What is Jerson’s Babbler?

Table of Contents☰

About Jerdon’s Courser:

It is a nocturnal cursorial (adapted for walking and running) bird endemic to the Eastern Ghats of India.
Scientific Name: Rhinoptilus bitorquatus
It was considered to be extinct from the beginning of the 20th century until its rediscovery in 1986.
Habitat: It inhabits open patches within scrub-forests.
Distribution: It is found only in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Features:
- It is a delicate lapwing-like bird with a large eye and a short, bicolored bill.
- Its upper plumage is grey-brown, chin and throat are whitish, fore-neck is rufous and separated from its brown breast by a white band.
- A second white band runs across the lower portion of its breast (hence it was earlier called a double-banded courser).
- The belly is whitish, while its tail is black-and-white (visible in flight). The legs are pale yellow.
- The call is a short series of two-noted whistles “tuick-tuoo.”
- They are insectivorous, hunting invertebrates by sight.
Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

Q1: What is IUCN?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature is a global organization composed of governments, NGOs, scientists, and experts dedicated to conserving nature and promoting sustainability. Its primary role involves assessing the conservation status of species, providing data and analysis on the state of biodiversity worldwide, and offering guidance and frameworks for conservation efforts.

Source: Critically endangered Jerdon’s courser not spotted in a decade