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Urocolius

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Genus of birds

Urocolius
Blue-naped mousebird
Urocolius macrourus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coliiformes
Family: Coliidae
Genus: Urocolius
Bonaparte, 1854
Type species
Lanius macrourus
Linnaeus, 1766
Species

Urocolius indicus
Urocolius macrourus

Urocolius is a small genus of mousebirds.

Species

It consists of two species which inhabit Eastern and Southern Africa:

Image Common name Scientific name Distribution
Blue-naped mousebird Urocolius macrourus East Africa
Red-faced mousebird Urocolius indicus southern Africa from Zaire, Zambia and Tanzania south to the Cape.

Description

Red-faced mousebird Urocolius indicus in flight

They are typically about 32 cm (13 in) long omnivorous birds, eating insects, small millipedes and plant material. Urocolius indicus in particular eats a great deal of fruit, leaves, buds, flowers, nectar and similar material.

"Urocolius" archiaci, "U." consobrinus and "U." paludicola are 3 taxa described from fragmentary Early Miocene remains found at Saint-Gérand-le-Puy in France. Their taxonomic history is convoluted, being initially described as woodpeckers and variously merged and split. Today it is believed that at least 2 belong to the prehistoric genus Limnatornis. They sometimes are all united under the first of the 3 names although it is not clear with what justification. The same rationales presumably apply for undescribed but similar remains found in Late Miocene strata at Kohfidisch (Austria).

References

  1. "Trogonidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  2. Maclean, Gordon Lindsay. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa Publisher: New Holland 1993. ISBN 978-0620175838
  3. Mlíkovský, Jirí (2002): Cenozoic Birds of the World, Part 1: Europe. Ninox Press, Prague. ISBN 80-901105-3-8 PDF fulltext Archived 2011-05-20 at the Wayback Machine
Mousebirds (order: Coliiformes · family: Coliidae)
Genus
Colius
Urocolius
Genera of Mousebirds and their extinct allies
Coliiformes
Coliiformes
†Chascacocoliidae
†Selmeidae
†Sandcoleidae
Coliidae
Coliinae
Taxon identifiers
Urocolius


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