Speckled Mousebird

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iSpeckled Mousebird
Conservation status
Least Concern (LC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Coliiformes Family: Coliidae Genus: Colius Species: C. striatus
Binomial name
Colius striatus (Gmelin, 1789)

The Speckled Mousebird is the largest species of mousebird, as well as one of the most common. They are distributed from Cameroon east to Eritrea and Ethiopia, south through eastern Africa to southern South Africa. Most areas can host them, except the rainforests and desert-like areas. This mousebird prefers open bushveld habitats. They are widespread in savanna and open woodlands, as well as any area with tangled thickets. They are also a common "backyard bird", often seen in urban areas as long as they contain gardens and orchards.

These birds are usually about 35 cm (14 inches) long, with the tail comprising approximately have the length, and weigh about 57 grams (2 oz). They are well-named birds, because they are dull-mousy brown in overall color on the back and on the head (including a prominent crest). The bill is black on the upper part and is a pinkish color on the lower part of the bill. The rare White-headed Mousebird can be confused with this species, but the different-colored mandibles and the lack of a bare grey orbital patch render the Speckled species distinctive.

The Speckled Mousebird is frugivore who subsides on fruits, berries, leaves, seeds and nectar, and is fairly adaptable from area to area on their favorite food. These are conspicuously social birds, feeding together and engaging in mutual preening. They also accompany each other when they go to ground to dust bathe (also to occasionally to eat soil to allow peebles to assist in grinding up vegetation as they digest). Upon nightfall, they roost in very tight groups of 20 or so birds and on cold nights they can become torpid. Being in a torpid state could make them easy prey, but the large groups are apparently effective enough to deter most nocturnal predators.

These creatures may breed at any time of the year. The nest is a large (for the bird) and untidy cup comprised of vegetable and animal material (sometimes including cloth and paper) and is constructed by both the male and female. The clutch can range anywhere from 1 to 7 eggs (apparently based on latitude), but usually averages around 3 or 4. Nestlings are fed not only by both parents but also by helpers, which usually consist of juveniles from previous clutches. The incubation period takes 14 days and the offspring will leave the nest for the first time at about 17 or 18 days. After a little over a month, the nestlings will begin foraging for themselves.

The Speckled Mousebird is not known for it's voice, in the way a songbird is. They are noisy creatures usually, making a warbling tsu-tsu call while in flight. They have an alarm call described as tisk-tisk.