Photo: Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Three-banded Courser
Rhinoptilus cinctus
Three-banded Courser (Rhinoptilus cinctus) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Africa.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Three-banded Courser (Rhinoptilus cinctus) is a member of the Glareolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 105 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Glareolidae Coursers, Pratincoles
- Genus Rhinoptilus
- Species cinctus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 105 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Glareolidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Three-banded Courser is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Three-banded Courser is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Three-banded Courser (Rhinoptilus cinctus) is a species of bird in the Glareolidae family, part of the order Charadriiformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF tropical bushland and open woodland of ne to sc Africa.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 105 g, with a wing length of about 16.1 cm and a tail of around 7.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Three-banded Courser?
The Three-banded Courser is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 105 g.
Where does the Three-banded Courser live?
The Three-banded Courser is found across Africa with a range covering AF tropical bushland and open woodland of ne to sc Africa, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Three-banded Courser belong to?
The Three-banded Courser (Rhinoptilus cinctus) belongs to the Glareolidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Three-banded Courser eat?
The Three-banded Courser is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Three-banded Courser migrate?
The Three-banded Courser is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Three-banded Courser endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Three-banded Courser make?
1 real field recording of the Three-banded Courser — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Three-banded Courser's range?
The Three-banded Courser has a mapped global range of about 2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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