True to its name however, its uppers are
a mousy brown. Buffy underparts provide the only splash of colour. The
under wing is brownish with grey tips to the flight feathers.
They range just about all of sub-Saharan
Africa south of a line from Nigeria across to Ethiopia. Though most species of bird allow little or
no touching, individuals may huddle together during the day or while roosting.
More unusually, they hang belly to belly for warmth when sleeping. They may
also sleep clustered tightly into a ball.
In the air, speckled mousebirds are not
very graceful. They create quite the sight since they beat their wings rapidly
while appearing off balance. And they finish off by crash landing into bushes or trees.
Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL
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