Monticola rupestris
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The Cape Rock-Thrush (Monticola rupestris) is a member of the bird family Muscicapidae. This rock-thrush breeds in eastern and southern South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini. It is a common endemic resident, non-migratory apart from seasonal altitudinal movements in some areas.
The Cape Rock-Thrush belongs to the Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Aves, Order Passeriformes, Family Muscicapidae, Genus Monticola, and Species rupestris. The bird was named for its geographic location in the Cape region of southern Africa and its preference for rocky habitats, where it lives among rocks and cliffs. The scientific name Monticola rupestris reinforces this, with "Monticola" meaning "mountain-dweller" and "rupestris" meaning "living among rocks."
This bird is large and stocky for a rock thrush, measuring 21-22 cm (8.26in) in length. The adult male during the summer features a blue-grey head, orange underparts and outer tail feathers, and brown wings and back. Females have a brown head and richer orange underparts compared to other female rock thrushes.
Vocalizations are an important aspect of this species’ behavior. The male produces a whistled song described... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | De Hoop Nature Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Rockthrush sighting in Golden Gate Highlands National Park on a given day, based on 81 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 22nd most-seen of the 108 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and September
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Rockthrush in Golden Gate Highlands National Park on a given day, against about 20% in February, the lowest month. Those are among Golden Gate Highlands National Park's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain a month against 130 mm in January. March has too few records to rate.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cape Rockthrush sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Cape Rockthrush sightings, Golden Gate Highlands National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come De Hoop Nature Reserve (South Africa, under 5%) and Pilanesberg National Park (South Africa, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cape Rockthrush is recorded against all the birds logged in Golden Gate Highlands National Park (81 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.
