The speckled mousebird (Colius striatus) is the largest species of mousebird, as well as one of the most common. It is found throughout most of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa.
C. s. striatusGmelin, JF, 1789 – south South Africa
DescriptionEdit
The speckled mousebird is about 35 cm (14 in) long, with the tail comprising approximately half the length, and weighs about 57 g (2.0 oz). It is well-named, because it is 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.[5] The subspecies mainly differ in the contrast on the head, the throat colour, the amount of barring and the iris colour.[6]
The rare white-headed mousebird can be confused with this species, but the differently colored mandibles and the lack of a bare grey orbital patch render the speckled species distinctive.[5] The speckled mousebird is not known for its voice, as songbirds are, although it is a noisy creature. They make a warbling tsu-tsu call while in flight, and are known for their tisk-tisk alarm call while in flight.[5]
Distribution and habitatEdit
It is distributed from Cameroon east to Eritrea and Ethiopia, south through eastern Africa to southern South Africa and it is overspread whole part of Tanzania . Most habitats are suitable for this species, except the rainforests and more arid areas. This mousebird prefers open bushveld habitats. It is widespread in savanna and open woodlands, as well as areas with tangled thickets. It is a common "backyard bird," often seen in urban areas that contain gardens and orchards.[5]
Behaviour and ecologyEdit
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 swallow pebbles to assist in grinding up vegetation as they digest it). 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.[5]
BreedingEdit
The speckled mousebird may breed at any time of the year. The nest is a large (for the bird) and untidy cup made of vegetable and animal material (sometimes including cloth and paper) and is constructed by both the male and female. Clutch size ranges from one to seven eggs (apparently based on latitude), but usually averages 3–4. Nestlings are fed by both parents and also by helpers, which usually are juveniles from previous clutches. The incubation period is fourteen days and the offspring will leave the nest for the first time at about seventeen or eighteen days. After a little over a month, the nestlings will begin foraging for themselves.[5]
Food and feedingEdit
The speckled mousebird is a frugivore which subsists on fruits, berries, leaves, seeds and nectar, and is fairly strict in its choice of food from area to area.
^BirdLife International (2016). "Colius striatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22683776A93000568. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22683776A93000568.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
^Gmelin, Johann Friedrich (1789). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae : secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 2 (13th ed.). Lipsiae [Leipzig]: Georg. Emanuel. Beer. p. 842.
^Buffon, Georges-Louis Leclerc de (1778). Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux (in French). Vol. 4. Paris: De l'Imprimerie Royale. p. 405.
^Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2022). "Mousebirds, Cuckoo Roller, trogons, hoopoes, hornbills". IOC World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
^ abcdefMacLean, Gordon Lindsay (1993). Robert's Birds of Southern Africa (6th ed.). Cape Town: Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. pp. 363–364.
^de Juana, E. (2001). "Speckled mousebird". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 6: Mousebirds to Hornbills. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. p. 75. ISBN978-84-87334-30-6.
Further readingEdit
Sinclair, I., et al. SASOL Birds of Southern Africa. Struik. 2002. ISBN1-86872-721-1
External linksEdit
Speckled mousebird - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.
September 02, 2023
speckled, mousebird, speckled, mousebird, colius, striatus, largest, species, mousebird, well, most, common, found, throughout, most, central, eastern, southern, africa, conservation, statusleast, concern, iucn, scientific, classificationdomain, eukaryotakingd. The speckled mousebird Colius striatus is the largest species of mousebird as well as one of the most common It is found throughout most of Central Eastern and Southern Africa Speckled mousebirdConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder ColiiformesFamily ColiidaeGenus ColiusSpecies C striatusBinomial nameColius striatus Gmelin JF 1789 Subspecies C s leucotis right and C s affinis left illustration by Joseph Smit 1892 Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Behaviour and ecology 4 1 Breeding 4 2 Food and feeding 5 Gallery 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksTaxonomy EditThe speckled mousebird was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus s Systema Naturae He placed it with the mousebirds in the genus Colius and coined the binomial name Colius striatus 2 Gmelin based his description on the Coliou raye that had been described in 1778 by the French polymath Comte de Buffon from a specimen that had been collected near the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa 