Birds of India - The New Synopsis

A complete checklist of bird species and subspecies found in India

Charadriiformes (Shorebirds, Gulls, and Terns)

Glareolidae (Coursers and Pratincoles)

• Rhinoptilus Strickland, 1852 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 18 (1850), no.216 p. 221 Cursorius chalcopterus Temminck, 1824; Type by subsequent designation (Sharpe, 1896, Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum, 24, p.43)
  • 268. Jerdon's Courser Rhinoptilus bitorquatus (Blyth, 1848) [HB#441]
    Original Description: Macrotarsius bitorquatus Blyth, 1848 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 17 p.254 (E Ghats of the Peninsular India)
    Alternative Names: Double-banded Courser
    Distribution: Historically in SE Ghats of Andhra in Godavari and Pennar river valley, west till about Kolar (SE Karnataka) and north till about Sironcha in Gadchiroli (SW Maharashtra) but now known only from Sri Lankamalleswara sanctuary in SE Andhra.
    Type Specimen: UMZC#16/Gla/5/b/1 (Syntype).
    Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMZC
    IUCN: Critically Endangered. SoIB: High. WLPA: Schedule-I.
    Endemic: Southern Andhra.
    Notes: Not definitely reported since 2004 (SoIB 2023, State of India's Birds p. 17).
  
  
• Cursorius Latham, 1790 Index ornithologicus, sive systema ornithologiæ; complectens avium divisionem in classes, ordines, genera, species, ipsarumque varietates: adjectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibus, &c. 2 p.751 Cursorius europaeus Latham, 1790; Type by subsequent designation (Swainson, 1822, Zoological Illustrations, 2, pl. 106) = Charadrius cursor Latham, 1787
  • 269. Indian Courser Cursorius coromandelicus (Gmelin, 1789) [HB#440]
    Original Description: Charadrius coromandelicus Gmelin, 1789 Systema Naturae. Editio decima tertia, aucta, reformata. Cura Jo. Frid. Gmelin (etc.). Tomus I. Pars II 1 pt2 p.692 (Coromandel Coast)
    Distribution: Peninsular India south from about Delhi, through N, C, W and S India extending east till about Telangana, Chhattisgarh and extreme western parts of W Bengal.
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, UMZC, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, USNM, YPM, TNHM, HYD
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: High. WLPA: Schedule-I.
  
  
  • 270. Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor (Latham, 1787)
    Original Description: Charadrius cursor Latham, 1787 Supplement to the general synopsis of birds p.293
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 270a. Cursorius cursor bogolubovi Zarudny, 1886 [HB#439]
      Original Description: Cursorius isabellinus var. Bogolubovi Zarudny, 1886 Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou 61 p.327
      Taxonomy: AR2001 lists this under the nominate subspecies.
      Distribution: Winter: NW India from S Kashmir, Haryana, W Rajasthan, and Kachchh. Stragglers further east in Rajasthan and Mumbai region.
      Specimens: BNHS, UMMZ, FMNH, ROM
  
  
• Glareola Brisson, 1760 Ornithologia sive synopsis methodica sistens avium divisionem in ordines, sectiones, genera, species, ipsarumaque varietates 1 p.48;5, p.141 Glareola Brisson ; Type by tautonymy = Hirundo pratincola Linnaeus, 1766
  • 271. Small Pratincole Glareola lactea Temminck, 1820 [HB#444]
    Original Description: Glareola lactea Temminck, 1820 Manuel d'ornithologie, ou tableau systématique des oiseaux qui se trouvent en Europe (etc.) ed.2, part 1 p.503 (Bengal)
    Alternative Names: Little Pratincole, Small Indian Pratincole, Small Indian Swallow-Plover
    Distribution: Throughout peninsular India south of the Himalaya extending into Assam plains and Manipur valley. Also, Andaman Is.
    Specimens: BNHS, UMZC, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MCZ, ROM, YPM, TNHM, HYD
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Notes: Movements not worked out.
  
  
  • 272. Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum Forster, 1795 [HB#443]
    Original Description: Glareola (Pratincola) Maldivarum Forster, 1795 Faunula Indica, id est catalogus animalium Indiae Orientalis quae hactenus naturae curiosis innotuerunt. 2nd ed. p.11
    Alternative Names: Large Indian Swallow-Plover, Large Indian Pratincole
    Distribution: Throughout peninsular India south of the Himalaya and east of Thar desert; extending to Brahmaputra plains and Manipur valley; Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Is.
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, AMNH, FMNH, YPM, TNHM, LKO
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    Notes: Both resident and summer visitors involved – the migrants wintering in Australia and New Zealand.
  
  
  • 273. Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola (Linnaeus, 1766)
    Alternative Names: Collared Swallow-Plover, Swallow-Plover
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    • 273a. Glareola pratincola pratincola (Linnaeus, 1766) [HB#442]
      Original Description: Hirundo Pratincola Linnaeus, 1766 Systema Naturæ. Editio duodecima reformata. Tomus I [part 1] ed.12 p.345
      Distribution: Breeding: Gujarat. Non-breeding: Spreads thinly in peninsular India – locally in Chilika (Odisha) and SW coastal plains. Reports inland from N and C India, Deccan as well as Andamans likely to be birds in migration.
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK
      Notes: Migration details not worked out.