Crowned Sandgrouse
Pterocles coronatus
Medium-sized sandgrouse, smaller than Spotted Sandgrouse. Rather compact build, lacking any long projecting tail feathers. Males have a distinctive black forehead and chin. Females are heavily patterned all over. Both sexes have an orange throat and a grayish crown and nape. In flight, shows a strongly contrasting two-toned underwing pattern. Flight call is a rather dry, nasal mumble, “hu-het hu-het.” Breeds on stony plains and hills in the harsh desert. Congregates at drinking spots in the morning.
Identification
A fairly small sandgrouse which appears rather uniformly coloured from a distance except for darker flight feathers, the wholly dark flight feathers being the best feature to identify crowned sandgrouse from the similar spotted sandgrouse. The dark flight feathers contrast with the sandy upper wing coverts and the creamy underwing coverts. The adult male has a black mask and lacks any grey tones on the neck and breast. The females and immatures lack the black mask and differ from spotted sandgrouse in having dark vermiculations, rather than spots, across the breast and all of the belly and not confined to the breast and upper belly as in spotted sandgrouse. They are 27–29 cm long and have a wingspan of 52–63 cm.
Taxonomy
Previously the crowned sandgrouse was included in genus Eremialector and recent studies suggest that it is part of a clade that also includes the yellow-throated sandgrouse P. gutturalis and the Madagascar sandgrouse P. personatus; and these may form a group along with the two Syrrhaptes species, black-bellied sandgrouse P. orientalis, Namaqua sandgrouse P. namaqua and chestnut-bellied sandgrouse P. exustus, and possibly including also P. alchata and P. burchelli; further study is required.<p>Five subspecies are currently recognised:
- Scientific name
- Pterocles coronatus
- Authority
- Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823
- Order
- Pterocliformes
- Family
- Pteroclidae
- Genus
- Pterocles
Range and habitat
The crowned sandgrouse occurs in North Africa and south Asia and is found from Mauritania in the west through the Middle East to Pakistan. The crowned sandgrouse is a bird of deserts, preferring stony deserts rather than sandy ones. In North Africa breeds among dark red sandstone which matches its plumage colour. Avoids areas with too much vegetation.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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