Double-banded Courser (Smutsornis africanus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Double-banded Courser

Smutsornis africanus (Temminck, 1807)

88 gWeight

Busiest months: February and April · Most records: Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Double-banded Courser has been recorded at 75 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Amboseli NPKenya853 records
  2. Tarangire NPTanzania515 records
  3. Serengeti NPTanzania340 records
More places
  1. Ngorongoro Conservation Area – NdutuTanzania172 records
  2. Lake Manyara NPTanzania152 records
  3. Serengeti NP – SeroneraTanzania146 records
  4. Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Lake NdutuTanzania123 records
  5. Etosha NP – Okaukuejo CampNamibia113 records
  6. Tarangire NP – Tarangire Safari LodgeTanzania109 records
  7. Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ndutu Safari LodgeTanzania97 records

Countries and regions with the most records

TanzaniaKenyaNamibiaSouth AfricaEthiopiaBotswanaSomaliaZimbabwe

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Double-banded Courser?

The Double-banded Courser weighs around 88 g.

Where does the Double-banded Courser live?

Its breeding range: Africa: tropical to subtropical stony plains of eastern and southern Africa. It is most often recorded in Tanzania, Kenya and Namibia.

When is the best time to see the Double-banded Courser?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February and April (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Double-banded Courser endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Double-banded Courser as Least Concern.

What does the Double-banded Courser eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Double-banded Courser in?

It belongs to the family Coursers, Pratincoles (Glareolidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Weight
88 g
Habitat
Desert
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
148 mm
Tail
64 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
53 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: tropical to subtropical stony plains of eastern and southern Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Coursers, Pratincoles Glareolidae
Genus
Smutsornis

More from the family Coursers, Pratincoles

Bronze-winged CourserBronze-winged CourserRhinoptilus chalcopterusThree-banded CourserThree-banded CourserRhinoptilus cinctusJerdon's CourserJerdon's CourserRhinoptilus bitorquatusIndian CourserIndian CourserCursorius coromandelicusTemminck's CourserTemminck's CourserCursorius temminckiiBurchell's CourserBurchell's CourserCursorius rufusCream-colored CourserCream-colored CourserCursorius cursorSomali CourserSomali CourserCursorius somalensisAustralian PratincoleAustralian PratincoleGlareola isabellaRock PratincoleRock PratincoleGlareola nuchalis
Double-banded Courser

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Rails and roadtrips. ↗

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