Image via Macaulay Library
Jerdon's Courser
- Scientific name
- Rhinoptilus bitorquatus
- Family
- Glareolidae
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Wing shape
- Broad
- Tail shape
- Rounded
Where it came from
Jerdon's Courser was first described by Thomas C. Jerdon in 1848 based on specimens collected in the Eastern Ghats of India. For decades, it was considered a textbook example of an extinct species, as it was not reliably sighted for over eighty years, leading many ornithologists to assume it had vanished entirely from the arid scrub jungles of its native range.
The bird's rediscovery in 1986 near the Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary prompted a major shift in conservation focus. It is characterized by its broad wings and distinctive rounded tail, physical traits adapted for a nocturnal, terrestrial existence in sparse, stony habitats. The design of the species reflects its specialized niche, though its extreme rarity and elusive nature have made it one of the most enigmatic subjects in modern ornithological research.
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About Jerdon's Courser
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