Bird Album
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse
Pterocles alchata (Linnaeus, 1766)
276 gWeight
The pin-tailed sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata) is a medium large bird in the sandgrouse family.
Busiest months: May · Most records: Spain, United Arab Emirates, Morocco
Where and when it's recorded
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse has been recorded at 56 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 10 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Al Marmoom DCR – Al Qudra PivotsUnited Arab Emirates550 records
- Laguna de NavasecaSpain344 records
- Tablillas del Záncara – Junta de los RíosSpain343 records
More places
- Laguna de la VeguillaSpain145 records
- Laguna del Camino de VillafrancaSpain130 records
- Tagdilt TrackMorocco112 records
- RNN des Coussouls de Crau (RNN152) – Peau de MeauFrance106 records
- Embalse del Vicario – Cola de PeralvilloSpain80 records
- Dubai Pivot FieldsUnited Arab Emirates58 records
- Vallée des Oiseaux (Tagdilt Track) – ancienne pisteMorocco38 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The pin-tailed sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata) is a medium large bird in the sandgrouse family. It has a small, pigeon-like head and neck and a sturdy, compact body. It has long pointed wings, which are white underneath, a long tail and a fast direct flight.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse?
The Pin-tailed Sandgrouse weighs around 276 g.
Where does the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse live?
Its breeding range: Palearctic, Africa: southwestern Palearctic and northern Africa. It is most often recorded in Spain, United Arab Emirates and Morocco.
When is the best time to see the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse as Least Concern.
What does the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse eat?
Main food: Seeds.
What family is the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse in?
It belongs to the family Sandgrouse (Pteroclidae), order Pterocliformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 276 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Seeds
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 194 mm
- Tail
- 142 mm
- Bill
- 18 mm
- Tarsus
- 28 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Palearctic, Africa: southwestern Palearctic and northern Africa
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Pterocliformes
- Family
- Sandgrouse Pteroclidae
- Genus
- Pterocles
Other birds in the genus Pterocles
Namaqua SandgrousePterocles namaqua
Chestnut-bellied SandgrousePterocles exustus
Spotted SandgrousePterocles senegallus
Black-bellied SandgrousePterocles orientalis
Yellow-throated SandgrousePterocles gutturalis
Crowned SandgrousePterocles coronatus
Black-faced SandgrousePterocles decoratus
Madagascar SandgrousePterocles personatus
Lichtenstein's SandgrousePterocles lichtensteinii
Painted SandgrousePterocles indicus
Four-banded SandgrousePterocles quadricinctus
Double-banded SandgrousePterocles bicinctus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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