Title basically says it all. I've fallen in love with yet another bird, that's yet another strange species. First it was dove, then senegal, meyers parrot, quaker, parrotfinch, grass parakeet, myna, starling, and now this long-tailed little feathered fluff!


The mousebird is a softbill, native to Africa, and possibly the only type of bird that can be compared with parrots in companion quality. About as cuddly as a cockatiel, and even able to do well in a cockatiel-sized cage, due to it' unique (albeit strange) climbing ability.

I say unique, because parrots are the most well-known to climb, and other kinds of birds, such as softbills, finches, and other, are unable to. This bird however, is not only able to, but much faster at it, as well.

They are approximately the size of a cockatiel, though they are lighter than a cockatiel's average weight. Their digestive track does not allow them to eat seeds, and they require a varied diet, mainly consisting of fruit. A proper diet is also required when breeding, or else they will not take care of their young.

Another strange thing about them, is the fact that they hold their food like parrots do as well. However, they don't really lift it to their face.

If you pay attention to the feet, you'll even see that they're structured like a parrot's, with two toes in the front, and two in the back. Their legs however, are different, as they knees bend so far backwards, it will look more like they're sitting, rather than standing.


They also don't take baths in water. Instead, they like to take dust baths, and they will try to "bathe" in just about anything but water. Much like how this one is trying to bathe in the carpet.


They're quite lively little things, so out-of-cage exercise time is a must for these birds.

Unfortunately, they're incredibly rare, since they started gaining popularity around 1990, when African imports shut down due to a bird flu scare. Possibly one of the most common species you can find in captivity would be the white-backed mousebird, the species that's in the majority of pictures and videos (with the exception of the eating video; that's a red-faced mousebird). You may notice that the white-backed mousebird is also on the logo for this forum website.

As rare as these birds are though, they're surprisingly cheap online. I found a website that sells them by pairs for $250 (in which I've seen much more for individual birds of other species). I wouldn't want a pair though (but I could probably make a considerable amount of money at the bird expos, if I were to become a member of the bird club and bred them), I would only want a single hand-tamed bird.

I doubt I would find one in any bird shows here, though if it were to someday happen, and I would be able to afford it, + a cage (though cages come reasonably priced at the bird club, I've heard), don't expect me to back down from the opportunity. (watch me end up getting a bird I wasn't even looking for, at the next bird expo, since that's how I ended up getting Lucy ).

I guess you can add this bird to the list of birds I may or may not end up having in the future.

Weird species are interesting! And mousebirds aren't as weird as you might think. I don't know if you know who Susanne Russo is, but a lot of the people here do. She was a cockatiel breeder on a massive scale who has published a lot of highly informative info on the internet about cockatiel health and breeding, until she got birdkeepers lung from all those tiels and had to give them up. So she turned to mousebirds instead, since they have a lot less dander and didn't bother her healthwise. Since then she's recovered some ability to work with tiels, so she gave up the mousebirds and started doing cockatiels again on a very small scale, but she still has a mousebird website at http://www.mousebirds.com/ Our banner has a mousebird in it in her honor. She says they're lovely pets.

I think maybe somebody actually had mousebirds at a fairly recent bird mart, but I don't remember the price or the specific species or anything.

I've frequented her website several times recently. I was almost convinced to actually buy from her, until I found out she doesn't have them anymore.

I've gotten a good deal of information from her website. Been proven helpful.

I've actually found the picture you got the mousebird from. I saw it, and kept thinking: "where did I see that before?", and then I realized it was on the logo.


They seem somewhat tiel-like in behavior. They even like having scritches in a similar fashion (well, in the video of the one getting scritches I showed, enjoys it on the chin, which is where Lucy enjoys it). One thing I noticed that's quite different, is that when the mousebird was getting scritches, the crest went up, whereas when cockatiels start getting scritches, their crest goes down (well it depends on what position it's at beforehand). Maybe that's why they seem so odd to me, is because their behaviors are so familiar. I haven't actually had softbills for pets before. Mainly finch-type birds, as far as non-parrots go.

They do look like interesting birds, but I think I'd have trouble finding the nutrition for it over here... That is if I would want any.

If I'm getting another type of bird (not thinking about it in the slightest) I would go for japanese nightingales (also 250EURO per couple)

I'd never heard of Japanese nightingales before, but they're adorable!



There's a seller at the spring and fall bird marts who always has glossy starlings. Those things are GORGEOUS, but they're not cheap as you can see.

Mousebirds basically eat fruits. If you go to grocery stores, I don't think finding it would be too much of a problem. Though apparently during breeding time, they require live foods, or else they'll eat their eggs and chicks.

Those starlings are very pretty. I honestly didn't know they came in those kinds of colors, until I saw them on the AST website. Especially since we have starlings here, that are pretty dull in color (ironically, they're not even native here. They're invasive).

The story of how the least attractive starling came to invade the US is a strange one. In the late 1800's, some Shakespeare enthusiasts in New York thought it would be really cool to have all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare's plays living on US soil, so they sent off to England for any that weren't already here and turned them loose in Central Park. The first batch of starlings that they released failed to establish themselves, so they sent off for a second batch which established itself beyond anyone's wildest expectations. Now starlings are a major threat to native birds because they create so much competition for food and nesting places.

BTW the Shakespeare reference involves a TALKING starling. http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... e-reviled/

Well geez! Talk about too much dedication! If only Shakesphere were from australia. then we would be flooded by cockatoos, cockatiels, and other parrots native there (makes me kinda wonder how we aren't already).

Technically we are (check the shelters!), but outside, not so much. Certain areas some species adapt to, but most of the time, the weather is so different between areas of the united states, they just die or get recaptured.

There are feral parrot flocks in a lot of major US cities, even in Chicago where you'd think the weather would be too cold for it! Feral lovebirds are said to be pretty common in Tucson and Phoenix (although I've never seen one). There's some concern about them potentially competing with native birds for nest holes in saguaros if the lovies become more numerous. There's a great documentary about feral conures in San Francisco called The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, and a book with the same name.