Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush

Distinctive, small, short-tailed thrush-like bird. Males are strikingly beautiful with bright blue-gray head, white back patch, and chestnut underparts. Females are reddish-brown and have a scaly appearance, with a tail pattern similar to males. Breeds on rocky mountain slopes and alpine meadows, usually above 1,500 m (5,000 ft). Usually shy but may be obvious when delivering its melodic Eurasian Blackbird-like song in flight.

Identification. Large, long-billed brown thrush with extensive black scales all over the body, and rich buff underparts. A very secretive, terrestrial species that frequents the understory of wet forests of lowlands and mountains. Most often encountered in the foothills, foraging along forest tracks.

It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects, berries and small reptiles.