The length of the Madagascar stone thrush is on average 16 cm, and the mass is 25 grams [3] . The male has a blue head, neck and wings, and the ventral side of the body and the undertail are yellowish-orange. The female has a gray-brown upper body, and a whitish lower body with brownish speckles.
Madagascar stone thrush is endemic to the island of Madagascar [4] . Subspecies M. s. sharpei is common in the Sambrano River region, in the northwest of the island. M. s. bensoni is widespread in the southwestern part of the island. A subspecies M. s. erythronotus lives only on the territory of the Amber Mountain National Park , in the far north of the island.
Its natural habitat is subtropical and tropical rainforests and rocky areas.
Madagascar stone thrush feeds on various arthropods , as well as fruits and berries.
The species contains four subspecies :
- Monticola sharpei sharpei (GR Gray, 1871)
- Monticola sharpei bensoni Farkas, 1971
- Monticola sharpei erythronotus Lavauden, 1929
- Monticola sharpei salomonseni Farkas, 1973
