the pin-tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) is a medium large bird in the sandgrouse family .

it has a small , pigeon like head and neck and a sturdy , compact body .

it has long pointed wings , which are white underneath , a long tail and a fast direct flight .

flocks fly to watering holes at dawn .

the call is a loud kattar-kattar .

this gregarious species breeds on dry open treeless plains and similar habitats .

its nest is a ground scrape into which two or three cream-coloured eggs with cryptic markings are laid .

both sexes incubate the eggs .

the pin-tailed sandgrouse is about 35 centimetres ( 14 in ) long .

its head and upperparts are yellowish-green .

the underparts are white with a chestnut breast band separating the belly from the green neck .

sexes are somewhat similar , but the female is better camouflaged and has a shorter tail than the male .

there are two subspecies ; p. a. alchata breeds in southern europe and p. a. caudacutus breeds in northwestern africa , the middle east and southeastern asia .

it is a partial migrant , with some asian birds moving to the middle east and northern pakistan in winter .

males of the eastern race have duller underparts than the european birds , and the females have white , rather than yellow , wing coverts .

pin - tailed sandgrouse

chestnut bellied sandgrouse , common indian sandgrouse , indian sandgrouse , lesser pin - tailed sandgrouse , small pin - tailed sandgrouse .
english : common indian sandgrouse , common sandgrouse , indian sandgrouse , kenyan pin - tailed sandgrouse , lesser pintailed sandgrouse , singed sandgrouse , small pin - tailed sandgrouse , somaliland pin - tailed sandgrouse , chestnut - breasted sandgrouse ; french : ganga à ventre brun ; german : braunbauchflughuhn ; spanish : ganga moruna .
nobody uploaded sound recordings for pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) yet .
) species factsheet : pin - tailed sandgrouse pterocles alchata [ www document ] . url
the pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) is a bird in the columbiformes order .
the pin - tailed sandgrouse is classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
changes in behaviour and faecal glucocorticoid levels in response to increased human activities during weekends in the pin - tailed sandgrouse .
information on the pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly .
the iba of pin - tailed sandgrouse species in turkey are akçakale plains , ceylanpınar and southern euphrates valley and birecik plains . the iba of pin - tailed sandgrouse species in turkmenistan is chokrak - tutly . the iba of these sandgrouse species in portugal is upper river tejo . the iba in france is crau .
the pin - tailed sandgrouse does not approach the thresholds for being vulnerable either under the range size criterion or under the population trend criterion or under the population size criterion . the iucn ( international union for conservation of nature ) has categorized and evaluated the pin - tailed sandgrouse (
changes in behaviour and faecal glucocorticoid levels in response to increased human activities during weekends in the pin - tailed sandgrouse . - pubmed - ncbi
embed this arkive thumbnail link (
portlet
) by copying and pasting the code below . < a href =
urltoken
title =
arkive photo - pin - tailed sandgrouse eggs
> < img src =
urltoken
alt =
arkive photo - pin - tailed sandgrouse eggs
title =
arkive photo - pin - tailed sandgrouse eggs
border =
0
/ > < / a >
embed this arkive thumbnail link (
portlet
) by copying and pasting the code below . < a href =
urltoken
title =
arkive photo - pin - tailed sandgrouse chick
> < img src =
urltoken
alt =
arkive photo - pin - tailed sandgrouse chick
title =
arkive photo - pin - tailed sandgrouse chick
border =
0
/ > < / a >
the irises of the pin - tailed sandgrouse are brown . the bare skin around the eyes is slaty blue . the bill is slaty gray . the pin - tailed sandgrouse call is a loud “ kattar - kattar” in flight and also a nasal “ga - ga - ga
sound .
spline correlograms for pin - tailed and black - bellied sandgrouse with 95 % pointwise bootstrap confidence intervals and maximum lag distance of 15 km derived for 1 ) landscape scale and 2 ) microhabitat scale . a ) pin - tailed sandgrouse ; b ) black - bellied sandgrouse . distance was measured in meters ( doc 54 kb )
embed this arkive thumbnail link (
portlet
) by copying and pasting the code below . < a href =
urltoken
title =
arkive photo - pin - tailed sandgrouse pair in flight
> < img src =
urltoken
alt =
arkive photo - pin - tailed sandgrouse pair in flight
title =
arkive photo - pin - tailed sandgrouse pair in flight
border =
0
/ > < / a >
embed this arkive thumbnail link (
portlet
) by copying and pasting the code below . < a href =
urltoken
title =
arkive photo - pin - tailed sandgrouse nest in habitat
> < img src =
urltoken
alt =
arkive photo - pin - tailed sandgrouse nest in habitat
title =
arkive photo - pin - tailed sandgrouse nest in habitat
border =
0
/ > < / a >
the landscape requirements are analysed and population sizes are estimated for the pin - tailed and black - bellied sandgrouse during the breeding season in peninsular spain . the estimated populations in the 26 study zones , which comprise the main breeding areas of spain , are c . 13 , 000 individual pin - tailed sandgrouse and 3500 black - bellied sandgrouse . the overall population estimate for peninsular spain is < 14 , 000 pin - tailed sandgrouse and 9000–11 , 000 black - bellied sandgrouse . the latter figure places the species within the ‘endangered’ category in europe .
embed this arkive thumbnail link (
portlet
) by copying and pasting the code below . < a href =
urltoken
title =
arkive species - pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata )
> < img src =
urltoken
alt =
arkive species - pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata )
title =
arkive species - pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata )
border =
0
/ > < / a >
embed this arkive thumbnail link (
portlet
) by copying and pasting the code below . < a href =
urltoken
title =
arkive photo - male pin - tailed sandgrouse collecting water in feathers
> < img src =
urltoken
alt =
arkive photo - male pin - tailed sandgrouse collecting water in feathers
title =
arkive photo - male pin - tailed sandgrouse collecting water in feathers
border =
0
/ > < / a >
