Photo: Mohamed Sabry Photographer / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Cream-colored Courser
Cursorius cursor
Cream-colored Courser (Cursorius cursor) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Cream-colored Courser (Cursorius cursor) is a member of the Glareolidae family found in Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 138 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 cursor
Where it lives
Subtropical to tropical desert of western Paleotropics: eastern Canary and Cape Verde is. (central, southern Macaronesia, west of western Africa), northwestern Africa, Middle East from southeastern Turkey to Socotra, Iran and western Turkmenistan to far northwestern India
Quick facts
- Weight
- 138 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Glareolidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Cream-colored Courser is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of arid, desert country, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Cream-colored Courser is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Cream-colored Courser (Cursorius cursor) belongs to the Glareolidae family of the order Charadriiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, AF subtropical to tropical desert of w Paleotropics: e Canary and Cape Verde is. (c, s Macaronesia, w of w Africa), nw Africa, Middle East from se Turkey to Socotra, Iran and w Turkmenistan to far nw India.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 138 g, with a wing length of about 15.2 cm and a tail of around 5.7 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 3.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Cream-colored Courser?
The Cream-colored Courser is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 138 g.
Where does the Cream-colored Courser live?
The Cream-colored Courser is found across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL, AF subtropical to tropical desert of w Paleotropics: e Canary and Cape Verde is. (c, s Macaronesia, w of w Africa), nw Africa, Middle East from se Turkey to Socotra, Iran and w Turkmenistan to far nw India, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Cream-colored Courser belong to?
The Cream-colored Courser (Cursorius cursor) belongs to the Glareolidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Cream-colored Courser eat?
The Cream-colored Courser is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Cream-colored Courser migrate?
The Cream-colored Courser is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Cream-colored 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 Cream-colored Courser make?
1 real field recording of the Cream-colored 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 Cream-colored Courser's range?
The Cream-colored Courser has a mapped global range of about 3.1 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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