Urocolius

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Urocolius
Blue-naped MousebirdUrocolius macrourus
Blue-naped Mousebird
Urocolius macrourus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Subclass: Neornithes
Infraclass: Neognathae
Superorder: Neoaves
Order: Coliiformes
Family: Coliidae
Subfamily: Urocoliinae
Genus: Urocolius
Bonaparte, 1854
species

Urocolius indicus
Urocolius macrourus

Urocolius is a small genus of mousebirds. It consists of two species which inhabit Eastern and Southern Africa:

They are typically about 32 cm (13 in.) long omnivorous birds, eating insects, small millipedes and plants.

"Urocolius" archiaci, "U." consobrinus and "U." paludicola are 3 taxa described from fragmentary Early Miocene remains found at Saint-Gérand-le-Puy in France. Their taxonomic history is convoluted, being initially described as woodpeckers and variously merged and split. Today it is believed that they at least 2 belong into a prehistoric genus Limnatornis, but sometimes they are all united under the first of the 3 names although it is not clear with what justification. The same rationales presumably apply for undescribed but similar remains found in Late Miocene strata af Kohfidisch (Austria).[1]

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Mlíkovský (2002)

[edit] References

[edit] External links