Sand grouse

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Sand grouse
(left ♂, right ♀)

(left ♂, right ♀)

Systematics
Sub-stem : Vertebrates (vertebrata)
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Pteroclidiformes
Family : Flight chickens (Pteroclidae)
Genre : Actual birds ( Pterocles )
Type : Sand grouse
Scientific name
Pterocles orientalis
( Linnaeus , 1758)

The Sandgrouse ( Pterocles orientalis ) is a bird from the family of grouse .

features

With a body length of 30 to 35 cm and a wingspan of 60 to 65 cm, the sand grouse is one of the largest bird species in its habitat. The shape is similar to a pigeon, the plumage is reminiscent of partridge. The male is colored black underneath; upper side gray with yellow-brown and reddish markings. The head and neck are gray. There is a black spot on the maroon throat. A black band stretches across the yellow-brown chest. The female is more strongly striped, also on the head and neck. The bird's flight call is a rolling, almost trilling “tjürr-re-ka”.

Occurrence

The distribution area of ​​the sand grouse extends from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa across the Mediterranean to Central Asia and further east to northwest India and Nepal . The populations in Asia Minor migrate to the Arab desert areas for winter. The bird lives on the ground in arid regions, but avoids open desert areas. The sand bluegill is most common in wide plains near agricultural areas such as grain fields.

behavior

The attentive and shy bird feeds mainly on seeds and grains. To drink, the sand bluebird flies in flocks mostly in the morning, often over long distances to water holes, ponds and rivers.

Reproduction

Egg of the sand grouse

The female usually lays three eggs in a flat, open hollow in the bottom. Both adult birds incubate the eggs for around four weeks and share the rearing of the chicks. The young are refugees who can immediately search for food independently. But they are also taken care of by their parents from the goiter . Water is usually transported by the male to the young birds in the belly plumage.

Duration

The stock is declining due to intensive land use. The sand-fledgling chicken is also hunted in parts of the range for its tasty meat.

literature

  • Bryan Richard: Birds. Parragon, Bath 2006, ISBN 1-405-45506-3 .
  • Rob Hume Birds in Europe. Dorling Kindersly Limited, London 2002, ISBN 3-8310-0430-7 .
  • Anne Puchta, Klaus Richarz: Steinbach's great bird guide. Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-8001-4864-1 .
  • Lars Svensson , Peter J. Grant, Killian Mullarney, Dan Zetterström: The new cosmos bird guide. Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH, Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-440-07720-9 .

Web links

Commons : Black Grouse ( Pterocles orientalis )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files