Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse

Pterocles exustus

Other Names

  Indian Sandgrouse, Common Indian Sandgrouse, Small Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Lesser Pin-tailed Sandgrouse   Ganga à ventre brun   Braunbauch-Flughuhn   Ganga Moruna   Brunbukig flyghöna   Roodbuikzandhoen   Ganga Ventrecastano

World: Found in the W and S Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, India and SE Iran and in Africa it occurs from Senegambia and Mauritania east to Sudan, Ehthiopia and Somalia and then S through Kenya to northern Tanzania. The Nile Valley subspecies P. e. floweri is now thought to be extinct. A small, introduced population also exists in Hawaii.

Kenya: Found in dry open country or light bush below 1500m. Common in the N of the country reaching as far S as Lake Baringo. There is a separate southern population occurring in the Mara, Amboseli and Tsavo W NPs.

This semi-desert species feeds on small, hard seeds as well as cultivated grain. It probably also eats shoots and some insects. As with all Sandgrouse it is heavily dependent on water and large flocks fly to find water 2-3 hrs after sunrise, also occasionally just before sunset.

The individual pictured above is an adult male but it has lost its characteristic elongated central tail feathers.