Sentinel Rock-Thrush
Monticola explorator
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic
- 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 →
Recent sightings of Sentinel Rock-Thrush in Table Mountain National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Table Mountain National Park
Cape Rockthrush
Monticola rupestris
African Dusky Flycatcher
Muscicapa adusta
Familiar Chat
Oenanthe familiaris
Fiscal Flycatcher
Sigelus silens
Capped Wheatear
Oenanthe pileata
Mountain Chat
Oenanthe monticola
Karoo Scrub-Robin
Tychaedon coryphoeus
African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
Red-winged Starling
Onychognathus morio
Cape White-eye
Zosterops virens
Southern Double-collared Sunbird
Cinnyris chalybeus
Cape Bulbul
Pycnonotus capensis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
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 Table Mountain National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sentinel Rock-Thrush sighting in Table Mountain National Park, based on 79 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sentinel Rock-Thrush in Table Mountain National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Sentinel Rock-Thrush in Table Mountain National Park in our monthly data.