This mousebird prefers scrubby dry habitats, such as thornveld, fynbos scrub and semi-desert.

This bird is about 34 cm (13.5 in) long, with the tail comprising approximately half the length, and weighs 38–64 g (1.3–2.3 oz).

Its feeding habits make it very unpopular with fruit farmers and domestic gardeners, which might be why it is very shy as a rule.

In the wild its fruit-eating habits are an important factor in disseminating seeds of indigenous berry-producing plants such as Halleria lucida.

In handling mousebirds the tail should be avoided, as the long rectrices come out so easily as to suggest that it is a sacrificial defence mechanism.