Birds · Coliiformes · Coliidae
Speckled Mousebird
Colius striatus
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The speckled mousebird is a species of coliiform bird of the family Coliidae. It is the largest mousebird and one of the most widespread. It is distributed across much of sub-Saharan Africa, from eastern Cameroon to Eritrea and Ethiopia, and through south-eastern Africa as far as South Africa. Most habitats suit this species, apart from rainforest and arid areas. This mousebird prefers habitats with small bushes, such as savannah. It can be seen in gardens and in urban areas.
Weight
45 g – 75 g
Size
30 cm – 36 cm
Lifespan
12 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Family group
Lives in small family groups with close bonds.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- It can rotate all four toes forwards, backwards or in any combination in between, something no other bird does: that lets it hang in impossible postures, even upside down, while it eats.
- It sleeps in a cluster: the whole group hangs packed together from a branch in a dangling mass, and goes into night-time torpor, lowering its body temperature to save energy.
- The mousebirds make up an entire order with only six living species, all of them African: it is one of the most isolated and ancient bird lineages left.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Scrub, wooded savannah, forest edges and gardens of sub-Saharan Africa
- Birth weight
- Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
- Size at birth
- Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
- Sexual maturity
- 11.9 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 14 days
- Litter / clutch size
- 3 eggs
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colius_striatus
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year round in sub-Saharan Africa, by day; it moves in groups that sleep pressed against one another, hanging from a branch.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Speckled Mousebird — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Blue-naped Mousebird
Urocolius macrourus
Common Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
Indian Peafowl
Pavo cristatus
Helmeted Guineafowl
Numida meleagris
Violet Turaco
Musophaga violacea
Eurasian Hoopoe
Upupa epops
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