sandgrouse

bird

verifiedCite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

Share to social media

Facebook X

URL

https://www.britannica.com/animal/sandgrouse

Feedback

Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Also known as: Pterocletidae, Pteroclidae, Pteroclididae, Pteroclidiformes, sand grouse

Written and fact-checked by

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

sandgrouse, (order Pteroclidiformes), any of 16species of birds of Asian and African deserts. According to some systems ofclassification, sandgrouse are ranked with the plovers within the orderCharadriiformes.

Sandgrouses are about 22 to 40 cm (about 9 to 16 inches) long and have gray or brownplumage, pointed wings, short legs, and (in most species) pinlike central tail feathers. They fly swiftly and walk rapidly. As game birds they are hard to kill because of their tough skin and thick feathering. Like pigeons, sandgrouse mate for life. The female lays two or threeelongated dark-coloured eggs in a depression in the ground; males incubate by night. The chicks can leave the nest almost as soon as hatched but receive much parental care.

Sandgrouse of thegenusPterocles are bare-toed; those ofSyrrhaptes lack the hind toe and have the front toes feathered.

Britannica Quiz

Animal Group Names

This article was most recently revised and updated byJohn P. Rafferty.

Movatterモバイル変換

sandgrouse