Cream-colored Courser
Cursorius cursor
Cream-coloured coursers are variously cited as 19–21 cm, 21–24 cm, or 24–27 cm long; the wingspan is 51–57 cm. They have long (7–8 cm) legs, long wings, and slightly downcurved bills. The body plumage is sandy in colour, fading to whitish on the lower belly. The outer upperwing and the underwing are black. The crown is grey, grading to blue-grey on the nape, and there is a black eyestripe and a conspicuous white supercilium. The legs are pale grey. Juveniles are mottled dark above, and have a duller head pattern than adults.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Indian Courser
Cursorius coromandelicus
This courser is widespread in South Asia and overlaps with some other species such as the similar looking cream-coloured courser. This species is however brighter coloured than the cream-coloured courser and has a broader black eye-stripe that begins at the base of the beak. The crown is chestnut and the breast is rufous. The nape has a dark black patch where the long longer feathers forming the white stripe meet. In flight, the rump appears white and the wing tip is not as contrastingly black as in the cream-coloured courser. The sexes are alike.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Cream-colored Courser and Indian Courser.