Three banded courser

Introduction: Three-banded coursers (Rhinoptilus cinctus) roost under shady trees by day in dry, open mopane woodland habitats. They leave these locations at dusk for feeding grounds.

Distribution: North central Namibia including Etosha National Park and the Caprivi.

Diet: Forages at night for insects caught on the ground.

Description: Cinctus is Latin for 'banded' which refers to 3 bands; 1 black stripe that extends backwards from behind the eyes; the 2nd is the 'V' shaped band on the foreneck with a white band which separates this from the 3rd black band of the upper chest.

Breeding: Nests are usually a deep scrape in the ground sheltered under a bush or tree where 2 eggs are laid and incubated for around 26 days.

Size: 28cm.

Weight: 130g.