Cursorius cursor

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Ordo: Charadriiformes
Subordo: Charadrii

Familia: Glareolidae
Subfamilia: Cursoriinae
Genus: Cursorius
Species: C. cursor

Subspecies: C. c. bogolubovi – C. c. cursor – C. c. exsul
Name

Cursorius cursor (Latham, 1787)
References

Latham, John. A General Synopsis of Birds, Supplement: 293

Vernacular names
Afrikaans: Bloukopdrawwertjie
العربية: الدراج
brezhoneg: Timadell velenwenn
català: Corredor
čeština: Běhulík plavý
Cymraeg: Rhedwr y twyni
dansk: Ørkenløber
Deutsch: Rennvogel
Ελληνικά: Αμμοδρόμος
English: Cream-coloured Courser
Esperanto: Dezertkurulo
español: Corredor sahariano
eesti: Kõrbejooksur
euskara: Corredor
فارسی: دراج
suomi: Aavikkojuoksija
français: Courvite isabelle
Gaeilge: Rásaí Banbhuí
galego: Corredeira
עברית: רץ מדבר
magyar: Futómadár
íslenska: Sandlápa
italiano: Corridore biondo
日本語: スナバシリ
қазақша: Жүгіргіш балшықшы
lietuvių: Juodasparnis lakstūnas
Malti: Nankina
Nederlands: Renvogel
norsk nynorsk: Ørkenløparar
norsk: Ørkenløper
polski: Rączak
português: Corredor
rumantsch: Currider
русский: Бегунок
slovenčina: Behavec plavý
slovenščina: Pušcavski tekalec
српски / srpski: Plava trkacica / Плава тркацица
svenska: Ökenlöpare
Türkçe: Çöl koşarı
українська: Бігунець
中文: 乳色走鸻

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The cream-colored courser (Cursorius cursor) is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae. Both parts of the scientific name derive from Latin cursor, "runner", from currere, "to run"[2] which describes their usual habit as they hunt their insect prey on the ground in dry open semi-desert regions of the Middle East and northern Africa.
Range

These coursers are found in Canary Islands, Cape Verde, North Africa and Southwest Asia. Their two eggs are laid in a ground scrape. The breeding season extends from February to September,[3] but they may breed also in autumn and winter when local conditions (especially rainfall) are favourable.[4] They are partially migratory, with northern and northwestern birds wintering in India, Arabia and across the southern edge of the Sahara. Some birds also breed in the southern desert regions in northwestern India and Pakistan.[5]

They are rare north of the breeding range, but this species has occurred as far away as Finland, Ireland and Great Britain.
Description

These birds have long legs and long wings. They have slightly downcurved bills. The body plumage is sandy in colour, fading to whitish on the lower belly. The upperwing primary feathers and the underwings are black. The crown and nape are grey, and there is a black eyestripe and white supercilium.

In flight, this species resembles a pratincole with its relaxed wingbeats, pointed wings and dark underwings.
Subspecies

There are three subspecies of the cream-colored courser:[6]

C. c. cursor, (Latham, 1787): Canary Islands, North Africa Arabian Peninsula to Iraq
C. c. bogolubovi, (Zarudny, 1885): southeast Turkey to Iran, Afghanistan, South Pakistan to northwest India
C. c. exsul, (Hartert, 1920): Cape Verde Islands

Taxonomic note

Hayman's Shorebirds treats the east African form littoralis as a race of the Somali courser rather than of cream-colored.[7] Some authorities in turn consider the Somali, Burchell's and cream-colored coursers to be conspecific.
References

BirdLife International (2019). "Cursorius cursor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T22735845A155429274. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22735845A155429274.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 125. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
Maclean, G.L. 1996. Family Glareolidae (coursers and pratincoles). In: J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott & J. Sargatal (eds), Handbook of the Birds of the World (Vol. 3 - Hoatzin to Auks), pp. 364–383. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Amezian, M., Bergier, P. & Qninba, A. 2014. Autumn-winter breeding by Cream-coloured Coursers Cursorius cursor is more common than previously reported. Wader Study Group Bulletin 121: 177-180.
Rahmani, Asad R.; Manakadan, Ranjit (1989). "Breeding records of Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor cursor (Latham) from India". Journal of the Bombay Natural Historical Society. 86 (3): 447–448.
Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Sandpipers, snipes, coursers". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
Hayman, Peter; Marchant, John; Prater, Tony (1986). Shorebirds: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0-7099-2034-2.