Monticola rufocinereus
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The little rock thrush (Monticola rufocinereus) is a species of passerine bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Yemen. It is found in rocky (inland cliffs and mountain peaks) areas with some trees, and sometimes near settlements. At 15 to 16 centimetres (5.9 to 6.3 in) this is the smallest of the Muscicapidae. The male has the head, throat and upper mantle blue-grey, the underparts orange-red, except for the center blackish center tail and tips which form an inverted T shape. The female is duller and paler. It is readily mistaken for a redstart because of its habit of trembling its tail.
Sinclair, Ian; Ryan, Peter (2003). Birds of Africa south of the Sahara. Cape Town: Struik. Stevenson, Terry; Fanshawe, John (2002). A Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Little Rock-Thrush sighting in Arusha National Park on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 261st most-seen of the 373 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Little Rock-Thrush in Arusha National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–August and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Little Rock-Thrush sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Little Rock-Thrush sightings, Arusha National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Lake Nakuru National Park (Kenya, about 10%).
Same family: Muscicapidae
The closest relatives of the Little Rock-Thrush that you can see in Arusha National Park (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are African Dusky Flycatcher (about 60%), White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher (about 50%) and African Stonechat (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Little Rock-Thrush is recorded against all the birds logged in Arusha National Park (16 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