english : abyssinian sandgrouse , close - barred sandgrouse , somaliland sandgrouse , suk sandgrouse ; french : ganga de lichtenstein ; german : wellenflughuhnl ; spanish : ganga de lichtenstein .
martín ca , casas f , mougeot f et al ( 2010b ) seasonal variations in habitat preferences of the pin - tailed sandgrouse in agrarian pseudo - steppes . ardeola 57 : 191–198
reproduction : breeding season occurs from april to august , with peak in may - june . pin - tailed sandgrouse nests on the ground , in shallow depression or scrape , without lining .
diet : pin - tailed sandgrouse feeds on seeds , green shoots and leaves , mainly from leguminosae , but also from other plant species . they can add cereal grains and cultivated legumes .
these pin - tailed sandgrouse species are partially migratory birds . the breeding populations in northwest africa , spain , portugal , france , middle east and parts of afghanistan are sedentary or nomadic .
spline correlograms for pin - tailed and black - bellied sandgrouse ( large geographical spatial scale ) with 95 % pointwise bootstrap confidence intervals and maximum lag distance of 100 km derived from 1 ) glm models ( on the left ) and 2 ) glm analyses after applying the moran eigenvector filtering function ( on the right ) . a ) pin - tailed sandgrouse ; b ) black - bellied sandgrouse . distance was measured in meters . ( doc 67 kb )
benítez - lópez , a . & garcía - egea , i . 2015 . first record of an aberrantly colored pin - tailed sandgrouse pterocles alchata . wilson journal of ornithology 127 , 755 - 759 .
martín ca , casas f , mougeot f , garcía jt , viñuela j ( 2010b ) seasonal variations in habitat preferences of the pin - tailed sandgrouse in agrarian pseudo - steppes . ardeola 57 ( 1 ) : 191–198
the diet of these pin - tailed sandgrouse species is mostly wild seeds , especially of legumes . they also feed on grain , green shoots , flowers and leaves . they fly in large flocks to watering holes at dawn .
the breeding populations of the pin - tailed sandgrouse in kazakhstan , uzbekistan , turkmenistan and kyrgyzstan are migratory and migrate to central saudi arabia , northern iraq , southern afghanistan , pakistan and northwest india ( rajasthan , punjab and haryana ) for wintering .
benítez - lópez , ana and garcía - egea , iván 2015 . first record of an aberrantly colored pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) . the wilson journal of ornithology , vol . 127 , issue . 4 , p . 755 .
these species of sandgrouse are distributed in north africa , middle east , turkey , iran , iraq , kazakhstan , uzbekistan , turkmenistan , kyrgyzstan , spain , portugal , france , afghanistan , pakistan and india . the pin - tailed sandgrouse species are gregarious and flocks of hundreds of birds fly to watering holes at dawn . there are two recognized subspecies of these sandgrouse species .
martín ca , casas f , mougeot f et al ( 2010a ) positive interactions between vulnerable species in agrarian pseudo - steppes : habitat use by pin - tailed sandgrouse depends on its association with the little bustard . anim conserv 13 : 383–389 . doi :
voice : sounds by xeno - canto pin - tailed sandgrouse gives contact calls in flight . these loud calls are repeated at shot intervals “khattar - khattar” . the french name comes from this sound ( cata ) . on the ground , the bird utters some clucking sounds .
2010 . françois mougeot , ana benítez - lópez , carlos a . martín , fabián casas , jesús t . garcía , javier viñuela . seasonal movements and breeding of pin - tailed sandgrouse pterocles alchata . xx congreso español de ornitología . tremp ( lleida ) , spain .
pin - tailed sandgrouse abundance is positively correlated with the area of fallow and stubble , while black - bellied sandgrouse abundance is positively correlated with the amount of medium / long - term fallow land and the proportion of land used for dry pasture . all of these landscape variables have undergone profound changes in spain since the 1960s due to agricultural intensification .
status : rare ( category iii ) , decreasing in number and area of distribution . the pin - tailed sandgrouse inhabits the deserts of north africa , the near east and central asia . in kazakstan it is found from the aral sea to the betpak dala desert . during the past several years , both the area where it is found and its numbers have been considerably reduced . in the 1960s , flocks of tens and even hundreds of thousands of birds could be observed . today , flocks of several hundreds is a rarity . the basic factors causing the decline in pin - tailed sandgrouse populations are poaching ( at the water holes ) and the disturbance of nesting birds by humans . to protect the pin - tailed sandgrouse , it is necessary to create both the betpak dala preserve and the kyzyl kum preserve and to forbid hunting at all watering places .
outside the breeding season of the pin - tailed sandgrouse , all the upperparts , including head are barred in black and pale - yellow and the throat patch becomes whitish . the female has duller colors . the chin is whitish and the back and the wings are grayish with black barring .
2010 . ana benítez - lópez , carlos a . martín , fabián casas , jesús t . garcía , françois mougeot , javier viñuela . first mortality records in pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) in spain . xx congreso español de ornitología . tremp ( lleida ) , spain .
2010 . ana benítez - lópez , carlos a . martín , fabián casas , françois mougeot , jesús t . garcía , javier viñuela . home ranges and seasonal movements of pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) . xiii congreso nacional y x iberoamericano de etología . ciudad real , spain . links
english : imperial sandgrouse , large sandgrouse , oriental sand - grouse ; french : ganga unibande ; german : sandflughuhn ; spanish : ganga ortega .
reasons for the need for protection / inclusion in annex i the pin - tailed sandgrouse is undergoing a widespread decline in both its popualtion size and distribution . this is due mainly to the destruction of dry grassland which has followed the agricultural intensification , particularly in the form of irrigation schemes , and hunting .
2014 . iván peragón , carlos a . martín , fabián casas , ana benítez - lópez , françois mougeot , jesús t . garcía , javier viñuela . satellite - tracking of pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) : home ranges and seasonal movements . xxii congreso español de ornitología , madrid , spain .
