at all, in private aviculture, and only a few zoos have them in their col1ec tions. According to the ISIS report of September 1998, Red-hacks are not to be found in any USA collections. This is unfortunate as all six species have been imported in the past although lit Mousebirds tle focus has been placed upon them. Hopeful1y this will change in the for the New Millennium upcoming years. Speckled Mousebirds by Kateri J. Davis, Sacramento, CA Speckled Mousebirds Colius striatus, also known as Bar-breasted or Striated, are the most common mousebirds in crops and frequent village gardens. USA private and zoological aviculture he word is slowly spreading; They are considered a pest bird by today. There are 17 subspecies, differ mousebirds make great many Africans and destroyed as such. ing mainly in color of the legs, eyes, T aviary birds and, surprising Luckily, so far none of the mousebird throat, and cheek patches or ear ly, great household pets. Although still species are endangered or listed on coverts. They have reddish brown body generally unknown, they are the up CITES even though some of them have plumage with dark barrings and a very and-coming pet bird of the new mil naturally small ranges. wide, long, stiff tail. Their feathering is lennium. They share many ofthe qual Mousebirds are not closely related to soft and easily damaged. They have a ities ofsmall pet parrots, but lack many any other bird species, although they soft chattering cal1 and are the most of their vices, which helps explain share traits with parrots. Like parrots, vocal of the three species. Their fluffy their recent increase in popularity. Few they can hold a small object in their foot appearance and shaggy crest gives softbill species make good household and raise it to their beaks to eat or nib them a "I just woke up" look. pets so mousebirds are definitely ble on. They are just not quite as strong unusual in that respect, and many a or adept at it. Recent fossil evidence Blue-naped Mousebirds bird lover's heart is instantly melted points to a possible distant relationship Blue-naped Mousebirds Urocolius when these little creatures turn into to the order, Piciformes, of woodpeck macrourus are the most colorful puff balls of pleasure at the touch of a ers, barbets, and toucans. species with a brilliant turquoise-col human's hand. All of the mousebird species are ored nape, deep red, bare skin around closely related to each other and easily the eyes and bill, and bluish-gray What is a Mousebird? recognizable, as all of them share a plumage. Their feathering is smoother, Mousebirds get their common name common body shape and behavior pat and their crests skinnier and higher than from their mainly brown and gray col terns. They are about the size of a love the Speckled species. Blue-napeds' tails oration and their habit of dashing bird with brownish or grayish plumage, are much skinnier than that of the quickly and secretly through the and a very long, stiff, pointed tail. They Speckled but just as stiff and long. Their underbrush. Their small size, soft, fur have a crest which can be raised or cal1s are melodic, usual1y consisting ofa like plumage, and long, skinny tails lowered at will and is usually erect. delightful one-note whistle. also add to the rodent image. Another They have large feet which are pam common name for mousebirds is col prodactylous, meaning they can point Red-facedMousebirds ies, but this name, coly, is most fre all four toes forward, enabling them to Red-faced Mousebirds Urocolius quently seen in older references. be quite acrobatic even hanging upside indicus are closely related to the Blue There are six species of mousebirds down and twirling from one toe. napeds and look similar. Their smooth that combine to form a unique family, plumage has a greenish cast to it, and Coliidae, and a unique order, Mousebird Species their crests are shaggier and not as tal1 Coliiformes, in which they are the only Three of the six species of