JERDON’S COURSER (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Jerdon's Courser is exclusively endemic to Andhra Pradesh, specifically within the Sri Lankamalleswara wildlife sanctuary in Kadapa. However, this elusive bird has not been visually spotted in over a decade.

Jerdon’s Courser

• About: It is a nocturnal cursorial bird endemic to the Eastern Ghats of India.
• Scientific Name: Rhinoptilus bitorquatus
• Historical Significance: It was considered extinct from the early 20th century until its rediscovery in 1986.
• Habitat: It inhabits open patches within scrub-forests.
• Distribution: Found exclusively in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• Physical Features:

oDelicate lapwing-like bird with a large eye and a short, bicolored bill.

oUpper plumage grey-brown, chin and throat whitish, fore-neck rufous, with a white band separating it from brown breast.

oCall is a short series of two-noted whistles “tuick-tuoo.”

• Conservation Status: IUCN Red List - Critically Endangered