there is a broad brownish yellow band on the breast of pin - tailed sandgrouse , bordered on either side by a thin black stripe . the outer wing coverts are reddish brown with black and pale - yellow edges . the rump and tail are barred dark brown and pale - yellow . the central tail streamers are grayish brown . the sandgrouse underparts , underwing and feathered legs are whitish .
protection / threats / status : pin - tailed sandgrouse is common or locally common in several parts of the range , but the species is threatened in most parts of europe , due to changes in agricultural practices . it is still common in spain , and at this moment , this species is not globally threatened .
the pin - tailed sandgrouse is distributed in northwest africa , spain , portugal , france , middle east , afghanistan , kazakhstan , uzbekistan , turkmenistan , kyrgyzstan , saudi arabia , northern iraq , southern afghanistan , pakistan and northwest india . in india they are distributed in the states of rajasthan , punjab and haryana .
predictive species’ distribution models may answer ecological questions about habitat selection , co - occurrence of species and competition between them . we studied the habitat preferences and segregation of two sympatric species of declining sandgrouse , the black - bellied sandgrouse ( pterocles orientalis ) and the pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) , during the breeding season . we developed predictive models that related sandgrouse presence to environmental variables at three different spatial levels : large geographical , landscape and microhabitat scales . at the large geographical scale , differences between sandgrouse distributions , in the iberian peninsula , seem to be explained mainly in terms of bioclimatology : pin - tailed sandgrouse appear to be a more thermophilous species and occupy warmer sites usually located in flatter areas . at the landscape spatial level , in those areas that exhibit environmental conditions allowing for both species’ co - existence at a large geographical scale , black - bellied sandgrouse appear to be more tolerant to environmental variation than pin - tailed sandgrouse . at the microhabitat level , however , differences between species could be related to different flocking behaviour as a consequence of different sensitivities to vegetation structure and predators . thus , the observed spatial distribution patterns are the result of different ecological factors that operate at different spatial levels . conservation guidelines for these species should therefore consider their habitat preferences at large geographical , landscape and microhabitat scales .
habitat : pin - tailed sandgrouse frequents arid and semi - arid treeless plains such as semi - desert , steppes , dry mudflats near marshes , and dry cereal fields . this bird avoids dense scrub or tall vegetation , and prefers clay or sandy surfaces . it can be seen in hilly areas and at high elevation .
these pin - tailed sandgrouse species do not occur normally in forest . they inhabit various dry inland ecosystems . they inhabit semi - arid plains , fallow agricultural fields , arid treeless plains , semi - deserts , hot deserts , temperate grasslands , shrublands with sparse short shrubs , steppe , open grassland plains and dry mudflats .
benítez - lópez , a . , mougeot , f . , garcía , j . t . , martín , c . a . & viñuela , j . 2015 . individual traits and extrinsic factors influence survival of the threatened pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) in europe . biological conservation 187 , 192 - 200 .
knowledge of the factors determining species distributions is essential for developing conservation strategies . sandgrouse
the breeding season of these pin - tailed sandgrouse species depends upon availability of feed . these sandgrouse species are monogamous and feeding flocks break into pairs . the nest is a ground scrape , which is usually unlined . typically three eggs are laid . the male incubates in the night and the female incubates in the day . the eggs hatch in about 25 days and hatchlings are led to feed by both the parents .
2012 . fabián casas , jesús t . garcía , françois mougeot , ana benítez - lópez , carlos a . martín , sergio gonzález , alejandro urmeneta , javier viñuela . seasonal movements of pin - tailed sandgrouse in bardenas reales biosphere reserve ( navarra ) . poster . xiii congreso nacional y x iberoamericano de etología . sevilla , spain .
range : pin - tailed sandgrouse of race “alchata” is sedentary and nomadic in spain and se france . the race “caudacutus” is found in nw africa , se turkey and middle east . it is resident in north africa and middle east , whereas the populations of the northernmost parts of the range are migratory , wintering in pakistan and nw india .
description smaller ( l 33 cm ) than black - bellied sandgrouse ( pterocles orientalis ) , and easy to tell from latter by long tail extension and lack of black belly . in winter gathers in large flocks . the pin - tailed sandgrouse is a species of steppe country , requiring plains without trees or high bushes . it favours lowland plains which comprise a mosaic of arable and non - irrigated fields . the diet consists mainly of seeds . resident .
pin - tailed sandgrouse - the sandgrouse of the agricultural fields of the north - western negev and the species with the narrowest distribution of all four . autumn and winter gatherings at urim have reached between 2000 - 4000 birds annually , and occasionally have exceeded 6000 , all during the 80 ' s and first half of the 90 ' s . since the mid 90 ' s , however , numbers have been ranging between 500 to less than 1000 birds only .
casas , fabián benítez - lópez , ana tarjuelo , rocío barja , isabel viñuela , javier garcía , jesús t . morales , manuel b . and mougeot , francois 2016 . changes in behaviour and faecal glucocorticoid levels in response to increased human activities during weekends in the pin - tailed sandgrouse . the science of nature , vol . 103 , issue . 11 - 12 ,
one of the most common sandgrouse in africa and india ; in no danger of decline .
there are currently no known conservation plans targeting the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse ( 1 ) .
pin - tailed sandgrouses are gregarious birds and live in flocks of different sizes . in spain , they are often seen with groups of little bustards ( tetrax tetrax ) . sandgrouses are very difficult to see , due to their cryptic plumage and their unobtrusiveness , except when they are flying .
