Jerdon’s Courser
Rhinoptilus bitorquatus
- Family
- Coursers and Pratincoles (Glareolidae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
Jerdon's courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus) is a nocturnal bird belonging to the pratincole and courser family Glareolidae endemic to India. The bird was discovered by the surgeon-naturalist Thomas C. Jerdon in 1848 but not seen again until its rediscovery in 1986.
This courser is a restricted-range endemic found locally in India in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. It is currently known only from the Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary, and Sri Penusila Narasimha Wildlife Sanctuary where it inhabits sparse scrub forest with patches of bare ground.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Tropical scrub jungle of Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh (east-central India); extremely rare, no recent records.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Jerdon's courser
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
