Burchell's Courser
Cursorius rufus
The Burchell's Courser (Cursorius rufus) is a rare coursers and pratincol found in 4 countries, weighing about 75 g. Burchell's courser is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae.
About the Burchell's Courser
Burchell's courser is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae. The name of this bird commemorates the English naturalist William John Burchell.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Burchell's courser has a graceful figure and an upright posture. It has a blue-grey hind crown which is mainly how it differs from the similar Temminck's courser. It also has a horizontal black band demarcating a white underbelly, and an overall pale rufous colour. Its face features white supercilia above black eye lines, all ending at the back of the neck to form a double V. In terms of feathers, its secondaries are mostly white with a black underwing and brown to grey coverts. Typical of coursers, its bill is long, arched down, and of a dark colour like its eyes. Voice: Burchell's courser often prefers to run rather than fly, and will most likely take to the air only when the disturbance is significant. Often referred to as inconspicuous, this bird is mostly quiet on the ground, but becomes vocal when flying, producing a loud flight call.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Burchell's Courser can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Burchell's Courser?
- Burchell's courser has a graceful figure and an upright posture. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Burchell's Courser?
- The Burchell's Courser is a medium sized bird weighing about 75 g.
- Where can you see a Burchell's Courser?
- The Burchell's Courser occurs in 4 countries, including South Africa and Namibia.
- What birds look similar to a Burchell's Courser?
- The Burchell's Courser is most easily confused with the Somali Courser, the Indian Courser and the Cream-colored Courser.
- Is the Burchell's Courser endangered?
- The Burchell's Courser is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Burchell's Courser for real
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