Red-faced Mousebird Urocolius indicus Scientific name definitions

29–37 cm, including elongated tail of 19–25 cm; 32·5–78·9 g (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ). Grey upperparts with greenish metallic sheen, especially on wings and tail, buff below; tail very long and slender, sharply graduated. Both sexes of nominate race dark ashy blue-grey above, including crest; buff forehead, tawny-buff below; underside of wings and tail chestnut; bare skin on lores and around eyes carmine-red; most of upper mandible carmine-red, rest of bill black; feet dark purplish-red; iris yellow to dark brown. Differs from U. macrourus (which occurs parapatrically in S Tanzania) (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ) in darker coloration, buff forehead, no blue patch on nape, while sympatric Colius species do not have such grey plumage and lack bare red patch around eye (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ). Juvenile has crown and ear-coverts buff, buff edges to wing-coverts, bare orbital skin and base of bill greenish, feet duller, iris brown. Races differ mainly in intensity of plumage colour: mossambicus darker than the next three races and rather large compared to next race (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ), pallidus paler than nominate and tinged pink below, transvaalensis less blue-toned with brownish-cream forehead, and is paler than nominate (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ), lacteifrons palest with creamy-white forehead, and ear-coverts lack greenhs tinge (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ).

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Typically savanna woodland , especially Acacia (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ), frequenting wide range of scrub, bush and wooded habitats, avoiding only dense forest and open grassland; common in riverine thickets, palm groves, orchards and gardens. Recorded to 1600 m in Zambia (3 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ). In Malawi and Zambia, typically recorded in drier situations than Colius striatus, but in first-named country locally outnumbers (Lower Shire Valley) or even replaces (Majete and Mwabvi) the latter species in such regions (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ).

Sedentary or locally nomadic; irruptions in dry season or during droughts detected in several areas, as well as altitudinal movements during non-breeding season in Natal. Most recoveries of ringed birds within very short radius from ringing site, but one at 31 km and another at 54 km.

Mostly fruits  , also leaves, buds, flowers and nectar; in South Africa, where regularly observed taking nectar of Aloe marlothii in one study (5 Symes, C. T., S. W. Nicolson, and A. E. McKechnie (2008). Response of avian nectarivores to the flowering of Aloe marlothii: a nectar oasis during dry South African winters. Journal of Ornithology 149(1):13–22. Close ), examination of 20 stomach contents gave ten with only fruit, five with foliage alone, and five with mixed fruit and foliage. Some animal food is presumably also taken, as tapeworm infestations have been recorded in this species (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ). Important plant genera, as for C. striatus and C. colius, include Lycium, Phoenix, Sideroxylon, Ehretia, Ficus, Rhus, Diospyros, Euclea and Olea; Salvadora persica a very important food in the Namib Desert. Cultivated and exotic plants extensively exploited, such as mulberry and vines in Zimbabwe, and consumes fruit of Melia azderach, which is poisonous to poultry (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ).

Gives clear, melodious  , bell-like whistles comprising 3–4 notes, which fall in pitch, e.g. "tree-ree-ree" or "ti-wi-wi-wi", with the first note slightly accented, either in flight or occasionally when perched; also, a high-pitched but slurred "cheuwip", as well as muted whistles and trills (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ).

Nests found throughout year, but marked peak in austral spring/summer: Sept–Apr in Angola, Aug–Jan (3 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ) in Zambia, Jun–Jan in Malawi (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ), Sept–Dec in Zimbabwe, Sept–Jan in most of S Africa but Aug–Oct in coastal Cape Province. Monogamous, but occasionally communal and co-operative breeder (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ). Nest an untidy open bowl (100–150 mm × 60–90 mm) (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ) with large foundation of dry twigs, usually branched and thorny (often of Acacia karoo), and finely lined cup (45–90 mm × 20–55 mm) (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ) of variety of softer material including grass, moss, vegetable down, lichens, cobwebs, feathers, wool, paper, constructed by one bird while other brings material (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ), and placed in thorny tree or bush at height of 1·3–6 m (average 3 m), sometimes near wasp Belanogaster rufipennis nest, and may dismantle old nest of another bird for its materials (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ). Nests usually solitary, but occasionally somewhat colonial, e.g. three nests in small patch of thorn scrub (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ). Some 150 clutches averaged 2·6 eggs, but range 1–7 eggs (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ) and 2–4 females may lay in same nest; eggs creamy white with sparse reddish-brown markings, 19·2–23·3 mm × 14·7–17 mm, c. 2·9 g (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ); incubation by both sexes, sometimes with a helper (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ), beginning with first egg, c. 13 (10·5–15) (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ) days; chick with peculiar bulbous swellings at base and on both sides of lower mandible; may leave nest when ten days old, fledges at c. 14–20 days (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ). From 62 eggs, 40 nestlings resulted (i.e. 64·5%), of which 36 (90%) fledged (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ). Snakes (Theletornis kirtlandii) and White-browed Coucals (Centropus superciliosus) may predate adult birds (1 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban, Editors (1988). The Birds of Africa. Volume 3. Parrots to Woodpeckers. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ). Longevity in captivity up to 12 years and five months.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Widespread and common in South Africa and Botswana; widespread and common in Zambia (except in W & NE) (3 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ); very common in SW Angola; locally common in Malawi, where absent from much of C & N (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ), and common in S Mozambique. Recorded in all protected areas in S Malawi (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ). As with other members of the Coliidae, distribution appears to be influenced by the presence of suburban gardens, fruit farming and irrigated agriculture; considerable increases were reported in both Namibia and Zimbabwe during 1940s and 1950s, but atlas work shows no substantial changes in any part of S Africa since c. 1970s. In South Africa, possibly some decreases along R Orange, where Colius colius is now more common than present species.