White-backed Mousebird (Colius colius)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

White-backed Mousebird

Colius colius (Linnaeus, 1766)

41 gWeight

The white-backed mousebird (Colius colius) is a large species of mousebird.

Busiest months: September and November · Most records: South Africa, Namibia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: September and November · Most records: South Africa, Namibia

White-backed Mousebird has been recorded at 50 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. West Coast NPSouth Africa793 records
  2. Avis DamNamibia351 records
  3. Kirstenhof WetlandSouth Africa269 records
More places
  1. West Coast NP – Seeberg hideSouth Africa241 records
  2. Karoo NPSouth Africa209 records
  3. Spitzkoppe Nature ReserveNamibia189 records
  4. West Coast NP – Geelbek hides vicinitySouth Africa188 records
  5. Rondevlei NRSouth Africa184 records
  6. Gammams Water Care WorksNamibia176 records
  7. West Coast NP – Abrahamskraal hideSouth Africa165 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaNamibia

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 white-backed mousebird (Colius colius) is a large species of mousebird. It is distributed in western and central regions of southern Africa from Namibia and southern Botswana eastwards to Central Transvaal and the eastern Cape.

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

Questions

How big is the White-backed Mousebird?

The White-backed Mousebird weighs around 41 g.

Where does the White-backed Mousebird live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Namibia to southern Botswana and South Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa and Namibia.

When is the best time to see the White-backed Mousebird?

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

Is the White-backed Mousebird endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-backed Mousebird as Least Concern.

What does the White-backed Mousebird eat?

Main food: Fruit.

What family is the White-backed Mousebird in?

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

At a glance

Weight
41 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Fruit
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
87 mm
Tail
208 mm
Bill
14 mm
Tarsus
21 mm

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

Range

Africa: Namibia to southern Botswana and South Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Mousebirds Coliidae
Genus
Colius

Other birds in the genus Colius

Speckled MousebirdSpeckled MousebirdColius striatusWhite-headed MousebirdWhite-headed MousebirdColius leucocephalusRed-backed MousebirdRed-backed MousebirdColius castanotusBlue-naped MousebirdBlue-naped MousebirdUrocolius macrourusRed-faced MousebirdRed-faced MousebirdUrocolius indicus
White-backed Mousebird

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

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