pin - tailed sandgrouse are monogamous and breed in isolated pairs or in loose colonies with nests about six metres apart on the ground . courtship displays by male are simple . it holds the head low , with wings slightly away from the body , and the tail fanned out and raised . before mating , the male approaches its mate holding the legs very stiff and straight and the body erect .
benítez - lópez , a . casas , f . mougeot , f . garcía , j . t . martín , c . a . tatin , l . wolff , a . and viñuela , j . 2015 . individual traits and extrinsic factors influence survival of the threatened pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) in europe . biological conservation , vol . 187 , issue . , p . 192 .
a pin - tailed sandgrouse flew across the front of the hide and landed on the other side of a freshwater sluice , just a few meters away under the watchful eye of a slender - billed gull . a security guard who mans the hide had spotted it earlier and pointed it out , but at the time it was quite a long way off and in a small hollow , making it difficult to identify .
pin - tailed sangrouse adult male in breeding plumage has yellowish upperparts with cryptic pattern and yellow spots . rump and uppertail coverts are black , finely vermiculated creamy - white . the upperwing shows dark grey flight feathers . wings are long and pointed . the tail has long central rectrices , giving the bird its english name .
the breeding male pin - tailed sandgrouse has yellowish face , cheek , neck , throat and upper chest . the crown and upper back are brownish yellow . there are large golden yellow spots and streaks on the shoulder and back . a narrow black stripe starts from the base of the bill and extends through the eyes to half the way to the center of nape . there is a dark patch immediately below the bill .
english : saharan sandgrouse ; french : ganga tacheté ; german : wüstenflughuhn ; spanish : ganga moteada .
not many regularly occuring birds remain on my southern europe wish list now but of the lingerers , three – pin - tailed sandgrouse , rock sparrow and ( greater ) spotted eagle – all winter in provence . finding a £53 flight ( luggage included ) from lisbon to marseilles with the portuguese airline tap meant i could add a winter visit here to my algarve break . and so the opportunity to find these birds has arisen .
time budgets and activity patterns of sandgrouse were studied in semi - arid agricultural land in spain ( black - bellied and pin - tailed sandgrouse ) and in more desertic conditions in israel ( black - bellied and spotted sandgrouse ) . during c . 75 % of daylight hours , all four species were either foraging or inactive . the birds in israel spent more time foraging than those in spain , despite having lower thermoregulatory costs , reflecting a likely difference in the productivity of the sites . partitioning of foraging habitat was evident at both sites and , contrary to expectation , it was the larger black - bellied sandgrouse which spent the most time foraging . in israel , spotted sandgrouse became inactive at high temperatures whereas the black - bellied continued to forage , utilizing the shade available in its dwarf shrub foraging habitat . the range of black - bellied sandgrouse may be limited by its thermoregulatory ability in hot conditions and its need to forage for long periods .
the important bird and biodiversity areas ( iba ) of pin - tailed sandgrouse species in spain are ballobar - candasnos , bardenas reales , belchite - mediana , brozas - membrío , campo de montiel , cogul - alfés steppes , la serena , monegrillo - pina steppe area - pina , plain between cáceres and trujillo - aldea del cano , san clemente - villarrobledo , tembleque - la guardia plains , tierra de campiñas steppes , tordesillas - mota del marqués and villafáfila .
de juana , e . , kirwan , g . m . & martín , c . a . ( 2018 ) . pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
maclean , g . l .
evolutionary trends in the sandgrouse .
malimbus 6 ( 1984 ) : 75–78 .
the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse is classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
pterocliformes ( sandgrouse ) .
grzimek ' s animal life encyclopedia . . retrieved july 09 , 2018 from urltoken urltoken
behaviour : pin - tailed sandgrouse feeds on the ground , taking mainly seeds , and in less extent shoots and leaves . its preferred plants are leguminosae . when foraging in cultivated fields , it feeds on cereal grains and legumes . this bird drinks during the morning , and needs to drink regularly every day because its diet is particularly dry . it walks and runs easily and fast , thanks to the robust legs and the strong , short feet , with three front - toes and a small rudimentary raised hind - toe .
flight : pin - tailed sandgrouse has long , pointed wings and strong musculature , allowing the bird to spring up into the air vertically , and to maintain high speeds over long distances . the flight is strong , direct and sustained , with cruising speeds of about 60 - 70 km / hour , kept up over long distances . . the bird performs continuous wing - flapping , only gliding when about to land . take off is sudden , and when flying in flocks , they fly in close formation , maintaining their distances .
johnsgard , paul a . bustards , hemipodes , and sandgrouse : birds of dry places . oxford : oxford university press , 1991 .
kalchreuter , heribert .
the breeding season of the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse pterocles exustus and the black - faced sandgrouse p . decoratus in northern tanzania and its relation to rainfall .
proceedings of the 4th pan - african ornithological congress ( 1976 ) : 277–282 .
ferns pn , hinsley sa ( 1995 ) importance of topography in the selection of drinking sites by sandgrouse . funct ecol 9 : 371–375
the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse prefers to eat legumes such as beans , but also eats shoots and insects on rare occasions ( 2 ) .
although population numbers are unknown , there appear to be no major threats to the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse ( 1 ) ( 3 ) .
modelling sandgrouse ( pterocles spp . ) distributions and large - scale habitat requirements in spain : implications for conservation | environmental conservation | cambridge core
maclean , g . l .
field studies on the sandgrouse of the kalahari desert .
living bird 7 ( 1968 ) : 209–235 .
pterocliformes ( sandgrouse ) .
