Basic Information
Scientific classification
- Chinese name: White-backed Mousebird
- Scientific name: Colius colius, white-backed mousebird
- Classification: Climbing birds
- Genus and family: Order Squirrels, Family Squirrels, Genus Squirrels
Vital signs data
- Body length: 30-34 cm
- Weight: 38-64g
- Lifespan: No verification data available.
Significant features
Their tail feathers have grayish-white stripes and are extremely long.
Distribution and Habitat
White-backed mousebirds prefer to live in sparse woodlands or forests, where natural resources are often abundant.
Appearance
The white-backed mousebird is about 30-34 cm long and weighs 38-64 g. Its tail feathers are grayish-white striped and exceptionally long, twice the length of its body. The beak is bluish-white, while the head, crest, and chest are grayish-brown; the belly is pale yellow with a few spots. The legs and feet are orange-red. Unlike other four-toed birds, its toes extend forward to grip branches when perching; the outward-curving outer toes make it more agile when walking and jumping.
Detailed introduction
The white-backed mousebird (scientific name: Colius colius) has two subspecies.
White-backed mousebirds are gregarious and feed mainly on green leaves, but also on nectar, fruits, and seeds. They are very greedy, with a large appetite but slow digestion, so they often swell their abdomens into a bulging pot shape. Therefore, they habitually spread their legs as wide as their shoulders and "hang" on the tree, much like woodpeckers.
After mating each year, a pair of white-backed mousebirds build a nest using old twigs, leaves, and grass. Each female lays 1-6 eggs, which are incubated by both parents in turn. The chicks hatch after 11-13 days. From the time a pair of mousebirds incubates the eggs until they leave the nest, the chicks are continuously hatched. Captive-raised chicks remain in the nest for approximately 11-20 days, becoming independent after 21 days.
This species received little attention from 1988 to 2000, but was listed as a protected animal after 2004. It was listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2010.
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