mouse as crests ofthe Blue-Naped. They have members. All of the mousebird species birds are available in the USA current more pronounced red around the face are found in the central and southern ly. Speckled Mousebirds are by far the and bill but lack the blue nape. They parts ofAfrica which makes Coliiformes most commonly found of the three, also have a melodic cal1, usual1y with the only bird order strictly endemic to with the Blue-naped Mousebirds sec three notes to it. that continent. Dry scrub lands and ond in availability, and the Red-faced savannas are their main home where Mousebirds third, but very hard to Mousebirds in Aviculture they eat fruit, leaves, and flowers. While find. The other three species, White There are many reasons why not invasive, they have proved to be headed Colius leucocephalus, White mousebirds make interesting avicultur adaptable, much to the dismay ofsome backed C. colius, and Red-backed C. al subjects. Their personalities, move African farmers as they will feed on castanotus, are very rare, if they exist ments, and behaviors cause them to
10 September/October 1999 Commercial Members
A& Z Exotics, Homestead, FL Fancy Publications, Los Angeles, CA "P" Patch, The, Benton, MS A to Z Exotic Birds, Chapin, SC Fantastic Feathers, Port St. Lucie, FL Parrot Domain, Fredricksburg, VA ABC Birds, Humble, TX Feeding Tech, Nineveh, IN Parrot Jungle, Kirkland, WA Adventures in Birds, Houston, TX Ferguson, , Mike & Katie, Walla Walla, WA Parrot Passions, Wyoming, MI Alburquerque Aviaries, Alburquerque, NM First Flight, Belleville, IL Parrot Perch Aviaries, Las Vegas, NV Allen's Aviaries, Rutherford, CA For Pet's Sake, Decator, GA Parrot Place of Colorado Springs, CO American Bird Center, Goulds, FL Fouts, Barry G, &Pat, Lakeland. FL Parrot-dise, Anderson, SC American Bi rd Products, Locust Grove, VA Fox's Feather Farm, Watsonville, CA Pasadena Parrots, Inc., Pasadena, CA And Feathers Bird Studio, Chicago, IL Franklin, Judy, Northfield, IL Perches by Bear, Sayk Village, IL Animal Crackers, Greendale, WI Frasier Products, Denver, CO Pet Power, Inc., Phoeniz, AZ Animal Environments, Carlsbad, CA Frey, Dr. Walter H., Idabel, OK Pettin' Place, Reno, NV Aves International, Rancho Pales Verde, CA Friedman, Alan P., Baltimore, OH Picture Perfect Parrot, Berea, OH Avian Acres Exotic Bird Farm, Flemington, NJ Galler, Sharon, STAT Marketing, Oakton, VA Poole, Cheryl &Rober, West Monroe, LA Avian Adventures, Inc., Dallas, TX Ginny's Jungle, Andover, NJ Pretty Bird International, Inc., Stacy, MN Avian Colloborative, Marlboro, MA Graze, Timothee B., Clinton, CT Queen, Robert, Sr., &Virginia, Riverside, CA Avian Medicine Chest, Woodbine, IA Grein, Marie, Queen's Village, NY R&M Aviaries, Hunlock Creek, PA Avian Resources, San Dimas, CA Hand-raised Exotics/Bebe Turck, West Hurley, NY R&RBird Gardens, MO Aviary of Naples, Naples, FL Hauer, Sandy, Dover, PA Rain Forest Exotics, Inc., Conroe, TX B&CAviary Toys, Port St. Lucie, FL Hessler, M. Jean, Costa Mesa, CA Rice, Doug, Walkerton, IN Backstreet Bi rds, Glendale, AZ Hettes, John, Nescopeck, PA Richardson, Colleen H., Eden, MD Baker, Laurie E., Walnut Crek, CA Hidden Forest Wildlife Art Gallery, Fallbrook, CA Rockledge Aviary, Spring Branch, TX Bell's Exotics, Inc., Wrightsville, GA Hill Country Aviaries, LLC, Dripping Springs, TX Rolf C. Hagen, (USA) Corp., Mansfield, OH Bendem Wayr Aviaries, Saginaw, MI Hobo Toys, Lancaster, NY Ronie's for the Love of Birds, Sandy, UT Bignest Aviary, Shiner, TX Hoffman, Kelly, Hillsboro, OR Roth, Janice, Baltimore, MD Bird Central Pet Store, Lexington, KY Hookbill Aviaries, Center Ridge, AR Royal Bird &Supply Co, Lincolnton, NC Bird Crazy, Inc. San Diego, CA Huntington, Sally &Vince, San Diego, CA Rydant, Rick, Kingston, NY Bird Fever, Indianapolis, IN Jaax, Nancy, Myersville, MD Santa Barbara Bird Farm, Santa Barbara, CA Bird Gardens, Beaverton, OR Jeff &Jim's Jungle Aviary, San Antonio, TX Saunders, W. B., Stockton, CA Bird Times, Greens