Overview
The sandgrouse is a medium-sized bird with a plump body, small head and short legs. The male has an orangish buff head, throat and chest delineated by a conspicuous narrow band of white and dark brown. The back and wings are mottled brown with large white specks and there are two long black filaments extending from the olive-brown tail. The colouring of the female and juvenile is more cryptic being generally various shades of brown patterned with white specks.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Bird
- Family
- Pteroclididae
- Genus
- Pterocles
- Species
- namaqua
Habitat
It is found in arid regions of southwestern Africa, usually in areas of low rainfall on sandy and gravelly plains with tussocky grass and rough vegetation.
Diet
Their principal diet is seeds but they also eat leaves, flowers, small fruit, insects and molluscs.
Behavior
Outside the breeding season, the sandgrouse are gregarious. The birds converge on watering holes in the early morning and several dozens or even hundreds of individuals may congregate in one place. They also tend to spend the night in groups, congregating about an hour before dusk. They split up during the day into much smaller groups to feed.
Hunting
Hunted across its range.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.