Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
Data from Southern African Bird Atlas Projects suggests that this species is experiencing at least a moderately rapid decline, but there is uncertainty over the rate of decline. Therefore, this species is now listed as Near Threatened, but further information regarding population trends may mean that the species's Red List status requires re-evaluation.
Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as fairly common above 1,500 m in South Africa and common above 2,500 m in Lesotho (del Hoyo et al. 2005). The species has been found at the following population densities in Lesotho: 30 breeding pairs per 32 km transect in the Sahlabathebe National Park (Kopij 2002); 29 breeding pairs per 54 km transect in the highlands, and 2 breeding pairs per 120 km in the foothills (Kopij 2015b). 11 pairs per 61.2 km transect were found in Afro-montane Themeda-Festuca grassland at 2,000 - 2,500 m above sea level, while 54 pairs were found per 45 km transect in Afro-alpine grassland at 2,500-3,500 m altitude (Kopij 2015a). 16 pairs per 104 km of rivers were found in the Upper Senque river drainages, while none were found in the Lower Senque drainages (Kopij 2013).
Trend justification
Declines in the western part of its range have been noted since the 1980s (Hockey et al. 2005; Taylor et al. 2015), but the reason for these declines is unknown. Lee et al. (2017) analysed Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP) data (SABAP1 1987-1992; SABAP2 2007-2014. Note SABAP2 is ongoing but data taken from 2014) and suggested that this species is experiencing a decline in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Lee et al. (2017) suggest that reporting rate has declined 34.4%, range has declined 48.7% and core range has declined 38.5% between SABAPs (although the corrected population change metric suggests population declines may be lower than this). Declines may in part be due to incomplete sampling during SABAP2 and the time period for these declines is greater than 10 years, but it is precautionarily assessed that the species may be at least declining moderately rapidly over 3 generations.
This species is found in eastern and southern South Africa, Lesotho and across into western Swaziland and potentially into the extreme south of Mozambique (Collar 2017), though its main population centre appears to be in Lesotho (Hockey et al. 2005; Taylor et al. 2015).
This species occurs in high altitude grassland and heathland associated with stones, including rocky areas and felled areas containing exposed rocks (see Hockey et al. 2005). It is resident in some areas (such as Lesotho and in the Drakensbergs), in others it may make some seasonal, altitudinal movements (Hockey et al. 2005), being only a winter visitor to grasslands in Gauteng (Taylor et al. 2015). The species is not found in the Lesotho lowlands (<1,800 m), but can be found sympatrically with M. rupestris at a ratio of 1:5 in the foothills (up to 2,200 m). In the highlands, the ratio of M. explorator is much higher, while in the Alpine zone (>2,500 m) it comprises more than 90% of all Monticola breeding pairs, and is a dominant species in the avian assemblage (Kopij 2010, 2014, 2015a, b).
Given its ecology it could become threatened by climate change, and temperatures in South Africa have been reported to be rising (van Wilgen et al. 2016). However, the presented declines of Lee et al. (2017) suggest that there is a factor driving current declines. It could, therefore, be that there is a separate unknown threat impacting the species.
Conservation Actions Underway
No targeted actions are known.
Conservation Actions Proposed
Conduct research to investigate what may be causing declines, particularly in the west of its range. Conduct surveys to get better estimates of population size and trends.
Text account compilers
Clark, J.
Contributors
Butchart, S., Ekstrom, J., Kopij, G. & Westrip, J.R.S.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Sentinel Rock-thrush Monticola explorator. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/sentinel-rock-thrush-monticola-explorator on 22/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/11/2024.