{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{speciesbox | name = Sentinel rock thrush | image = Monticola explorator -Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa -male-8, crop.jpg | image2 = Monticola explorator -Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa -female-8 2.jpg | image2_caption = Male and female in Table Mountain National Park, Cape Town, South Africa | status = NT | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 16 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2017 |title=''Monticola explorator'' |volume=2017 |article-number=e.T22708233A118948206 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22708233A118948206.en |access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Monticola | species = explorator | authority = (Vieillot, 1818) | synonyms = }}
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.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Harrison | first=J.A. | chapter=Sentinel rock thrush | editor1-last=Harrison | editor1-first=J.A. | editor2-last=Allan | editor2-first=D.G. | editor3-last=Underhill | editor3-first=L.G. | editor4-last=Herremans | editor4-first=M. | editor5-last=Tree | editor5-first=A.J. | editor6-last=Parker | editor6-first=V. | editor7-last=Brown | editor7-first=C.J. | year=1997 | title=The Atlas of Southern African Birds | volume=2: Passerines | location=Johannesburg | publisher=BirdLife South Africa | isbn=978-0-620-20731-7 | pages=162-164 | chapter-url=http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/582.pdf }}<!-- also available from https://archive.org/details/atlasofsoutherna0002unse/page/162/mode/1up with registration--></ref>
It is insectivorous.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Seleteng-Kose |first1=Lerato |last2=Kobisi |first2=Khotso |last3=Pool-Stanvliet |first3=Ruida |last4=Mohapi |first4=Khotso |date=2021-08-25 |title=A rapid biodiversity assessment of Lesotho's first proposed Biosphere Reserve: a case study of Bokong Nature Reserve and Tšehlanyane National Park |journal=Bothalia - African Biodiversity & Conservation |volume=51 |issue=2 |doi=10.38201/btha.abc.v51.i2.6 |issn=2311-9284|doi-access=free }}</ref>
==Taxonomy== The sentinel rock thrush was formally described in 1818 by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot under the binomial name ''Turdus explorator''.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Vieillot | first=Louis Pierre | author-link=Louis Pierre Vieillot | year=1818 | title=Nouveau dictionnaire d'histoire naturelle, appliquée aux arts, à l'agriculture, à l'économie rurale et domestique, à la médecine, etc. | edition=Nouvelle édition | volume=20 | location=Paris | publisher=Deterville | page=260 | language=French | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/18041086 }}</ref><ref>{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Paynter | editor2-first=Raymond A. Jr | year=1964 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=10 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=135 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14486324 }}</ref> The specific epithet ''explorator'' is Latin meaning "scout", "explorer" or "searcher".<ref>{{ cite web | last=Jobling | first=James A. | title=explorator | work=The Key to Scientific Names | url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/key-to-scientific-names/search?q=explorator | publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology | access-date=5 September 2025 }}</ref> 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''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Levaillant | first=François | author-link=François Levaillant | year=1802 | title=Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux d'Afrique | volume=3 | pages=29-32, Plate 103 | location=Paris | publisher=Delachauchée | language=French | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41423305 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela C. Rasmussen | date=February 2025 | title=Chats, Old World flycatchers | work=IOC World Bird List Version 15.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/chats/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=5 September 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q1588774}}
sentinel rock thrush Category:Birds of Southern Africa sentinel rock thrush Category:Taxa named by Louis Pierre Vieillot Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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