Pallas's Sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Pallas's Sandgrouse

Syrrhaptes paradoxus (Pallas, 1773)

40 cmLength69 cmWingspan256 gWeight

It has a single black patch on the belly, with feathers covering even the legs and toes.

Busiest months: June · Most records: Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan

Looks like Tibetan Sandgrouse

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Black patch on the belly
  2. Underwings pale
  3. Wings and tail long and pointed
  4. Legs and toes feathered

Similar species

Tibetan Sandgrouse
Tibetan Sandgrouse

The black belly patch and pale underwings of Pallas's Sandgrouse are key features separating it from Tibetan Sandgrouse.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: June · Most records: Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan

Pallas's Sandgrouse has been recorded at 106 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Khongorin ElsMongolia117 records
  2. Boon Tsagan NuurMongolia108 records
  3. Taukum DesertKazakhstan80 records
More places
  1. Sogeti Valley – Drinking Pool and Surrounding PlainsKazakhstan77 records
  2. Kholboolj Lake, Bogd, Bayankhongor, MNMongolia53 records
  3. Sang YuanChina53 records
  4. Orog NuulMongolia36 records
  5. Chaka Salt LakeChina31 records
  6. Khoyor modny Well, Khovsgol, Dornogovi, MNMongolia30 records
  7. KanshengelKazakhstan26 records

Countries and regions with the most records

MongoliaChinaKazakhstanKyrgyzstanUzbekistanBulgariaDenmark

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Pallas's Sandgrouse?

The Pallas's Sandgrouse is about 40 cm long, with a wingspan of 69 cm and weighs around 256 g.

Where does the Pallas's Sandgrouse live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: western Kazakhstan to northeastern, east-central China. It is most often recorded in Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan.

When is the best time to see the Pallas's Sandgrouse?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in June (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Pallas's Sandgrouse endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Pallas's Sandgrouse as Least Concern.

What does the Pallas's Sandgrouse eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Pallas's Sandgrouse in?

It belongs to the family Sandgrouse (Pteroclidae), order Pterocliformes.

At a glance

Length
40 cm
Wingspan
69 cm
Weight
256 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
236 mm
Tail
166 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
18 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: western Kazakhstan to northeastern, east-central China

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Sandgrouse Pteroclidae
Genus
Syrrhaptes

Other birds in the genus Syrrhaptes

Tibetan SandgrouseTibetan SandgrouseSyrrhaptes tibetanusPin-tailed SandgrousePin-tailed SandgrousePterocles alchataNamaqua SandgrouseNamaqua SandgrousePterocles namaquaChestnut-bellied SandgrouseChestnut-bellied SandgrousePterocles exustusSpotted SandgrouseSpotted SandgrousePterocles senegallusBlack-bellied SandgrouseBlack-bellied SandgrousePterocles orientalisYellow-throated SandgrouseYellow-throated SandgrousePterocles gutturalisCrowned SandgrouseCrowned SandgrousePterocles coronatusBlack-faced SandgrouseBlack-faced SandgrousePterocles decoratusMadagascar SandgrouseMadagascar SandgrousePterocles personatus
Pallas's Sandgrouse

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Tsolmon Avirmed. ↗

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