Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis Scientific name definitions

33–39 cm; male c. 400–550 g, female c. 300–460 g; wingspan 70–73 cm. Bulky sandgrouse; combines black belly with wedge-shaped, short central rectrices; underside of wings has white coverts contrasting with dark remiges ; narrow pectoral black band and black patch at base of throat, bigger and triangular-shaped in male; bill grey to black-horn, orbital ring whitish . Female duller and more mottled . Juvenile like adult, but paler. Race <em>arenarius</em> somewhat paler, but some specimens indistinguishable.

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Semi-arid plains , with steppe to semi-desert vegetation, including pastoral scrubland and dry cereal cultivation with associated fallow ground. As a rule, occurs in cooler and less arid situations than sympatric Pterocles species; compared with P. alchata, tolerates occasional shrubs or trees and also occupies foothills and upland plateaux. Wintering habitats in Pakistan and India are semi-deserts in sandy plains, sometimes salt-encrusted wasteland and fallow land around irrigated desert cultivation.

Sedentary in Iberia and N Africa ; nomadic or partly migratory in Turkey and Middle East ; largely migratory in Kazakhstan , Turkestan and rest of northern breeding areas. Winter grounds scattered through Near and Middle East, S to Sinai and Kuwait, E to NW India; high numbers in Pakistan and India from Sept/Oct to Feb/Mar.

Consumes seeds, often small or very small, apparently preferring Leguminosae (Melilotus, Astragalus, Onobrychis, Indigofera, Tephrosia), but also Heliotropium, Polygonum, Sisymbrium, Salicornia, Ammodendron and others; in agricultural areas, feeds on cereal grain (Triticum, Hordeum, Panicum) and cultivated legumes (Phaseolus). Drinks during morning, typically c. 3 hours after sunrise; in hot weather, some birds drink again c. 1 hour before sunset.

Flight call distinctive, a far-carrying liquid bubbling trill slowing towards the terminus, “chorrrrerereh”. Other calls include a low-pitched over-slurred bleating “wheeuw” and a double, bubbling “pup-wuw”.

Laying Mar–Aug, varying with latitude: mostly Apr in Canary Is; mostly Jun in Spain and former USSR, with replacement clutches until Sept. Nest is scrape or natural depression, usually unlined. Commonly 3 eggs , average 2·6 in N Africa, 2·5 in Spain and 3·0 in Turkey; incubation 21–24 days (23–28 reported in captivity), with male sitting from c. 1 hour before sunset to c. 4 h after sunrise; chick has tawny ochre down with black and white markings; young fly at c. 1 month, when 3/4 of adult size, fully grown at c. 2 months. No evidence of second broods. In a study in Spain (12 clutches and 19 broods) 86% of eggs hatched, 42% produced fledged young, with average of 1·05 fledged young per breeding pair.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Widespread but often uncommon and usually encountered in pairs or small flocks, except in some winter quarters. Uncommon in Spain , where considered threatened: almost extinct in Catalonia; c. 1·3 birds/km² reported for La Serena, Extremadura. Overall population of c. 3,000 individuals estimated in 2005–2006 for the Canary Is (2 Seoane, J., Carrascal, L.M., Palomino, D. and Alonso, C.L. (2010). Population size and habitat relationships of Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis in the Canary Islands, Spain. Bird Conservation International. 20(2): 161–175. Close ). Total of 100–1000 birds in E Portugal, where decreasing. Uncommon to frequent in Algeria; scarce but evenly distributed in Tunisia; in Libya, frequent in N Tripolitania, a few winter in Cyrenaica; occasional winter visitor to Egypt. Fairly common in Negev (Israel). Rather common in E Turkey. Fairly sporadically distributed in former USSR, but common in appropriate habitat in some areas, e.g. deserts of Kyzyk-Kum and Kara-Kum, and near Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where 1–33 birds/km² reported for different habitats. Rare in NW China (Xinjiang). Still common at winter quarters in Pakistan (Punjab) and NW India, where formerly occurred in enormous concentrations at certain sites, e.g. L Gajner.