A facultatively anaerobic, Gram-positive, coccoid, non-spore-forming, non-motile, catalase-negative bacterium was isolated from the uropygial (preen) gland of wild Red-billed Woodhoopoes (Phoeniculus purpureus) and designated strain JLB-1(T). Physiological and biochemical testing suggested that this homofermentative, lactic-acid-producing bacterium could belong to the genus Enterococcus or the genus Streptococcus. Comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain JLB-1(T) with other 16S rDNA sequences in the GenBank database by BLAST analysis showed that its closest relatives are Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus avium and Enterococcus asini. Strain JLB-1(T) may be differentiated from these species by the fact that it does not produce acid from lactose, D-mannitol, D(+)-melezitose or D-sorbitol. Furthermore, it does not hydrolyse arginine or hippurate and cannot grow in the presence of 6.5% NaCl or 40% bile. It differs from the streptococci in that it does not lyse erythrocytes. Strain JLB-1(T) is a novel member of the enterococci, for which the name Enterococcus phoeniculicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JLB-1(T) (=ATCC BAA-412(T) = DSM 14726(T)).