3 Seventeen subspecies are recognised 4 C s nigricollis Vieillot 1817 Ghana and Nigeria to southwest Central African Republic and south to west Angola and southwest DR Congo C s leucophthalmus Chapin 1921 north DR Congo southeast Central African Republic and southwest Sudan C s leucotis Ruppell 1839 east Sudan Eritrea and west central Ethiopia C s hilgerti Zedlitz 1910 southwest Djibouti northeast Ethiopia and northwest Somalia C s jebelensis Mearns 1915 south Sudan northeast DR Congo and north Uganda C s mombassicus Van Someren 1919 south Somalia to northeast Tanzania C s kikuyensis Van Someren 1919 central Kenya and north Tanzania C s cinerascens Neumann 1900 west central Tanzania C s affinis Shelley 1885 east Tanzania to northeast Zimbabwe and north Mozambique C s berlepschi Hartert EJO 1899 southwest Tanzania to northeast Zambia and Malawi C s kiwuensis Reichenow 1908 east DR Congo central south Uganda Rwanda Burundi and northwest Tanzania C s congicus Reichenow 1923 east Angola to south southeast DR Congo and west Zambia C s simulans Clancey 1979 central Mozambique and southeast Malawi C s integralis Clancey 1957 northeast South Africa southeast Zimbabwe and south Mozambique C s rhodesiae Grant CHB amp Mackworth Praed 1938 east Zimbabwe and west Mozambique C s minor Cabanis 1876 east South Africa and Eswatini formerly Swaziland C s striatus Gmelin JF 1789 south South AfricaDescription EditThe speckled mousebird is about 35 cm 14 in long with the tail comprising approximately half the length and weighs about 57 g 2 0 oz It is well named because it is 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 5 The subspecies mainly differ in the contrast on the head the throat colour the amount of barring and the iris colour 6 The rare white headed mousebird can be confused with this species but the differently colored mandibles and the lack of a bare grey orbital patch render the speckled species distinctive 5 The speckled mousebird is not known for its voice as songbirds are although it is a noisy creature They make a warbling tsu tsu call while in flight and are known for their tisk tisk alarm call while in flight 5 Distribution and habitat EditIt is distributed from Cameroon east to Eritrea and Ethiopia south through eastern Africa to southern South Africa and it is overspread whole part of Tanzania Most habitats are suitable for this species except the rainforests and more arid areas This mousebird prefers open bushveld habitats It is widespread in savanna and open woodlands as well as areas with tangled thickets It is a common backyard bird often seen in urban areas that contain gardens and orchards 5 Behaviour and ecology EditThese 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 swallow pebbles to assist in grinding up vegetation as they digest it 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 5 Breeding Edit The speckled mousebird may breed at any time of the year The nest is a large for the bird and untidy cup made of vegetable and animal material sometimes including cloth and paper and is constructed by both the male and female Clutch size ranges from one to seven eggs apparently based on latitude but usually averages 3 4 Nestlings are fed by both parents and also by helpers which usually are juveniles from previous clutches The incubation period is fourteen days and the offspring will leave the nest for the first time at about seventeen or eighteen days After a little over a month the nestlings will begin foraging for themselves 5 Food and feeding Edit The speckled mousebird is a frugivore which subsists on fruits berries leaves seeds and nectar and is fairly strict in its choice of food from area to area Gallery Edit nbsp C s kiwuensis Uganda nbsp C s kikuyensis KenyaReferences Edit BirdLife International 2016 Colius striatus IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 e T22683776A93000568 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2016 3 RLTS T22683776A93000568 en Retrieved 13 November 2021 Gmelin Johann Friedrich 1789 Systema naturae per regna tria naturae secundum classes ordines genera species cum characteribus differentiis synonymis locis in Latin Vol 1 Part 2 13th ed Lipsiae Leipzig Georg Emanuel Beer p 842 Buffon Georges Louis Leclerc de 1778 Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux in French Vol 4 Paris De l Imprimerie Royale p 405 Gill Frank Donsker David Rasmussen Pamela eds August 2022 Mousebirds Cuckoo Roller trogons hoopoes hornbills IOC World Bird List Version 12 2 International Ornithologists Union Retrieved 28 December 2022 a b c d e f MacLean Gordon Lindsay 1993 Robert s Birds of Southern Africa 6th ed Cape Town Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund pp 363 364 de Juana E 2001 Speckled mousebird In del Hoyo J Elliott A Sargatal J eds Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 6 Mousebirds to Hornbills Barcelona Spain Lynx Edicions p 75 ISBN 978 84 87334 30 6 Further reading EditSinclair I et al SASOL Birds of Southern Africa Struik 2002 ISBN 1 86872 721 1External links EditSpeckled mousebird Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Speckled mousebird amp oldid 1130066211, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
