Burchell's Sandgrouse
Pterocles burchelli
A plump, small-headed, pigeon-like bird. Mostly chestnut-cinnamon speckled with white; the male has a gray face and yellow spectacles, and the female has a yellowish face. It prefers foraging on the ground for seeds in semi-arid woodland on red Kalahari sands, where it can be inconspicuous. Gathers in large groups at drinking sites in the morning. The soft “chuup-chuup chop-chop” call is diagnostic.
Identification
Burchell's sandgrouse is a plump bird about the size of a pigeon with a small head and short legs. The body is light brown, mottled with darker shades and white speckles. In males, the eye is surrounded by bare yellow skin and the cheeks and throat are pale grey. The male grows to about 25 cm (10 in) long and the female is a little smaller.<p>Burchell's sandgrouse is limited by water availability, like many species residing in desert environments. Adult sandgrouse increase gular fluttering and panting for evaporative cooling when approaching the upper critical limit of their thermal neutral zone around 43.8°C. Another adaptation that adult Burchell's sandgrouse have developed is the transport of water in body feathers from a water source back to the nest to water their chicks. Upon arriving at a water source, adult Burchell's sandgrouse first rub their bellies on dry ground to ruffle up their belly feathers, increasing the amount of water the feathers can hold. They then wade into the water and bob up and down to soak up the water in their belly feathers. Males have been observed to hold an average of 22 ml of water, while females can carry an average of 9 ml. Once the water is gathered, Burchell's sandgrouse fly back to the nest and allow their chicks to drink water from their belly feathers.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Pterocles burchelli
- Authority
- Sclater, WL, 1922
- Order
- Pterocliformes
- Family
- Pteroclidae
- Genus
- Pterocles
Range and habitat
Burchell's sandgrouse is found in Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. It is normally resident but moves about to a limited extent depending on the availability of water and the seeds it mainly eats. It is widespread and common in much of its range. It frequents areas of rough grass and scrub, especially on red Kalahari sand and has been able to extend its range because of the greater availability of water after the sinking of boreholes by farmers.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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