The first of only a handful of accepted records of this species, a corpse found near the Skerryvore lighthouse off Argyll, was initially sent to BTO HQ. It apparently "arrived safely, but had begun to decay" and is now in the Natural History Museum collection at Tring.

Blue Rock Thrush breeds from Iberia and north-west Africa east to China and Japan, favouring cliffs and rocky outcrops in mountainous regions.

While eastern populations tend to be more migratory in habits, those from the western end of the range are mainly resident or make seasonal altitudinal movements.