Drakensberg Rockjumper (Chaetops aurantius)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Drakensberg Rockjumper

Chaetops aurantius Layard, EL, 1867

54 gWeight

The Drakensberg rockjumper or orange-breasted rockjumper (Chaetops aurantius) is a medium-sized insectivorous passerine bird endemic to the alpine grasslands and rock outcrops of the Drakensberg Mountains of southeastern South Africa and Lesotho.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: Lesotho, South Africa

Near Threatened

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: Lesotho, South Africa

Drakensberg Rockjumper has been recorded at 8 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Sani PassLesotho168 records
  2. Sani Pass (LS) to Black MountainsLesotho115 records
  3. Black Mountains – WestLesotho38 records
More places
  1. Black Mountains – EastLesotho36 records
  2. Mafika Lisiu PassLesotho11 records
  3. Afriski Mountain ResortLesotho8 records
  4. Katse Dam – Ha LejoneLesotho3 records
  5. Sani Pass (ZA) – low elevationSouth Africa1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

LesothoSouth Africa

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Drakensberg rockjumper or orange-breasted rockjumper (Chaetops aurantius) is a medium-sized insectivorous passerine bird endemic to the alpine grasslands and rock outcrops of the Drakensberg Mountains of southeastern South Africa and Lesotho. This taxon is closely related to the allopatric Cape rockjumper Chaetops frenatus; the two species of Chaetops are the only living members of the Chaetopidae (rockjumper family).

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Drakensberg Rockjumper?

The Drakensberg Rockjumper weighs around 54 g.

Where does the Drakensberg Rockjumper live?

Its breeding range: Africa: eastern South Africa. It is most often recorded in Lesotho and South Africa.

When is the best time to see the Drakensberg Rockjumper?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Drakensberg Rockjumper endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Drakensberg Rockjumper as Near Threatened.

What does the Drakensberg Rockjumper eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Drakensberg Rockjumper in?

It belongs to the family Rockjumpers (Chaetopidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
54 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Near Threatened
More measurements
Wing
88 mm
Tail
90 mm
Bill
21 mm
Tarsus
36 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: eastern South Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Rockjumpers Chaetopidae
Genus
Chaetops

Other birds in the genus Chaetops

Cape RockjumperCape RockjumperChaetops frenatus
Drakensberg Rockjumper

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Markus Lilje. ↗

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