Cream-colored courser

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Cream-colored courser
Cream-colored courser.jpg
from Egypt
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Glareolidae
Genus: Cursorius
Species:
C. cursor
Binomial name
Cursorius cursor
(Latham, 1787)
CursoriusCursorIUCNver2018 2.png
Range of C. cursor
  Breeding
  Resident
  Non-breeding
  Passage
  Probably extinct
  Possibly Extant (resident)
  Possibly Extant (non-breeding)
Cursorius cursor species from Dibba, United Arab Emirates Cream-coloured Courser.jpg
Cursorius cursor species from Dibba, United Arab Emirates
Egg of Cursorius cursor. MHNT Cursorius cursor MHNT 225 Moulares (Tunisie).jpg
Egg of Cursorius cursor. MHNT

The cream-colored courser (Cursorius cursor) is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae. Both parts of the scientific name derive from Latin cursor, "runner", from currere, "to run" [2] which describes their usual habit as they hunt their insect prey on the ground in dry open semi-desert regions of the Middle East and northern Africa.

Contents

Range

These coursers are found in Canary Islands, Cape Verde, North Africa and Southwest Asia. Their two eggs are laid in a ground scrape. The breeding season extends from February to September, [3] but they may breed also in autumn and winter when local conditions (especially rainfall) are favourable. [4] They are partially migratory, with northern and northwestern birds wintering in India, Arabia and across the southern edge of the Sahara. Some birds also breed in the southern desert regions in northwestern India and Pakistan. [5]

They are rare north of the breeding range, but this species has occurred as far away as Finland, Ireland and Great Britain.

Description

These birds have long legs and long wings. They have slightly downcurved bills. The body plumage is sandy in colour, fading to whitish on the lower belly. The upperwing primary feathers and the underwings are black. The crown and nape are grey, and there is a black eyestripe and white supercilium.

In flight, this species resembles a pratincole with its relaxed wingbeats, pointed wings and dark underwings.

Subspecies

There are three subspecies of the cream-colored courser: [6]

Taxonomic note

Hayman's Shorebirds treats the east African form littoralis as a race of the Somali courser rather than of cream-colored. [7] Some authorities in turn consider the Somali, Burchell's and cream-colored coursers to be conspecific.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pratincole</span> Subfamily of birds

The pratincoles or greywaders are a subfamily (Glareolinae) of birds which together with the coursers make up the family Glareolidae. They have short legs, very long pointed wings and long forked tails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courser</span> Subfamily of birds

The coursers are a subfamily (Cursoriinae) of birds which together with the pratincoles make up the family Glareolidae. They have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. Their most unusual feature for birds classed as waders is that they inhabit deserts and similar arid regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glareolidae</span> Family of birds

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<i>Cursorius</i> Genus of birds

Cursorius is a genus of coursers, a group of wading birds. The genus name derive from Latin cursor meaning "runner".

<i>Rhinoptilus</i> Genus of birds

Rhinoptilus is a genus of coursers, a group of wading birds. There are three species, which breed in Africa and South Asia. They have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. Although classed as waders, they inhabit deserts and similar arid regions. Like the pratincoles, the coursers are found in warmer parts of the Old World. They hunt insects by sight, pursuing them on foot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burchell's courser</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian courser</span> Species of bird

The Indian courser is a species of courser found in mainland South Asia, mainly in the plains bounded by the Ganges and Indus river system. Like other coursers, it is a ground bird that can be found in small groups as they forage for insects in dry open semi-desert country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temminck's courser</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar snipe</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock pratincole</span> Species of bird

The rock pratincole is a species of bird in the family Glareolidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian pratincole</span> Species of bird

The Australian pratincole is a species of bird in the family Glareolidae. It breeds in Australia's interior; it winters to northern and eastern parts of the continent, Indonesia and New Guinea. It is a medium-sized nomadic shorebird which is commonly found in arid inland Australia. It breeds predominantly from south-western Queensland to northern Victoria and through central Australia to the Kimberley region in Western Australia. The Australian population is estimated at 60,000 individuals. They are a migratory species that generally move to the southern parts of their distribution range to breed during spring and summer. During winter they migrate to northern Australia, New Guinea, Java, Sulawesi and southern Borneo to over-winter. Although they are common, their occurrence is unpredictable and varies in location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali courser</span> Species of bird

The Somali courser is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2019). "Cursorius cursor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T22735845A155429274. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22735845A155429274.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p.  125. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  3. Maclean, G.L. 1996. Family Glareolidae (coursers and pratincoles). In: J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott & J. Sargatal (eds), Handbook of the Birds of the World (Vol. 3 - Hoatzin to Auks), pp. 364–383. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
  4. Amezian, M., Bergier, P. & Qninba, A. 2014. Autumn-winter breeding by Cream-coloured Coursers Cursorius cursor is more common than previously reported. Wader Study Group Bulletin 121: 177-180.
  5. Rahmani, Asad R.; Manakadan, Ranjit (1989). "Breeding records of Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor cursor (Latham) from India". Journal of the Bombay Natural Historical Society. 86 (3): 447–448.
  6. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Sandpipers, snipes, coursers". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  7. Hayman, Peter; Marchant, John; Prater, Tony (1986). Shorebirds: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN   0-7099-2034-2.