boro, NC John's Aviaries, Sturgis, MS Scarlet Orchard Aviaries, Otis Orchards, WA Birdeez Nutrition Center, Chandler, AZ Jungle Enterprises, Homestead, FL Schults Bird Farm, Langhorne, PA Birdlady's Babes, Atascadero, CA Just Parrots, Lexington, SC Sharpe, Mac, Plant City, FL Birds &Beasts, Yorba Linda, CA Karcher, David, Newville, AL Skyline Garden, Jamul, CA Birds Nest, Gurley, AL Kaytee Products, Inc., Chilton, WI Snell, Robert & Rosalie, Buffalo, MO Birds of Paradise Aviaries, Kurtistown, HI Kellog's Inc, Madison, WI Spence, Susan, Richmond, VA Blackstone Aviaries, Escondido, CA Kennedy, Robert L. & Jami, Canyon Country, CA Steger, Barbara, Lexington, KY Blue Skies Aviary, Toledo, OH Kookaburra Pets, Carrollton, TX Stuart, Carolyn & Thomas, Alvin, TX Bompart, Pamela, Helena, MT L'Avian Plus Pet Products, Stephen, MN Sugarcreek Bird Farm, Bellbrook, OH Boston Exotics, Action, MA LGL Ecological Research Asc., Bryan, TX Sun Seed Company, Bowling Green, OH Boundaries Unlimited, Inc., Gotha, FL Lafeber Company, Cornell, IL Super Bird Creations, Pine, CO Brennan, Sandra &Martin, Edgewood, NM Lape, Kristine, Hillsboro, OR Swan Creek Supply, Saginaw, MI Brinsea Products, Inc., Titusville, FL Last Chance Farms, Inc, Miami, FL T &M Birds, St. George, UT Broi lett, Noah, Los Angeles, CA Le Page, Jim &Mary Ellen, Redwood Estates, CA Top Flock Aviary, Loxahatchee, FL Brown, Judy, EI Granada, CA Lima's Exotic Birds, Woodland Hills, CA Torrey's Parrot Place, Spokane, WA C&FParrot Farm, Chorpus Christi, TX Little Friar Aviary, Philadelphia, PA Tradewi nds Exoti c Bi rds, Terry, MS Cagemasters, Inc., Loxahatchee, FL Living Design, Inc, Worthing, SD Trombly, Marsha, Coral Gables, FL Calderin, Victor 0., Coral Gables, FL Liz's Bird Shop, Chicago, IL Tucker Farms, Estancia, NM Clarkson, Sunny, Phoenix, AZ Lundeen, Judith L., Idaho Falls, ID Up At Six Aviaries, Bosque, NM Clifton Bird Farm, Mesa, AZ Lyon Electric Co., chula Vista, CA Urban Bird, New York, NY Corners Ltd., Inc., Kalamazoo, MI M &M Artistic Designs, Houston, TX Verde Squirts Aviary, Anaheim, CA Creative Bird Accessories, CT M &SAviaries &Pet Supplies, Bandera, TX W.B. Saunders, Owings Mills, MD Crystal Parrot, Southampton, MA MRPets, Inc., Dale city, VA Waterloo Wings Stained Glass, Chelsea, MI Cuttlebone Plus, Fallbrook, CA Magic Zoo, Rough and REady, CA Web Ranch Bfmstrs &Birds, Mooreland, OK Dam Birds, Austin, TX Magnolia bird Farm, Anaheim, CA Weinberg InVNEKTON USA, Tarpon Springs, FL David's parrot Place, Tacoma, WA Mansoor, Inge, Los Angeles, CA West, Shirley, Vacaville, CA Denise's Parrot Place, Mercer Island, WA Marshall, Shirley, Jacksonville, FL West Parrot Society, Willis, TX Di Vinci, Ltd., Las Vegas, NV Martin, Steve, Lake Wales, FL Williamson, John R., Jersy city, NJ Diamante Ranch &Aviaries, Bulverde, TX Millikin, K.P., Palmetto, FL Willow Creek Aviary, Richland, WA DiLorenzo, Ronald, Endicott, NY Montgomery, Harold, Fort Pierce, FL Wyld's Wingdom, Norfolk, VA e Parrot.com, Empire, AL Morman, Kay L., Fremont, NE Yale University Press, New Haven, CT FM Brown's Sons, Inc., Sinking Springs, PA Moyer, Donna, Mohnton, PA Yvonne's Swings and Things, Rochester, NY Emuson, Carol, Great Barrington, MA Mt Olympus Aviaries, Salt Lake City, UT Ziegler Bros, Inc., Gardners, PA Exotic Birds, Richard Gilmore, Graham, TX Munguia, Gail, Fresno, CA Zoological Imports IZI International, Vernon Hills, IL Expandable Habitats, Rockton, IL Norton, David, Tacoma, WA Zupreem, Mission, KS Family Farms Equines & Exotics, Nuevo, CA Old World Aviaries, Austin, TX
