Least Concern

A medium-sized terrestrial bird, about 23–25 cm long. It has a slender body, long legs, rufous crown and breast, white supercilium, and brownish upperparts. Its graceful posture and running gait are distinctive.

Resident species, found year-round across much of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and parts of Iran. Some local movements occur depending on rainfall.

— (Largely resident, with local seasonal movements)

March to September, mainly before and during the monsoon. Nests are shallow ground scrapes lined with pebbles, often in open dry terrain. Lays 2–3 speckled eggs.

Dry plains, open scrublands, and semi-arid regions across peninsular India and Sri Lanka.

Prefers dry, open country, including sandy plains, fallow fields, grasslands, and stony scrub. Avoids dense vegetation and wetlands.

Primarily insectivorous, feeding on beetles, termites, ants, and grasshoppers, which it catches while running swiftly across open ground.