Orange-breasted Rock-jumper
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| Chaetops aurantius Layard, 1867 |
The Orange-breasted Rock-jumper or Drakensberg Rock-jumper,Chaetops aurantius is a medium-sized insectivorous passerine bird endemic to the mountain fynbos of the Drakensburg Mountains of southeastern South Africa.
This is a ground-nesting species which forages on rocky slopes and scree. It frequently perches on rocks. The closely related Rufous Rock-jumper, Chaetops frenatus is sometimes considered to be conspecific. The latter species uses one or two additional individuals, usually offspring of the adult pair from the preceding breeding season, to assist the breeding pair. 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 Orange-breasted Rock-jumper uses a similar strategy.
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 closely related Rufous Rock-jumper does not overlap in range with Orange-breasted Rock-jumper. The male of that species has rufous red underparts, and the the female and young are darker buff below than Rufous Rock-jumper.
[edit] References
- Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton, SASOL Birds of Southern Africa (Struik 2002) ISBN 1-86872-721-1
- Richard T. Holmes , Bernhard D. Frauenknecht, Morné A. Du Plessis Breeding system of the Cape Rockjumper, a South African fynbos endemic, The Condor Volume 104, February 2002
