Cursorius
Encyclopedia
Cursorius is a genus of courser
s, a group of wading
bird
s. There are four species which breed in Africa
and South Asia
.
They have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. Although classed as wader
s, 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..
Their 2-3 eggs are laid on the ground.
Courser
The Coursers are a group 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...
s, a group of wading
Wader
Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. There are four species which breed in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
.
They have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. Although classed as wader
Wader
Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
s, they inhabit deserts and similar arid regions.
Like the pratincoles, the coursers are found in warmer parts of the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
. They hunt insects by sight, pursuing them on foot..
Their 2-3 eggs are laid on the ground.
Species in taxonomic order
- Cream-coloured CourserCream-coloured CourserThe Cream-colored Courser, Cursorius cursor, is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae.Although classed as waders, these are birds of dry open country, preferably semi-desert, where they typically hunt their insect prey by running on the ground.These coursers are found in...
Cursorius cursor - Somali CourserSomali CourserThe Somali Courser Cursorius somalensis is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae.Although classed as waders, these are birds of dry open country, preferably semi-desert, where they typically hunt their insect prey by running on the ground.This is a small bird that lives in the...
, Cursorius somalensis - Temminck's CourserTemminck's CourserTemminck's Courser, Cursorius temminckii, is a bird in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae. It is a wader which lives in sub-Saharan Africa....
Cursorius temminckii - Indian CourserIndian CourserThe Indian Courser is a species of courser found in mainland South Asia, mainly in the plains bounded by the Ganges and Indus river system...
Cursorius coromandelicus - Burchell's CourserBurchell's CourserThe Burchell's Courser Cursorius rufus is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae.Although classed as waders, these are birds of dry open country, preferably semi-desert, where they typically hunt their insect prey by running on the ground.This is a small bird that lives in the...
Cursorius rufus