{{Short description|Genus of birds}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Urocolius macrourus-20090110B.jpg | image_caption = Blue-naped mousebird<br/>''Urocolius macrourus'' | taxon = Urocolius | authority = Bonaparte, 1854 | type_species = ''Lanius macrourus''<ref name=HM4>{{cite web |url= https://www.aviansystematics.org/4th-edition-checklist?viewfamilies=82 |title= Trogonidae |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= aviansystematics.org |publisher= The Trust for Avian Systematics |access-date= 2023-07-26}}</ref> | type_species_authority = Linnaeus, 1766 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = ''Urocolius indicus''<br /> ''Urocolius macrourus'' }} '''''Urocolius''''' is a small genus of mousebirds. ==Species== It consists of two species which inhabit Eastern and Southern Africa: {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Image !! Common name !! Scientific name!! Distribution |- |120px || Blue-naped mousebird|| ''Urocolius macrourus''|| East Africa |- |120px || Red-faced mousebird|| ''Urocolius indicus''|| southern Africa from Zaire, Zambia and Tanzania south to the Cape. |- |} ==Description== thumb|left|Red-faced mousebird ''Urocolius indicus'' in flight They are typically about 32&nbsp;cm (13&nbsp;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.<ref name="MacleanRoberts">Maclean, Gordon Lindsay. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa Publisher: New Holland 1993. {{ISBN|978-0620175838}}</ref>

''"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).<ref name = Mlíkovský2002>Mlíkovský, Jirí (2002): ''Cenozoic Birds of the World, Part 1: Europe''. Ninox Press, Prague. {{Listed Invalid ISBN|80-901105-3-8}} [http://www.nm.cz/download/JML-18-2002-CBE.pdf PDF fulltext] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520101755/http://www.nm.cz/download/JML-18-2002-CBE.pdf |date=2011-05-20 }}<!-- This should be treated with extreme caution as regards merging of species. Splits are usually good though. See also critical review in Auk121:623-627 here http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3793/is_200404/ai_n9396879 --></ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Mousebirds}} {{Coliiformes|C.|state=collapsed}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q947344}}

Category:Urocolius Category:Bird genera Category:Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte

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