Is this a Blue Rock Thrush? (1 Viewer)

D

deanscroft

New member

• Feb 27, 2011

• #1

Hello everyone - I´m new to the forum having just found it while trying to identify a bird I saw yesterday in my friends garden. Can anyone help please.

My friend lives at the Pollenca end of the Tenelles Valley on Mallorca. For two weeks he has had the single bird around this villa both in the trees and on the ground. It is about the size of a pigeon but vivid in colour. The back and wings are an electric green/blue, blue front, dark face with orange eyes. We were convinced it was a Blue Rock Thrush until I searched the net to find that the Thrush has a dark eye.

Can anyone suggest what it might be?

Deanscroft

 

Dimitris

Birdwatcher in Oz

• Feb 27, 2011

• #2

Sounds like one the african glossy strarlings, especially considering size and orange eyes... I think a few species have established feral populations in Spain:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=29922

 

The Hairy Highlander

Well-known member

• Feb 27, 2011

• #3

sounds like it could be a Rufous tailed Rockthrush instead of Blue Rockthrush...., just read Dimitris post, that sounds better than my suggestion!!

 

Last edited: Feb 27, 2011

D

Dong Bei

Tom

• Feb 27, 2011

• #4

Here's a male and female Blue Rock Thrush.

 

Attachments

• 
  Blue Rock Thrush.jpg

  126.2 KB · Views: 132
• 
  Blue Rock Thrush female.jpg

  102.5 KB · Views: 131

John Cantelo

Well-known member

• Feb 27, 2011

• #5

Unfortunately Dong Bei's lovely photo shows an Asiatic race of Blue Rock Thrush - oursdoesn't show orange below. Besides the description is quite wrong for Blue Rock thrush - too large and the wrong colour (eyes & plumage). I think an escapee of some sort is more likely and that Dimitris could well be spot on here,

 

D

deanscroft

New member

• Feb 28, 2011

• #6

Many thanks everyone who replied. Dimitris has got it right - definitely a Glossy Starling. Does anyone have any further information on how frequent or otherwise do they visit Spain and Mallorca in particular.

 

Motmot

Eduardo Amengual

• Feb 28, 2011

• #7

Only as escapees afaik. There have been a few reported in the Balearics in the last few years, none of them believed to have a wild origin.