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SANDGROUSE

Order Pteroclidiformes    Family Pteroclididae



The Pteroclidiformes order contains just one family, the Pteroclididae which is comprised of Sandgrouse. Sandgrouse are similar in appearance to doves and pigeons, but unlke these Columbiformes, the Pteroclidiformes cannot drink without tilting their heads back.


Genus Pterocles

Sandgrouse,_Black-bellied  Pterocles orientalis  Found: northwest Afica, Asia
The male Black-bellied Sandgrouse has golden-brown upperparts with darker markings; gray head, neck, breast; black belly; chestnut throat patch. Female has browner and more finely maked upperparts, head, breast; underparts same as male.
Image by: 1) Joaquim_Coelho  2, 3) Jan_Svetlik
1, 2) Female 3) Male


Sandgrouse,_Black-faced  Pterocles decoratusi  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Bob- Tanzania  2, 5, 6) Nik_Borrow - Kenya, Kenya, Tsnzania  3) Steve Garvie - Buffalo Springs NP, Kenya  4)  Sergey Yeliseev - Samburu National Reserve, Kenya 
1) Pair - female on left   2) Female  3 - 6) Male



Sandgrouse,_Burchell's Pterocles burchelli  Found: Africa
The Burchell's Sandgrouse has light brown upperparts  mottled darker shades with light spots; pale gray cheeks, throat; eye surrounded by bare yellow skin.
Image by: 1) Charlie Westerinen - Zimbabwae  2) Francesco_Veronesi  3) Derek Keats - South Africa  4) Ian_White - South Africa


Sandgrouse,_Chestnut-bellied  Pterocles exustus  Found: cantral and northern Africa, southern Asia
Image by:  1, 3, 5) Nik_Borrow - Somaliland, Tanzania, Tanzania  2) Shashank_shekhar29   4) Steve_Garvie   6) Daniel_Columbo - Tanzania
1) Pair - female in background  2, 3, 4) Female   5, 6) Male



Sandgrouse,_Crowned  Pterocles coronatus  Found: northern Africa, southwest Asia
Image by: 1) Totodu74  2) Marcel_Holyoak - Saudi Arabia


Sandgrouse,_Double-banded  Pterocles bicinctus  Found: Africa
Image by:  1) Yathin_Krishnappa  2) Bernard_Dupont  3) Arno Meintjes  4) Marie de Carne
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male


Sandgrouse,_Four-banded  Pterocles quadricinctus  Found: Africa
The Four-banded Sandgrouse has yellowish-green upperparts, head, neck; back heavily marked with brown. Male has black and white bands on forehead; black and white breast-bands separated from heavily barded belly. Female lacks the head and breast bands; heavily barred back, flanks.
Image by: 1, 4) Charles_J_Sharp - Gambia  2, 3) Nik_Borrow - Ethiopia, Ghana  5) Nik_Borrow  - Ghana   6) Steve_Garvie - Gambia
1) Pair 2) Female 3, 4) Male



Sandgrouse,_Lichtenstein's  Pterocles lichtensteinii  Found: Africa
Image by: 1. 2. 3, 4) Nik_Borrow - Somaliland, Ethiopai, Ethiopia, Kenya  1) Shankar_S    5) Carol Foil - Kenya 6) Sergey_Yeliseev - Ethiopia



Sandgrouse,_Madagascar  Pterocles personatus  Found: Madagascar
The male Madagascar Sandgrouse has a black at and around base of bill; brown mottled back; pinkish-buff breast; pale underparts with black bars; yellow bare skin around eyes. Female brown with dark specks and bars; no black on the face.
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans  2) David Cook   3) Zak_Pohlen
1) Pair  2,3) Male


Sandgrouse,_Namaqu  Pterocles namaqua  Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 5) Nik_Borrow - Nambia  2, 3) Arno Meintjes  4) Chris Eason - Kalahari, South Africa
1) Female 2 - 5) Male



Sandgrouse,_Painted  Pterocles indicus  Found: India, Pakistan
The male Painted Sandgrouse has brown upperparts with bold black and white bars; black bar across white forehead; fine black bars on nape; white patch bare shin around eye; pinkish-brown breast; broad black and white breast bands; orange bill. Female duller grayish-brown barred and speckled darker brown and white.
Image by: 1) Bernard_Dupont  2) S._Shankar 3) Brian_Gratwicke  4) Srihari_Kulkarni


Sandgrouse,_Pin-tailed  Pterocles alchata  Found: northern Africa, southern Europe, Asia
The Pin-tailed Sandgrouse has yellowish-green upperparts, head; chestnut breast-band; rest underparts white. Sexes similar; female has shorter tail.
Image by: 1, 2) Francesco_Veronesi - Spain  3) AES


Sandgrouse,_Spotted Pterocles senegallus  Found: Africa
The male Spotted Sandgrouse has pinkish-gray upperparts with dark patches on wings reddish-brown nape; ; orange chin,  neck, throat; gray breast. Female has orange throat region but duller than male.
Image by: 1, 2) Nik_Borrow - Somaliland    3) Ron_Knight


Sandgrouse,_Yellow-throated  Pterocles gutturalis  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Tarique_Sani  2, 3, 4) Nik_Borrow - Tanzania 5) Carol Foil - Rift Valley, Kenya  6) Yathin_Krishnappa - Tanzania
1, 2) Pair   3) Female 4, 5, 6) Male




Genus Syrrhaptes Found: Asia

Sandgrouse,_Pallas's  Syrrhaptes paradoxus  Found: Asia
The Pallas's Sandgrouse has buff upperparts with black barring; buff underparts. Male has black belly patch. Female has heavier barring on upperparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Sergey_Pisarevskiy - south Siberia  3) Jan_Svetlik 


Sandgrouse,_Tibetan  Syrrhaptes tibetanus  Found: mountain ranges of Asia
The Tibetan Sandgrouse has buff upperparts with blsck spots; orange face; pin tail; finely barred gray breast; gray head, crown. 
Image by: 1) Paul_Jones  2) Dibyendu_Ash   3) Kulbhushansingh_Suryawanshi






HOATZIN

Order Opisthocomiformes   Family Opisthocomidae- 1 family

There is much confusion about where to place the Hoatzin Many "closest relatives" have been suggested, but all seem to be either only distantly related, or suggested due to faulty data. Perhaps the sandgrouse are the closest relatives.


Genus Opisthocomus - 1 species

Hoatzin   Opisthocomus hoazin  Found: South America
Image by: 1) Bhardwaj Shanthanu - Buenos Aires, Argentina  2) Linda De Volder at the Beni River, Bolivia    3)  Cláudio Timm  - the Amazon, Brazil  4) David Cook - Sacha Lodge, Ecuador   5. 6) Nick Athanas - Ecuador






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