Burchell's courser (Cursorius rufus) is a wader in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae. The name of this bird commemorates the English naturalist William John Burchell. Native to Africa, Burchell's courser is a small, diurnal, and terrestrial bird that lives in the western parts of southern Africa. Although classed as waders, these are birds of dry open country, preferably semi-desert, where they typically hunt their insect prey (usually Harvester Termites) by running on the ground. It principally feeds off of insects and lives in open, short grasslands and burnt veld. It grows up to 22 cm and on average weighs about 75 g as an adult. Description Burchell's courser has a graceful figure and an upright posture. It has a blue-grey hind crown which is mainly how it differs from the similar Temminck's Courser. It also has a horizontal black band demarcating a white underbelly, and an overall pale rufous colour. Its face features white supercilia above black eye lines, all ending at the back of the neck to form a double V. In terms of feathers, its secondaries are mostly white with a black underwing and brown to grey coverts. Typical of coursers, its bill is long, arched down, and of a dark colour like its eyes. Similar to the underbelly, the legs are of a distinctive creamy white. While flying, the Burchell's courser's feet extend past its tail. Females and males look similar, while juveniles lack the rufous colouring, the facial stripes, and the grey hind crown of the adults. They also are mottled, with black and beige barring. Overall, the Burchell's courser, with its camouflage appearance, blends in with the landscape making it challenging to spot. Taxonomy Burchell's courser belongs to the order Charadriiformes which mainly refers to birds living near water. Characterized by a curved beak and nostrils located at the base of the nose, the Burchell's courser is part of the Glareolidae family, specifically belonging to the courser group. Its genus, Cursorius, contains five species, all of which live in the arid parts of the Old World and display distinctive features such as long legs and short wings. Burchell's courser and its close relative, C. cursor, have at times been referred to as the same species. However, although they have a direct common ancestor, they should not be considered as such. C. rufus is monotypic and does not have any subspecies. Distribution and habitat Endemic