Orange-breasted Rock-jumper
Encyclopedia
The Drakensberg Rockjumper or Orange-breasted Rock-jumper (Chaetops aurantius) is a medium-sized insectivorous passerine
bird
endemic to the mountain fynbos
of the Drakensberg Mountains
of southeastern South Africa
. It is sometimes included with the allopatric Rufous Rock-jumper
in C. frenatus; the two are the only living species
of the Chaetopidae (rock-jumper family) if this is not merged with the Picathartidae (rockfowl).
This rock-jumper
is 23–25 cm long with a long black tail and strong legs. The male has a dark grey head with a thin white supercilium
and a broad white moustache. The back and wings are dark grey. The underparts are orange and the rump is rufous red. The female and juvenile have a paler grey head, upperparts and wings, a duller head pattern, an orange rump, and buff underparts. The call is a loud wheeoo.
The Rufous Rock-jumper male has rufous red underparts, and the female and young are darker buff below than in C. aurantius.
This is a ground-nesting species which forages on rocky slopes and scree. It frequently perches on rocks. The Rufous Rock-jumper uses one or two additional individuals, usually a pair's offspring of the preceding breeding season, to assist the parents in territorial defence and alarm calling, and in the feeding of nestlings and fledglings. Given the great similarities between the species, it is likely that Drakensberg Rockjumper uses a similar strategy.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
endemic to the mountain fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
of the Drakensberg Mountains
Drakensberg
The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba , and in Sesotho as Maluti...
of southeastern South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It is sometimes included with the allopatric Rufous Rock-jumper
Rufous Rock-jumper
The Rufous Rock-jumper or Cape Rock-jumper, Chaetops frenatus is a medium-sized insectivorous passerine bird endemic to the mountain fynbos of southernmost South Africa....
in C. frenatus; the two are the only living species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of the Chaetopidae (rock-jumper family) if this is not merged with the Picathartidae (rockfowl).
This rock-jumper
Rock-jumper
The Rock-jumpers are medium-sized insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Chaetops, which constitutes the entire family Chaetopidae. The two species, the Rufous Rock-jumper, Chaetops frenatus, and the Drakensberg Rockjumper, Chaetops aurantius, are endemic residents of southern Africa...
is 23–25 cm long with a long black tail and strong legs. The male has a dark grey head with a thin white supercilium
Supercilium
The supercilium is a plumage feature found on the heads of some bird species. It is a stripe which runs from the base of the bird's beak above its eye, finishing somewhere towards the rear of the bird's head. Also known as an "eyebrow", it is distinct from the eyestripe, which is a line which runs...
and a broad white moustache. The back and wings are dark grey. The underparts are orange and the rump is rufous red. The female and juvenile have a paler grey head, upperparts and wings, a duller head pattern, an orange rump, and buff underparts. The call is a loud wheeoo.
The Rufous Rock-jumper male has rufous red underparts, and the female and young are darker buff below than in C. aurantius.
This is a ground-nesting species which forages on rocky slopes and scree. It frequently perches on rocks. The Rufous Rock-jumper uses one or two additional individuals, usually a pair's offspring of the preceding breeding season, to assist the parents in territorial defence and alarm calling, and in the feeding of nestlings and fledglings. Given the great similarities between the species, it is likely that Drakensberg Rockjumper uses a similar strategy.