Temminck's Courser
Cursorius temminckii
Elegant, long-legged, upland shorebird. Note the rufous crown and black patch on the belly. Shows a completely black wing in flight. Found in very open areas such as short grassland, semi-desert, and overgrazed and recently burned areas. Usually seen in pairs or family groups. Like all coursers, ducks the head and runs across the ground at great speed. Call is a mournful, off-key, up-and-down series. All-rufous crown, black belly patch, and all-black wing are not shown by the area’s other coursers.
Identification
Temminck's courser (Cursorius temminckii) is a bird in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae. It is a wader which lives in sub-Saharan Africa. It is noted for laying its dark ash-black eggs in the burnt bushes and grass of the African savannah.
Taxonomy
Genus: Cursorius; Family: Glareolidae; Order: Charadriiformes.
- Scientific name
- Cursorius temminckii
- Authority
- Swainson, 1822
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Glareolidae
- Genus
- Cursorius
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Nomadic
Behavior
Migration pattern: Nomadic.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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