grzimek ' s animal life encyclopedia . . encyclopedia . com . ( july 9 , 2018 ) . urltoken
the effects of european union agricultural regulations on this problem are discussed . the voluntary set - aside regulation , r . 797 / 85 / eec and 1094 / 88 / cee , has received very little acceptance . regulation r . 1765 / 92 / eec , compulsory withdrawal of cropland , involves the ploughing - up of fallows and thus the loss of an important habitat for both species , especially for pin - tailed sandgrouse . agri - environmental schemes linked to r . 2078 / 92 / eec potentially have the most positive effects , although it is still too early to evaluate their impact on bird populations .
the pin - tail sandgrouse , pterocles alchata , is a bird of the dry lands , inhabiting stony semi - desert and plain . the bird featured today is a female of the eastern race p . a . caudacutus which includes northern africa and the middle east within its range . it was introduced into uae . the nominate form can be seen in spain and southern france .
maclean , g . l .
sandgrouse : models of adaptive compromise .
south african journal of wildlife research 15 ( 1985 ) : 1–6 .
spotted sandgrouse – the commonest sandgrouse in the whole negev . the species used to occupy all the loess plains from the northern negev near bear sheva , to the uvda valley in the south , including parts of the arava . peak numbers at a specific drinking spot at nizzana have reached 5000 birds a day .
up until 30 years ago , birders visiting nizzana during each summer and autumn could have witnessed clouds of hundreds , or even thousands , of both spotted and black - bellied sandgrouses gathering to drink every morning . even i , who only started birding during the early 90 ' s , can ' t forget the amazing sight and sound of a noisy cloud of no less than 4200 pin - tailed sandgrouses performing their aerial maneuvers north of urim , the north - western negev , in december 1993 .
embed this arkive thumbnail link (
portlet
) by copying and pasting the code below . < a href =
urltoken
title =
arkive species - chestnut - bellied sandgrouse ( pterocles exustus )
> < img src =
urltoken
alt =
arkive species - chestnut - bellied sandgrouse ( pterocles exustus )
title =
arkive species - chestnut - bellied sandgrouse ( pterocles exustus )
border =
0
/ > < / a >
maclean , g . l .
adaptations of sandgrouse for life in arid lands .
proceedings of the 16th international ornithological congress ( 1974 ) : 502–516 .
in order to try to understand the sandgrouses ' s behavior and movement , the ioc , together with the inp , have launched a year - round monthly monitoring programme at four different drinking spots in the western negev and a 3 - monthly programme at another 11 drinking spots between arad in the judean desert and mitzpe ramon in the high negev mountains . in addition , a few spotted sandgrouses have been fitted with high - tech satellite transmitters , and the plan for the coming year is to do the same with some pin - tailed sandgrouses , whilst at a less sophisticated level , some clean water troughs will be scattered among the main sandgrouse concentration hot - spots .
wonderful images ! sandgrouse and the way they carry water back to their chicks were featured on the television series , earth 2 . i’d love to visit this hide .
sandgrouse occur from south africa and namibia through the drier parts of east africa to north africa , spain , the arabian peninsula , central asia , mongolia , and india .
simiyu , a .
some aspects of demography and movement patterns of sandgrouse in southern kenya .
ostrich 69 , no . 3 and 4 ( 1998 ) : 452 .
cade , t . j . , and g . l . maclean .
transport of water by adult sandgrouse to their young .
condor 69 ( 1967 ) : 323–343 .
the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse occurs along a narrow strip of sub - saharan africa , from the west coast to the east coast , where a larger distribution is found , as well as over much of india and pakistan . there are also scattered populations along the coasts of the middle east . the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse has also been introduced in the usa ( 1 ) .
sandgrouse are abundant throughout their distribution and are not in need of special conservation measures . however , where they are hunted for sport , the shooting season needs to be regulated to avoid overexploitation .
the resident pin - tailed sandgrouse had huge lifer status for the usual reason that i had not found the species on two previous visits to provence in may 2012 and march 2013 . doing so was my top priority this time . trip research had revealed a hitherto untried access point to la crau , at the north - western end near the town of st - martin - de - crau , that appeared to be a good pts location . this is the reserve peau de meau , managed by a regional association for nature conservation , ceep ( conservatoire etudes des ecosystemes de provence ) . after getting a permit dutifully from ceep’s ecomusee de la crau in saint - martin , i arrived on site late on wednesday morning ( 20th ) , having first seen to buying provisions . stomach again , call myself a birder ?
sandgrouse are known as fossils of the genus archaeoganga from the upper eocene of france , some 35 million years ago , one species of which is estimated to have been about three times the size of the largest living sandgrouse species , weighing perhaps 3 lb ( nearly 1 . 5 kg ) . other fossil genera occur into the lower miocene , about 20 million years ago . the general consensus , based on morphological , behavioral , and chromosomal evidence , is that sandgrouse are derived from the shorebirds ( order charadriiformes ) and are sometimes grouped in that order under the suborder pterocli . however , even the earliest fossil sandgrouse show marked divergence from the ancestral shorebird . they are no longer regarded as closely related to doves and pigeons ( order columbiformes ) , with which they were placed for many years .
in many parts of their range , sandgrouse are considered good eating and are hunted at watering points . because most species inhabit remote areas , they generally suffer little human disturbance away from their drinking places .
