Burchell's Courser

Cursorius rufus Gould, 1837

Glareolidae — Coursers, Pratincoles

Burchell's Courser, Cursorius rufus, is a bird of the dry plains of southern Africa, from south-west Angola to north-east South Africa. It belongs to the courser and pratincole family, Glareolidae, within the order Charadriiformes. Named by Gould in 1837, it is associated with open country, especially semi-desert, short grassland and burnt veld. It is a ground-living bird of the region, and its range lies across the western parts of southern Africa. The name honours the English naturalist William John Burchell.

Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Glareolidae — Coursers, Pratincoles
Breeding range: Africa: subtropical dry plains of s Africa: sw Angola to s, ne South Africa