Overview
Pallas's sandgrouse has a small, pigeon-like head and neck, but sturdy compact body. It has long pointed wings and tail and legs and toes are feathered. Its plumage is buff coloured, barred above with a black belly patch and pale underwings. The black belly and pale underwing distinguish this species from the related Tibetan sandgrouse. The male Pallas's sandgrouse is distinguished by its grey head and breast, orange face and grey breast band. The female has duller plumage and lacks the breast band though it has more barring on the upperparts. The small feet lack a hind toe, and the three front toes are fused together. The upper surface is feathered, and the underneath has a fleshy pad. The appearance of the foot is more like a paw than an avian foot.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Bird
- Family
- Pteroclididae
- Genus
- Syrrhaptes
- Species
- paradoxus
Habitat
Dry central Asian steppes and similar habitats.
Diet
Seeds and legumes.
Behavior
Due to their primarily dry diet of seeds, the sandgrouse needs to drink a large volume of water. The sandgrouse's wing morphology allows for fast flight with speeds up to 64 km/h (40 mph) having been recorded. Large flocks of several thousand individuals fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk making round trips of up to 121 km (75 mi) per day. Male parents soak their breast plumage in water while drinking, allowing their chicks to drink from the absorbed moisture on their return. Its nest is a ground scrape into which 2–3 greenish eggs with cryptic markings are laid.
Hunting
Often hunted by intercepting flocks as they approach water holes.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.