Overview
This bird 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.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Bird
- Family
- Pteroclididae
- Genus
- Pterocles
- Species
- alchata
Habitat
Dry open treeless plains and similar habitats.
Diet
Seeds and legumes.
Behavior
Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn. The call is a loud kattar-kattar. Its nest is a ground scrape into which two or three cream-coloured eggs with cryptic markings are laid. Both sexes incubate the eggs. Males of the eastern race have duller underparts than the European birds, and the females have white, rather than yellow, wing coverts.
Hunting
Often hunted by intercepting flocks as they approach water holes.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.