first , away to my left four little bustard went up before seemingly vanishing into thin air . quite an achievement for such a large bird but a not unusual experience for the species . that also maintained my 100 % record for it at this site . then away on my other side , five pin - tailed sandgrouse at last flew across the sunny morning expanse of the coussoul . mission accomplished ! the middle distance flight view was pretty much what i had expected . i have seen some good birds in the past at la crau : little bustard , stone curlew , red - backed shrike , tawny pipit , melodious warbler and a possible spotted eagle that i didn’t put on my life list . now having gained the elusive top prize i felt very relieved not to have to re - visit this flat and otherwise dour landscape unless i choose to .
most desert - adapted sandgrouse . normally in pairs or small groups by day , gathering into larger flocks at dusk to fly to water . lands a few yards from water , then runs down to drink .
thomas , d . h .
adaptations of desert birds : sandgrouse ( pteroclididae ) as highly successful inhabitants of afro - asian arid lands .
journal of arid environments 7 ( 1984 ) : 157–181 .
sandgrouse are the most terrestrial of birds , feeding , roosting , and nesting on the ground . they fly to water almost every day , covering up to about 75 mi ( 120 km ) round - trip ,
kidney structure is especially well adapted to water conservation ; water - carrying capacity of male ' s belly plumage is greatest for any sandgrouse studied . largely nocturnal , roosting by day in shade of rocks or plants .
del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . and christie , d . a . ( 1997 ) handbook of the birds of the world . volume 13 : sandgrouse to cuckoos . lynx edicions , barcelona .
enly becomes a glorified and distant memory . due to reasons not yet fully understood , the populations of three of the four sandgrouse species of the negev desert have shrunk by an order of magnitude within a decade .
crowned sandgrouse – widespread but uncommon . its range varies from uvda valley in the south to nizzana – wadi zin line in the north . reported regularly also in the arava valley from yahel to hazeva . even at major drinking spots numbers range from 10 to 100 birds at most . although scarce , this species seems to have suffered the least from population decrease or habitat loss , compared with other species of sandgrouse in israel .
lloyd , penn , et al .
rainfall and food availability as factors influencing the migration and breeding activity of namaqua sandgrouse pterocles namaqua .
ostrich 72 , no . 1 and 2 ( 2001 ) : 50–62 .
de juana e ( 1997 ) family pteroclidae ( sandgrouse ) . in : del hoyo a , elliot a , sargatal j ( eds ) handbook of the birds of the world . lynx edicions , barcelona , pp 30–59
mougeot f , benítez–lópez a , casas f et al ( 2014 ) a temperature - based monitoring of nest attendance patterns and disturbance effects during incubation by ground - nesting sandgrouse . j arid environ 102 : 89–97 . doi :
are threatened in spain , the stronghold of european populations . spatial modelling was used to : ( 1 ) assess the relative importance of abiotic , anthropogenic and geographical factors in the distribution of both sandgrouse species , ( 2 ) determine the most important anthropogenic predictors for each species occurrence , and ( 3 ) identify areas where conservation efforts should be prioritized . abiotic and anthropogenic factors explained most of the variation in sandgrouse distributions . both species were associated with arid flatlands , arable land cover being the most important anthropogenic variable determining their distribution . the common agricultural policy ( cap ) is the main driver of agricultural management in europe , and may thus have a direct effect on sandgrouse distributions .
benítez - lópez , a . 2014 . ecology and conservation of iberian sandgrouse : a multiscalar approach - ecología y conservación de pteróclidos ibéricos : una aproximación multiescalar . phd dissertation . university of castilla - la mancha , uclm , spain .
benítez - lópez a , viñuela j , hervás i et al ( 2014 ) modelling sandgrouse ( pterocles spp . ) distributions and large - scale habitat requirements in spain : implications for conservation . environ conserv 41 : 132–143 . doi :
although perhaps rather plain in appearance , the plumage of the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse ( pterocles exustus ) is in fact wonderful camouflage against the sand of its arid habitats . a somewhat small , plump bird , the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse has an unmarked head , dark under - wings , a blackish lower - belly , and a chestnut upper - belly , after which it is named . the dark - tipped bill is slate - blue , and there is a pale green circle around the eyes . the male chestnut - bellied sandgrouse is somewhat drabber than the female , with a pale brown back and a narrow chest band , compared to the female’s more elaborate , mottled back of tan , brown and dark brown . the juvenile lacks the elongated tail feathers of the adult bird , and has more densely barred upperparts . six subspecies of the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse are currently recognised , and these vary mainly in the colouration of the upperparts ( 2 ) .
sandgrouse probably evolved in the arid zone of north africa and the middle east , spreading to southern africa and central asia . they are more closely associated with the afro - asian deserts than any other family of birds . the 14 species of the genus pterocles retain a rudimentary hind toe ; this toe has been lost in the two species of syrrhaptes that are likely to be more recent offshoots of the ancestral sandgrouse stock . four species of sandgrouse ( lichtenstein ' s , double - banded , four - banded , and painted ) share the habit of crepuscular or nocturnal drinking and may constitute a separate genus ( or at least a subgenus ) nyctiperdix on the basis of this and the possession of a strongly barred abdomen in both sexes .
maclean , g . l . , and c . h . fry .
pteroclidae , sandgrouse .
in the birds of africa , vol . 2 . , edited by emil k . urban , et al . london : academic press , 1986 .
) is estimated to be around 170000 to 250000 individual birds . the overall population size is considered to be stable . the modern agricultural practices are degrading the habitat of these sandgrouse species and threaten their survival . their generation length is 5 . 6 years .
the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse inhabits a range of environments , including shrubland , semi - desert scattered with thorny shrubs or trees , arable land and grassland ( 1 ) ( 2 ) , up to altitudes of 1 , 500 metres ( 1 ) ( 3 ) .
sandgrouse feed almost exclusively on small seeds picked up from the surface of the soil ; the birds also use their bills to flick loose sand sideways to uncover buried seed . because of the dry diet , they must drink often , especially in hot weather when drinking may occur daily . most species drink an hour or two after sunrise , but some drink only at dusk or at night . sandgrouse drink by dipping the bill , sucking a draft of water , and raising the head to swallow , taking several drafts at each bout of drinking .
lloyd , penn , et al .
the population dynamics of the namaqua sandgrouse : implications for gamebird management in an arid , stochastic environment .
proceedings of the 22nd international ornithological congress , durban , south africa . compact disk . johannesburg : birdlife south africa , 1999 .
depending on the location of feeding areas . all species are gregarious , except when breeding : flocks may number hundreds or thousands of birds . they call to each other in flight and sometimes when flocking on the ground . adaptations of sandgrouse to arid zones include : seeking shade in hot conditions , flying and feeding in the cooler hours of the day , insulation against overheating by dense plumage , and huddling together under extreme conditions . some species of sandgrouse also may limit their frequency of drinking to conserve energy , though this may not be possible in hot conditions .
benítez - lópez , a . , viñuela , j . , suárez , f . , hervás , i . & garcía , j . t . 2014 . niche - habitat mechanisms and biotic interactions explain the coexistence and abundance of congeneric sandgrouse species . oecologia 176 , 193 - 206 .
sandgrouse are stocky terrestrial birds with dense , beautifully camouflaged plumage . they are covered with an underdown even between the main feather tracts . their lower legs are feathered in front in the genus pterocles , whereas the whole lower leg and the toes are feathered in syrrhaptes , possibly as an adaptation to cold climates . despite their short legs , sandgrouse walk and run well . the nostrils of all species are covered with fine feathers . their wings are long and pointed , giving them exceptional powers of flight . the sexes differ markedly in plumage pattern , the females being more cryptically colored than the males .
feathers at a drinking place and flies back to the chicks , which take the water from his plumage . this method of providing the chicks with water is unique among birds . sandgrouse young fly at about four to five weeks , after which they accompany their parents on flights to the watering hole .
casas , fabián benítez - lópez , ana garcía , jesús t . martín , carlos a . viñuela , javier mougeot , francois and marsden , stuart 2015 . assessing the short - term effects of capture , handling and tagging of sandgrouse . ibis , vol . 157 , issue . 1 , p . 115 .
casas , f . , benítez - lópez , a . , garcía , j . t . , martín , c . a . , viñuela , j . & mougeot , f . 2015 . assessing the short - term effects of capture , handling and tagging of sandgrouse . ibis 157 , 115 - 124 .
benítez - lópez , a . , viñuela , j . , hervás , i . , suárez , f . & garcía , j . t . 2014 . modelling sandgrouse ( pterocles spp . ) distributions and large - scale habitat requirements in spain : implications for conservation . environmental conservation 41 : 132 - 143 .
mougeot , f . , benítez - lópez , a . , casas , f . , garcía , j . t . & viñuela , j . 2014 . a temperature - based monitoring of nest attendance patterns and disturbance effects during incubation by ground - nesting sandgrouse . journal of arid environments 102 , 89 - 97 .
when a predator is detected , rather than fleeing and risk giving away its location , the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse sits still and relies on its wonderfully camouflaged plumage to conceal itself . it tends to live in small , scattered groups to reduce its visibility except for times when it gathers in often large numbers around watering holes ( 4 ) .
something strikes me as i write ; the sluice was opened up and freshwater was allowed to flow just as the bird arrived . sandgrouse are generally noted for visiting water in the early morning , late evening or nocturnally . this occurred close to midday . i wonder if the sluice is opened at the same time each day and she timed her arrival . another thought ; the tide had just turned . was the sluice closed to prevent salt water flowing upstream ? if so the sluice would be operational at a different time each day depending on the time that the tide receded below the sluice gate . what do desert - dwelling sandgrouse know of tides , i wonder ? this is simply musing unless anyone knows any better ?
the timing of breeding in the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse is heavily influenced by the level of local rainfall , but generally occurs sometime between january and july , except in kenya and tanzania where the breeding season is more lengthy , ranging from february until november ( 2 ) . the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse may produce two clutches a year , the nest being a simple scrape in the ground , holding three eggs per clutch ( 4 ) , with both the male and female birds incubating the eggs ( 5 ) . the chicks are active from hatching , soon foraging for food with the adult birds ( 4 ) , but are unable to fly large distances and so must rely on the adults for water . at a water hole , the adult birds soak up water in the breast feathers before returning to the nest to “water” the chicks - a unique feature of the sandgrouse family . adult birds can fly distances of up to 16 kilometres per day to find water , gathering in large flocks to drink a couple of hours after sunrise , and on very hot days at sundown ( 6 ) .
these sandgrouse species are sexually dimorphic . the males are larger than the females and have brighter plumage in the breeding season . the males weigh 250 to 400 grams whereas the females weigh 200 to 370 grams . the wingspan is 55 to 65 cm . the central rectrices ( central tail streamers ) are long , stiff and pointed . the central rectrices are longer in males .
benítez - lópez , a . , mougeot , f . , martín , c . a . , casas , f . , calero - riestra , m . , garcía , j . t . & viñuela , j . 2011 . an improved night - lighting technique for the selective capture of sandgrouse and other steppe birds . european journal of wildlife research 57 , 389 - 393 .
; the latter species tolerates warmer climates . consequently , the network of core and marginally suitable areas identified for each species differs , and connectivity between the populations of these areas seems unlikely . potential future changes in sandgrouse distribution will probably be directed principally by the synergistic effects of climate change and expected land - use transformations resulting from the new cap and ongoing population growth , urbanization and infrastructure development .
sandgrouse will often arrive at a waterhole in large groups that form en - route . in company , there would be many eyes to keep watch for the local greater spotted eagles and other predators . they can drink their fill quickly by tipping their heads back , allowing the water to flow into their crops , but on her own she had to keep returning to the top of the bank between sips to maintain a look - out .
about 9 . 8 in ( 25 cm ) ; 6 . 2–8 . 8 oz ( 175–250 g ) . smallish , without elongated , central tail feathers . both sexes strongly barred black on buff above and below ; male distinguished by black - and - white forehead pattern , yellow bill , and two broad breast - bands of buff , each bordered black below . downy chick , unusual in being almost plain brown ; other sandgrouse chicks boldly patterned above .
sandgrouse are famed for having breast feathers that can absorb water which is carried back to chicks in their waterless habitat . they are noted for flying many miles to a freshwater source to provide water for their young . in keeping with most of the species in the genera , it is only the male that carries water . he will take over parenting duties while the female fends for herself . so it was with a sense of something missing that i watched her take a drink .
black - bellied sandgrouse – this species dominated hilly habitats within the central negev mountains , nizzana area , the northern negev and judean desert . while historic peak numbers at a drinking pool at nizzana exceeded 2000 birds , current numbers struggle to reach 300 at most within the same region . in other parts of the negev there has been no big change in distribution though numbers have diminished . at a local level , the species has disappeared from specific locations where it was once regular .
gregarious in flocks of up to about 60 , but birds congregate to drink at watering sites in flocks of several hundred about two hours after sunrise . some birds may drink again in evening . birds call to each other with a bubbling sound . in egypt , may gather with flocks of crowned sandgrouse ( pterocles coronatus ) to feed on grain spilled by trucks traveling from nile to red sea ports . nonbreeding flocks roost on ground in open desert , each bird making a shallow scrape .
long central rectrices , underwing and belly white . 30 = 39 cm , 210 - 400 g , wingspan 55 - 65 cm . broad chestnut band on breast , bordered with black lines . bill bluish grey - horn , orbital ring blue . female duller , and has additional black line on neck . exceptionally among sandgrouse , a non - breeding plumage exists in male , showing white throat , black eyestripe reduced or absent , and dorsal parts barred , without yellow spots . race caudacutus paler , with longer wings .
my base is the cheap and cheerful , self catering top motel in istres . i find this arrangement ideal because french breakfasts aren’t worth their cost and evening meals also become more affordable . then there is the essential of tea and coffee whenever i want one , that isn’t possible in a budget chain hotel unless a kettle is smuggled in . oh , and this establishment in a secure compound behind the 3 - star ariane hotel is also hard by the plaine de la crau sandgrouse site , and conveniently placed to visit birding sites in les alpilles and la camargue .
sandgrouse are monogamous , solitary nesters , though nests may be fairly close together , giving the appearance of a loose colony . the nest is a shallow scrape , often under a plant , but also in the open ; it is usually lined with fragments of soil , stone , or plants . clutches usually contain three rather elongated , spotted eggs . each clutch is incubated by the female during the day and by the male at night , at least in those species which have been studied . the chicks hatch after about 21–31 days , depending on the species . they feed themselves but are given water by the male parent , which soaks his belly
about 15 in ( 39 cm ) ; female 10 . 6–16 . 4 oz ( 300–465 g ) , male 14 . 1–19 . 4 oz ( 400–550 g ) . largest sandgrouse ; robustly built , without elongated , central tail feathers . male rust - colored buff above , mottled grayish on back and wings ; throat a bright rusty color with triangular black patch ; breast gray , bordered with narrow , black band and broad , pinkish band ; belly black . female similar to male but less strongly tinged rust coloring ; lacks rust coloring and black on throat ; breast spotted black ; narrow black collar on throat and below breast . underwing white in both sexes .
mainly on lowland plains , including baked mud on dried - out marshes by tidal water on spanish marismas , stony hammada on desert edge , and bare clay expanses alternating with sand , as well as dusty or sunbaked flats and sand - dunes . often on infertile areas of dry cultivation , or near irrigation ditches . inhabits areas of scattered tamarisk and other bushes , but avoids trees and scrubland , and rocky broken terrain . like other sandgrouse , unable to exist far from water , essential not only for adults but for carrying in soaked belly feathers to chicks , in regular social flights . will drink brackish water in absence of fresh , and will not only wade but alight on river far from shore , floating high like gull and taking off without difficulty .
peau de meau has a 5km waymarked trail around it’s perimeter , but first i set off in the car along a rough track for some distance beyond the reserve . after all i had been wanting to do that for the past three years and there was nobody there to stop me . seeing only pipits , skylarks and corvids i returned to walk the full distance of the trail , but still no sandgrouse . so i applied my usual solution to a no show , deciding to return early the next day . but first i took another drive through the rough roads of la crau eventually reaching the n508 road that runs north - west between the plaine and the neighbouring camargue . guess what ? at track’s end was a roadside notice proclaiming access to this military land is prohibited . oh well !