the afa WATCHBIRD 11 stand out in the avian world despite finish a pull-up. At night, they roost in Rarely are mousebirds aggressive to their lack of gaudy colors or their this manner. If kept together, the hang other bird species in aviary situations inability to mimic. Mousebirds, espe ing mousebirds will cluster, often belly and can easily be housed with other cially the Speckleds, have an inquisi to belly, for wannth. non-aggressive species from finches to tive, bold nature and always need to touracos. Their curiosity may cause be aware of what is going on around Clustering problems with other species that want them. They are hardy, with few dis Mousebirds have a difficult time to breed, as the mousebirds will want ease problems, and live an average of regulating their body temperatures so to investigate all activities. They have a eight to 10 years in captivity. in the wild this clustering activity helps tendency to steal nesting material from them regulate-and they will naturally other birds to make their own nests Perching go into a torpor state in lower envi and have been known to eat small Their perching style is unique. ronmental temperatures in which their nestlings. Mousebirds that are raised as Instead of standing erect on a perch, metabolic rate and body temperature pet birds will usually stay tame if put they squat on it usually with their bel is severely lowered to save energy. into aviary settings, coming to land on lies touching, and when hopping on Their metabolic rate can be reduced shoulders and backs to cuddle with the ground, their legs splay out, and by an amazing 90%! If the mousebirds their human friends. they use their hocks for balance. are healthy and in good condition, Preferable to perching, they like to hang they will revive by morning and con Breeding from branches, perches, or the wire of tinue normal activities. Mousebirds are undemanding cages. This is not the same type of Up to 25 birds have been observed breeders in captivity, and breeding hanging that parrots do, as mousebirds clustering together in the wild. Only a takes place year-round in most areas. hang tail down with their feet at shoul few other bird species, such as hum Nesting sites and materials used are der level or higher, as if they can not mingbirds, can enter this type of torpor varied, ranging from covered baskets state. Because of this problem with to open boxes, grass to feathers. Two maintaining body temperatures, in cap to three eggs are usually laid, and both tivity it is wise to give supplemental parents incubate and raise the young, I~ifetilile heat if kept outdoors in harsher weath with other flock members helping as er conditions. well. Two fe,males will sometimes lay !\\ellll.el·~llil· Clustering is done by mousebirds in eggs in the same nest. $1,000 the daytime also, simply because they The chicks are semi-precocial, growing rapidly and are totally feath Installment $1 OO/month enjoy other mousebirds' company. ered and weaned within a month. To for 12 months. Mousebirds are highly gregarious, stay hand-raise a pet mousebird, the chick Installment plan available with ing in flocks year-round, and fonning Credit Card payment only. tight bonds to other members of their should be pulled from the nest when flock. They will spend a lot of time he is around eight days old, which is allopreening (grooming each other), about the time the chick would be l~e!JIII;II· allofeeding, playing, and following leaving the nest naturally, Only a week one another around. If mousebirds are or so of handfeeding is required to !\\ellll.er~llil· kept in groups, their activities are very have a extremely lovable pet bird. interesting and entertaining. Individual - $30 Feeding Mousebirds Family - $35 Aggression Feeding mousebirds is a simple mat Supporting - $50* Mousebirds are very aggressive to ter. They eat the standard softbill fare: Commercial - $100* strange mousebirds though, so the avi chopped fruit and vegetables. 