Biology:Courser

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Short description: Subfamily of birds

Courser
Cream-coloured Courser (Cursorius cursor) Tal Chhapar, Churu, Rajasthan, India February 15th, 2013.jpg
Cream-colored courser
(Cursorius cursor)
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Glareolidae
Subfamily: Cursoriinae
Genera

Cursorius
Rhinoptilus

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.

They have cryptic plumage and crouch down when alarmed to avoid detection by predators.

Like the pratincoles, the coursers are found in warmer parts of the Old World. They hunt insects by running.

Their 2–3 eggs are laid on the ground.

Species in taxonomic order

References

  • Hayman, Marchant and Prater, Shorebirds ISBN:0-395-37903-2

Wikidata ☰ Q3007752 entry