# mousebird (*Coliidae*) Mousebirds are small, colorful birds that love to hop around in trees. They have long tails and can often be seen hanging upside down while they eat fruits and leaves. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests ![mousebird](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Colius_striatus.jpg&width=800) Photo: Speckled_mousebird.jpg : Tom Tarrant derivative work: Berichard ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colius_striatus.jpg) ## Appearance The mousebird is a small, slender bird with a distinctive crest on its head and an extremely long, stiff tail, often making up half its total length. They have soft, dull grey-brown plumage, sometimes with a touch of olive, blending seamlessly into their arboreal habitats. Their appearance, combined with their scuttling movements, gives them their mouse-like name. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Coliiformes - **Family:** Coliidae ## Interesting facts - Mousebirds are rare birds that regurgitate food to feed other adults! - They often eat in a head-down position, which is unusual for birds! - They use strong claws to hold onto fruit like tiny hands while feeding. - Young mousebirds leave the nest early but are still fed by their diligent parents! ## Special abilities - **Reversible Toes:** Mousebirds can rotate their outer toes forward and backward that helps them cling to branches in any direction. - **Super Tail Balance:** Mousebirds have an incredibly long, stiff tail that helps them balance perfectly while climbing, even upside down. - **Torpor Trick:** Mousebirds can enter a temporary torpor state that helps them save energy on cold nights or when food is scarce. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 29-38 cm - **Wingspan:** 20-25 cm - **Weight:** 0.03-0.07 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Speed:** 40 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-6 - **Incubation:** 11-15 days - **Migration Distance:** 0 km ## Diet & Feeding They are fruit and plant-eaters, feasting on berries, leaves, and flowers in Africa. - **Primary Foods:** Berries, Fruits, Leaves, Buds, Flowers, Nectar - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Peregrine Falcon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — Swift predator of small birds, including mousebirds. - **Eaten by:** Spotted Eagle-Owl (*Bubo africanus*) — Nocturnal owl that preys on many small animals and birds. - **Eats:** Sycamore Fig (*Ficus sycomorus*) — Mousebirds eagerly feast on the abundant fruit of this fig tree. - **Eats:** Sweet Thorn (*Acacia karroo*) — Mousebirds consume the buds, flowers, and pods of this common tree. - **Eats:** Jackalberry (*Diospyros mespiliformis*) — Mousebirds enjoy the sweet fruits of the Jackalberry tree. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify mousebird? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is mousebird? 29-38 cm ### What is mousebird's wingspan? 20-25 cm ### How much does mousebird weigh? 0.03-0.07 kg ### How long does mousebird live? 5-10 years ### How fast can mousebird move? 40 km/h ### What does mousebird eat? They are fruit and plant-eaters, feasting on berries, leaves, and flowers in Africa. ### Where is mousebird usually found? Forests ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Mousebird: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mousebird)