Jerdon's Courser
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| Cream-coloured Courser Conservation status: Critical | ||||||||||||||
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| Missing image Jerdons_courser.jpg Jerdon's Courser An indian stamp depicting the Jerdon's Courser | ||||||||||||||
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| Rhinoptilus bitorquatus Blyth, 1848 |
The Jerdon's Courser, Rhinoptilus bitorquatus, is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae. It has recently been rediscovered after being thought to be extinct.
This courser is found locally in India, in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh and extreme southern Madhya Pradesh. It inhabits sparse scrub forest interspersed with patches of bare ground.
This is an unmistakable compact courser, with two brown breast-bands. It has a yellow bill with a black tip, a blackish crown, broad buff supercilium, and orange-chestnut throat patch. In flight it shows a mostly black tail and a prominent white wingbar.
This bird was known historically from only a few records, and was thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in 1986. It remains critically endangered due to loss of habitat. It is noctural in habit and presumed to be insectivorous. Being a rare bird, nothing is known yet about its behaviour and nesting habits.
This bird is named for the zoologist Thomas C. Jerdon. In 1988 Indian Postal Service released a stamp celebrating the rediscovery of the bird.