Photo: Tom Tarrant / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Speckled Mousebird
Colius striatus
Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus) — Unusual & Unique Birds of Africa.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus) is a member of the Coliidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 51.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Coliiformes
- Family Coliidae Mousebirds
- Genus Colius
- Species striatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 51.1 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Coliidae
- Order
- Coliiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Speckled Mousebird is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Speckled Mousebird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus) is a species of bird in the Coliidae family, part of the order Coliiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 51.1 g, with a wing length of about 9.5 cm and a tail of around 19.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 8.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Speckled Mousebird?
The Speckled Mousebird is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 51.1 g.
Where does the Speckled Mousebird live?
The Speckled Mousebird is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Speckled Mousebird belong to?
The Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus) belongs to the Coliidae family, in the order Coliiformes.
What does the Speckled Mousebird eat?
The Speckled Mousebird is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Speckled Mousebird migrate?
The Speckled Mousebird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Speckled Mousebird endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Speckled Mousebird make?
1 real field recording of the Speckled Mousebird — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Speckled Mousebird's range?
The Speckled Mousebird has a mapped global range of about 8.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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