#coliiformes

Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus), family Coliidae, order Coliiformes, Uganda

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Our next order of birds are the Coliiformes, commonly called “mousebirds”. Coliiformes contain only one living family, Coliidae, and 6 species within two genera.

Mousebirds are small, slender, grey or brown birds with soft, hairlike body feathers. They have stubby bills, crests, and a long, thin tail. They get their common name from their arboreal habits, scurrying along branches like rodents, in search of berries, fruit, nectar, and buds. They are acrobatic, and can feed upside down, even hanging by one toenail. All species have strong claws and reversible outer toes (pamprodactyl feet). They are endemic only to wooded areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

Mousebirds are social, found in flocks of around 20. Flocks engage in mutual preening and sleep together at night. Pairs are monogamous for extended periods of time, and some breed co-operatively. They build cup-shaped twig nests in trees, lining them with grasses or wool. Nest material is brought by the male and assembled by the female. Both sexes incubate the egg, usually the female at night and the male during the day. Chicks grow quickly.

The family is documented to exist from the Early Paleocene, around 62.5 million years ago, and was once much more diverse and widespread.

(source)

Propaganda under the cut: