Birds Guide

Sandgrouse
Pallas's Sandgrouse
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Pteroclidiformes   Family: Pteroclididae Bonaparte, 1831
Genera
Pterocles Syrrhaptes

The sandgrouse are a group of 16 near passerine bird species in the order Pteroclidiformes. They are restricted to treeless open country in the Old World, such as plains and semi-deserts.

Sandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk.

Legs are feathered down to the toes, and genus Syrrhaptes has the toes feathered as well.

Two to three eggs are laid directly on the ground. They are buff or greenish with cryptic markings. Most species are resident, but Pallas's Sandgrouse is eruptive.

Sandgrouse are traditionally placed in two genera. Two central Asian species in Syrrhaptes, and the rest in Pterocles, but recent research casts some doubt on this division.

• Order Pteroclidiformes
  • Family Pteroclididae
    • Genus Syrrhaptes
      • Tibetan Sandgrouse, S. tibetanus
        Pallas's Sandgrouse, S. paradoxus
    • Genus Pterocles
      • Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, P. alchata
        Namaqua Sandgrouse, P. namaqua
        Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, P. exustus
        Spotted Sandgrouse, P. senegallus
        Black-bellied Sandgrouse, P. orientalis
        Crowned Sandgrouse, P. coronatus
        Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, P. gutturalis
        Burchell's Sandgrouse, P. burchelli
        Masked Sandgrouse, P. personatus
        Black-faced Sandgrouse, P. decoratus
        Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse, P. lichtensteinii
        Double-banded Sandgrouse, P. bicinctus
        Painted Sandgrouse, P. indicus
        Four-banded Sandgrouse, P. quadricinctus

External links

• Sandgrouse videos on the Internet Bird Collection