Chaetops frenatus (Temminck, 1826)

Species and Basic Size

Chaetops frenatus, commonly known as the Cape rockjumper, is 23 to 25 cm long, with a long black tail and strong legs.

Adult Male Head Markings

Adult males have a dark grey and black head marked by a thin white supercilium and a broad white malar stripe (moustache).

Adult Male Body Coloration

Their back and wings are dark grey, while their underparts and rump are rufous red.

Female and Juvenile Plumage

Females and juvenile Cape rockjumpers have paler grey on the head, upperparts and wings, a duller head pattern, an orange rump, and buff underparts.

Eye Color by Age

All adult individuals have bright red eyes; juveniles have black eyes until they reach maturity.

Vocalization Characteristics

The species' call ranges from 1 to 4 piercing whistles to a series of trills.

Related Species and Range Separation

The Cape rockjumper is closely related to the Drakensberg rockjumper, Chaetops aurantius, and the two species do not have overlapping ranges.

Plumage Comparison with Drakensberg Rockjumper

Male Drakensberg rockjumpers have orange underparts, and female and young Drakensberg rockjumpers are paler on their underparts than Cape rockjumpers.

Primary Habitat Type

Cape rockjumpers only inhabit mountain Fynbos, specifically areas dominated by low scrubby restio vegetation.

Preferred Terrain Features

They prefer steep slopes with abundant large boulders that they can perch on to watch for predators.

Sea Level Population Location

There is an established population of this species at sea level in Rooi-Els, approximately 80 km east of Cape Town, but this location still consists of mountain Fynbos habitat.