Temminck’s Courser
Cursorius temminckii
Temminck's Courser (Cursorius temminckii) — 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 Temminck’s Courser (Cursorius temminckii) is a member of the Glareolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 69.2 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 Cursorius
- Species temminckii
Where it lives
Tropical to subtropical savanna of Sub-Saharan Africa: southern Mauritania east to Eritrea and western Somalia, south to northern South Africa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 69.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Glareolidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Temminck’s Courser is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Temminck’s Courser is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Temminck’s Courser (Cursorius temminckii) belongs to the Glareolidae family of the order Charadriiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF tropical to subtropical savanna of Sub-Saharan Africa: s Mauritania e to Eritrea and w Somalia, s to n South Africa.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 69.2 g, with a wing length of about 12 cm and a tail of around 4.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 10.9 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Temminck’s Courser?
The Temminck’s Courser is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 69.2 g.
Where does the Temminck’s Courser live?
The Temminck’s Courser is found across Africa with a range covering AF tropical to subtropical savanna of Sub-Saharan Africa: s Mauritania e to Eritrea and w Somalia, s to n South Africa, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Temminck’s Courser belong to?
The Temminck’s Courser (Cursorius temminckii) belongs to the Glareolidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Temminck’s Courser eat?
The Temminck’s Courser is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Temminck’s Courser migrate?
The Temminck’s Courser is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Temminck’s 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 Temminck’s Courser make?
1 real field recording of the Temminck’s Courser — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Temminck’s Courser's range?
The Temminck’s Courser has a mapped global range of about 10.9 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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