# Sentinel rock thrush

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{{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](/source/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](/source/Louis_Pierre_Vieillot), 1818)
| synonyms = 
}}

The '''sentinel rock thrush''' ('''''Monticola explorator''''') is a species of [passerine](/source/passerine) bird in the Old World flycatcher family [Muscicapidae](/source/Muscicapidae) that is found in [Lesotho](/source/Lesotho), [South Africa](/source/South_Africa), and [Eswatini](/source/Eswatini).
Its natural [habitat](/source/habitat) is rocky outcrops in high-altitude [grassland](/source/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](/source/species_description) in 1818 by the French ornithologist [Louis Vieillot](/source/Louis_Pierre_Vieillot) under the [binomial name](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Fran%C3%A7ois_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](/source/Monticola)'' that was introduced in 1822 by the German naturalist [Friedrich Boie](/source/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

{{Muscicapidae-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sentinel rock thrush](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentinel_rock_thrush) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentinel_rock_thrush?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.