| Crowned sandgrouse | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pterocliformes |
| Family: | Pteroclidae |
| Genus: | Pterocles |
| Species: | P. coronatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pterocles coronatus Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823[2] | |
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| World distribution | |
Thecrowned sandgrouse (Pterocles coronatus) is a species ofbird in the sandgrouse family, thePteroclidae fromNorth Africa and theMiddle East.
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 similarspotted 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.[3]
The crowned sandgrouse occurs in North Africa and south Asia and is found fromMauritania in the west through the Middle East toPakistan.[1]
The crowned sandgrouse is a bird of deserts, preferring stony deserts rather than sandy ones.[4] In North Africa breeds among dark red sandstone which matches its plumage colour. Avoids areas with too much vegetation.[5]
The crowned sandgrouse is rather nomadic in the dry season and is recorded away from areas where breeding is known. For example, it is scarce inLibya north of 32°N but is frequent atWadi Caam in the dry season of June to September. It isgregarious outside the breeding season, especially when visiting water resources which it flies to in early and mid morning and again towards sunset. It mainly feeds on hard seeds but also feeds on shoots of grass and other plants.[5]
The nest is a shallow depression on open ground and has no lining, although there may be a circle of stomes around the nest as the birds move any small stomes within the depression to the rim when they start laying. Clutch is 2-3 eggs which are incubated for just over three weeks and the chicks fledge in 24–28 days.[5]
Previously the crowned sandgrouse was included in genusEremialector and recent studies suggest that it is part of aclade that also includes theyellow-throated sandgrouseP. gutturalis and theMadagascar sandgrouseP. personatus; and these may form a group along with the twoSyrrhaptes species,black-bellied sandgrouseP. orientalis,Namaqua sandgrouseP. namaqua andchestnut-bellied sandgrouseP. exustus, and possibly including also P. alchata and P. burchelli; further study is required.[4]
Five subspecies are currently recognised:[2][4]
