest/Sharpe’s/Eastern Robin-chat

Taxonomy: Cossypha Sharpei G. R. Gray, 1871, forests east of Ambatondrazaka (Lake Alaotra), Madagascar.
Sometimes placed with M. erythronotus, M. bensoni and M. imerinus in a separate genus, Pseudocossyphus, although recent genetic evidence, and the shared possession of a derived juvenile plumage, supports their inclusion in present genus. Has been considered conspecific with one or all of these. Described races salomonseni and interioris, from C & S parts of range, appear untenable. A possibly undescribed rock-thrush, reported from W Madagascar, is evidently intermediate in plumage between present species and M. erythronotus. Monotypic.

Distribution: E Madagascar.