'Supporting, Commercial and Lifetime Members receiveFast News/Fast Ads by 1st Class Mail. culturist must take care when intro Mousebirds are not picky and eat a ducing new birds to established flocks. large amount for such small birds, gen Name Anytime birds have been separated erally one-half a cup of food per bird Address from the others for a time, they need daily. A variety of fresh fruits and veg City to be carefully introduced again. If etables such as pears, papaya, bananas, State &Zip there is not enough room in the enclo apples, zucchini squash, and chard Phone sure for all of the mousebirds to feel should be fed with small soaked and/or dry softbill pelleted food. Livefood such Fax or Email secure, especially when a pair wants to breed, they may even become aggres as mealwonns and waxwonns should MCNISA# sive to other flock members. be offered two to three times a week. Expiration Date Mousebird aggression is usually vio Being the herbivores that they are, lent, bloody, and often fatal within a mousebirds can be destructive to live American Federation of Avlculture P.O. Box 56218, Phoenix, AZ 85079-6218 short time if not stopped. They will plants in their enclosures, but giving phone 602-484-0931 • fax 602-484-01 09 attack the toes and tails first and will more greens in their food mix will help often gang-up on the victim. keep this to a minimum.
12 September/October 1999 in the wild, they have such close rela tionships to their whole flock, and the human family become their flock. Pet mousebirds crave petting, and the favorite place for a pet mousebird to be i hanging somewhere on its owner. They make good pets for a novice bird person or an older child (under parent's upervi ion, of course).
Housing Mousebirds in the Horne Housing a mousebird takes planning because of two things: their tails and their feces. A cage should be as large as possible at least 2.5 feet cubed, because their tails are so long, stiff, and fragile that if they hit the sides of the cage frequently, they will become ragged. Mou ebirds will naturally hang on the ides of the wire walls so they 'hould be encouraged to perch and hang in the center by utilizing perches and toy such as strings of colorful beads. AI 0 hanging on the side of the cage, causes feces to shoot out of the . cage. Mou ebirds are oftbills, and their Speckled Mousebird. fece' are loose and voluminous. This is the mou ebird's worst fault! They are Red-jaced Mousebird not neat either, and think nothing of hanging as he dries jumping into their food bowl. Cages after a water bath. need to be rimmed with a cleanable surface, and the rim, cage, bottom, and perches need to be cleaned often. Household Pet Mousebirds Dealing with the feces control problem Like many parrots, mousebirds make is a small price to pay though for such great pets fo~ the home, although keep a loving avian family member. ing pet mousebirds is a relatively new trend. They are able to live in cages in Conclusion homes or apartments easily and are Mou ebirds are truly wonderful quiet which makes the neighbors birds and deserve a place in the future happy too. They do not chew on wood of aviculture. They make fine subjects so are non-destructive to the home and for the aviary or home and mix well plus do not have feather dust to irritate with other species. allergies. The price for a mousebird Aviculturists need to be sure to ranges from $100.00 to $400.00 depend close band their young so genetically ing on the species and whether hand diverse pairs can be set up. Inbreeding raised or not . is starting to become a problem since If the bird is to be a pet, it is best to there are so few mousebird breeders purchase a young, hand-raised, well right now. With the Speckled species socialized bird. Only one pet mousebird especially, pairs should be set up for per household is wise so the bird will breeding with thoughts to keeping the transfer its need for social interaction to subspecies strains pure. Very little is the human owner. Pet mousebirds may known about mousebirds now but become jealous of other birds or ani more will be discovered as more peo mals that get too much of their owner' ple work with them. This article will attention. Unlike many parrots, mouse hopefully serve as an introduction to birds generally bond to the whole fam the e birds and spark the interest of ily instead of just one individual, since, more bird lovers. ~
the afa WATCHBIRD 13