Red-backed mousebird
The red-backed mousebird is a small bird native to Central Africa, characterized by its mouse-like behavior and soft, downy feathering reminiscent of rabbit fur. It typically weighs between 1 1/3 to 2 3/4 ounces (39 to 82 grams) and measures 11 3/4 to 15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters) in length, featuring a distinct chestnut rump patch. This bird thrives in open woodland and bushy areas where it can easily navigate through vegetation, using its strong feet and claws to cling to branches. Red-backed mousebirds prefer to hop between bushes rather than embark on long flights, using quick wing beats followed by gliding. Their diet mainly consists of fruits such as bananas, mangos, and figs, as well as leaves and the occasional termite. Breeding practices remain somewhat elusive, but the female lays two to four eggs in a cup-like nest, typically situated in thorny bushes for protection. Both parents participate in incubation, which lasts 12 to 14 days. The young remain in the nest for about 21 days before fledging. In captivity, red-backed mousebirds can live up to 12 years.
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Red-backed mousebird
The red-backed mousebird gets its name from the curious, mouse-like manner in which it explores its surroundings. The feathering of the red-backed mousebird is downy-soft like a rabbit's fur.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coliiformes
Family: Coliidae
Genus: Colius
Species: Castanotus
The red-backed mousebird lives in a small range in Central Africa. They reach a weight of 1 1/3 to 2 3/4 ounces (39 to 82 grams) and a length of 11 3/4 to 15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters). It has a short beak and strong feet which help it cling to its perch. Its long tail reaches 7 3/4 to 10 inches (20 to 26 centimeters). The red-backed mousebird is distinguished from other species by its chestnut rump patch.
Red-backed mousebirds mostly eat bananas, pawpaws, mangos, figs, leaves, and flowers. They also eat termites. They move about trees and bushes where other birds would find movement difficult. This is possible due to their strong claws and expert climbing ability.
The red-backed mousebird inhabits the open woodland areas and bushy country where plants and shrubs are abundant. The bird stays away from the dense forest where it has difficulty flying amongst the thickly-settled trees. The red-backed mousebird does not like flying long distances. It would rather hop from bush to bush than soar from tree to tree. Its rounded wings are not well-suited for traveling long distances. The flight of the red-backed mousebird consists of a series of quick wing beats followed by a long glide.
The breeding practices of the red-backed mousebird are not well-known. The nest is a cup-like structure and tends to be thick and untidy. The nest site is commonly a thick, thorny bush that predators have difficulty penetrating.
After mating, the female lays two to four white eggs with blackish or brownish streaks. Both sexes incubate the eggs for 12 to 14 days. The young are born without feathers and remain in the nest until they can fly at around 21 days old. Some larger young may climb on branches near the nest before they can fly.
The voice of the red-backed mousebird is a harsh chee chee chee. When foraging, the birds make a continuous high-pitched tweet sound.
The life span of red-backed mousebirds is around 12 years in captivity.
Bibliography
"Coliidae - Mousebirds." PBS, nhpbs.org/wild/coliidae.asp. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.
De Juana, E., and G. M. Kirwan. Red-backed Mousebird (Colius Castanotus)." Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2020, birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/rebmou1/cur/introduction. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.