# Urocolius

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{{Short description|Genus of birds}}
{{Automatic taxobox 
| image = Urocolius macrourus-20090110B.jpg
| image_caption = [Blue-naped mousebird](/source/Blue-naped_mousebird)<br/>''Urocolius macrourus'' 
| taxon = Urocolius
| authority = [Bonaparte](/source/Charles_Lucien_Bonaparte), 1854
| type_species = ''[Lanius macrourus](/source/Red-faced_mousebird)''<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](/source/Urocolius_indicus)''<br />
''[Urocolius macrourus](/source/Urocolius_macrourus)''
}}
'''''Urocolius'''''  is a small [genus](/source/genus) of [mousebird](/source/mousebird)s. 
==Species==
It consists of two [species](/source/species) which inhabit Eastern and Southern [Africa](/source/Africa):
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- 
! Image !! Common name !! Scientific name!! Distribution
|-
|120px || [Blue-naped mousebird](/source/Blue-naped_mousebird)||  ''Urocolius macrourus''|| East Africa
|-
|120px || [Red-faced mousebird](/source/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](/source/insects), small [millipede](/source/millipede)s and [plant](/source/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](/source/taxa) described from fragmentary [Early Miocene](/source/Early_Miocene) remains found at [Saint-Gérand-le-Puy](/source/Saint-G%C3%A9rand-le-Puy) in [France](/source/France). Their [taxonomic](/source/Taxonomy_(biology)) history is convoluted, being initially described as [woodpecker](/source/woodpecker)s and variously merged and split. Today it is believed that at least 2 belong to the prehistoric genus ''[Limnatornis](/source/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](/source/Kohfidisch) ([Austria](/source/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

{{Coliiformes-stub}}

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