Sentinel Rock-Thrush
Monticola explorator
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyMuscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats)
- GenusMonticola (Rock-Thrushes)
- SpeciesMonticola explorator (Sentinel Rock-Thrush)
About the Sentinel Rock-Thrush
The sentinel rock thrush (Monticola explorator) is a species of passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that is found in Lesotho, South Africa, and Eswatini. Its natural habitat is rocky outcrops in high-altitude grassland.
It is insectivorous. The sentinel rock thrush was formally described in 1818 by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot under the binomial name Turdus explorator. The specific epithet explorator is Latin meaning "scout", "explorer" or "searcher". Vieillot based his account on "L'Espionneur" from the mountains of the Cape of Good Hope that had been described and illustrated in 1802 by the French naturalist François Levaillant in his book Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux d'Afrique. The sentinel rock thrush is now one of 15 species placed in the genus Monticola that was introduced in 1822 by the German naturalist Friedrich Boie. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Cape Rockthrush
Monticola rupestris
Short-toed Rock-Thrush
Monticola brevipes
African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
Familiar Chat
Oenanthe familiaris
Mountain Chat
Oenanthe monticola
Buff-streaked Bushchat
Campicoloides bifasciatus
Southern Anteater-Chat
Myrmecocichla formicivora
Mocking Cliff Chat
Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
Fiscal Flycatcher
Sigelus silens
Capped Wheatear
Oenanthe pileata
Sickle-winged Chat
Emarginata sinuata
White-browed Scrub Robin
Erythropygia leucophrys
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Sentinel Rock-Thrush in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sentinel Rock-Thrush sighting in Golden Gate Highlands National Park, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sentinel Rock-Thrush in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Sentinel Rock-Thrush in Golden Gate Highlands National Park in our monthly data.