Brown Rock Chat - Taxonomy and Systematics

Taxonomy and Systematics

The species was described by Edward Blyth in 1851 under the genus Saxicola based on a specimen from Mathura ("Muttra" in original) in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (Volume 20:523). The beak is slender and is slightly curved at the tip. The second primary is the longest and the 12 feathered tail is rounded. It is considered to be monotypic although Walter Koelz suggested a new subspecies ruinarum in 1939 based on a specimen from Bhopal. It was the only species of Cercomela found outside Africa and its placement was questioned in the past and a 2010 study of molecular phylogeny suggested its placement in Oenanthe.

In central India, the local name of Shama has been noted.