Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Speckled Mousebird

Colius striatus Gmelin, JF, 1789

51 gWeight

The speckled mousebird (Colius striatus) is the largest species of mousebird, as well as one of the most common.

Busiest months: July and October–November · Most records: Kenya, South Africa, Uganda

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: July and October–November · Most records: Kenya, South Africa, Uganda

Speckled Mousebird has been recorded at 367 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 24 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Nairobi NPKenya1,868 records
  2. Kirstenbosch Botanical GardenSouth Africa1,217 records
  3. Lake Nakuru NPKenya982 records
More places
  1. Lake Mburo NPUganda883 records
  2. Kruger NP – Skukuza CampSouth Africa703 records
  3. Entebbe Botanical GardenUganda647 records
  4. Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania643 records
  5. Rietvlei NRSouth Africa617 records
  6. Tarangire NPTanzania607 records
  7. Walter Sisulu National Botanical GardenSouth Africa562 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaSouth AfricaUgandaTanzaniaEthiopiaRwandaMozambiqueZimbabwe

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Speckled Mousebird?

The Speckled Mousebird weighs around 51 g.

Where does the Speckled Mousebird live?

Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.

When is the best time to see the Speckled Mousebird?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Speckled Mousebird endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Speckled Mousebird as Least Concern.

What does the Speckled Mousebird eat?

Main food: Fruit.

What family is the Speckled Mousebird in?

It belongs to the family Mousebirds (Coliidae), order Coliiformes.

At a glance

Weight
51 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Fruit
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
95 mm
Tail
195 mm
Bill
15 mm
Tarsus
23 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Mousebirds Coliidae
Genus
Colius

Other birds in the genus Colius

White-headed MousebirdWhite-headed MousebirdColius leucocephalusRed-backed MousebirdRed-backed MousebirdColius castanotusWhite-backed MousebirdWhite-backed MousebirdColius coliusBlue-naped MousebirdBlue-naped MousebirdUrocolius macrourusRed-faced MousebirdRed-faced MousebirdUrocolius indicus
Speckled Mousebird

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ad Konings. ↗

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