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Speckled Mousebirds Regularly Fed on Bone Dust in a South African Garden

Speckled mousebird perched on a broad green leaf at Lake Baringo, Kenya
Research · Behaviour

Speckled Mousebirds (Colius striatus) were repeatedly observed feeding on bone dust in a suburban garden in Bethlehem, South Africa, in an observation report published in April 2026. The behaviour was first noticed when birds investigated bone dust placed out as supplementary food, and subsequent observations showed several individuals feeding on it at the same time.

Mousebirds are primarily folivorous, with leaves and fruit forming much of their normal diet, while reports of animal food are uncommon. The bone dust used in the garden came from fresh beef carcasses from a local butchery and was offered in small amounts. The observations continued over several months, suggesting that the behaviour was not simply a single accidental feeding event.

The author suggests that bone dust could provide animal-derived protein or minerals such as calcium, but the study did not test the birds’ nutritional motivation. Taste, curiosity or learned behaviour are also possible explanations. Because the report was based on repeated garden observations rather than an experiment, it cannot determine why the mousebirds consumed the bone dust.

Sources and image credit

  1. Potgieter, M. (2026). An observation of bone dust feeding by Speckled Mousebirds Colius striatus: an unusual dietary supplement in a folivorous bird. Biodiversity Observations, 16, 58–61. https://doi.org/10.15641/bo.1955Primary open-access observation report published 29 April 2026. Speckled Mousebirds were repeatedly observed over several months feeding on bone dust in a suburban garden in Bethlehem, South Africa; several individuals were later seen feeding simultaneously. The author discusses possible protein or mineral supplementation but notes that the observations do not establish the motivation.

Image: Hobbyfotowiki / Wikimedia Commons — speckled mousebird (Colius striatus) at Lake Baringo, Kenya, 18 January 2025. Illustrative photograph, not one of the birds from the South African study. · CC0 1.0 · Source

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