Madagascar Stonechat
Encyclopedia
The Madagascar Stonechat Saxicola sibilla is a species of stonechat
, endemic to Madagascar
. It is a small bird
, closely similar to the African Stonechat
in both plumage and behaviour, but distinguished from it by the more extensive black on the throat and minimal orange-red on the upper breast of the males.
of African Stonechat (as Saxicola torquatus sibilla), but recent genetic evidence has shown that it is distinct, more closely related to Reunion Stonechat
than it is to African Stonechat, on which basis it is now accepted as a distinct species.
Saxicola
The genus Saxicola , the stonechats or chats, is a genus of 15 species of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World...
, endemic to Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. It is a small bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
, closely similar to the African Stonechat
African Stonechat
The African Stonechat is a species of the Old World flycatcher family , inhabiting sub-Saharan Africa and adjacent regions. Like the other chats, it was long assigned to the thrush family , to which the chats are convergent...
in both plumage and behaviour, but distinguished from it by the more extensive black on the throat and minimal orange-red on the upper breast of the males.
Taxonomy
The Madagascar Stonechat has generally been considered a subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of African Stonechat (as Saxicola torquatus sibilla), but recent genetic evidence has shown that it is distinct, more closely related to Reunion Stonechat
Reunion Stonechat
The Reunion Stonechat is a species of stonechat, endemic to the island of Réunion. This small passerine bird is common in clearings and open mountain bushlands there. Overall, the male is black above and white below, but also with a white supercilium , half-collar, and greater covert patch, and a...
than it is to African Stonechat, on which basis it is now accepted as a distinct species.