Tibetan Sandgrouse
Encyclopedia
The Tibetan Sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes tibetanus ) is a large bird
in the sandgrouse
family.
head and neck, but sturdy compact body. It has long pointed wings and pin tail. It has an orange face, finely barred grey breast, neck and crown, white belly and black underwings. Male has unspotted buff wing while the female has barred wing coverts, upperparts and upper belly than the male. Juvenile lacks the tail pin, has narrower barrings and has less orange on the face. White belly and dark underwings are distinctions from the related Pallas's Sandgrouse
, with which its range overlaps. Like that species, Tibetan Sandgrouse has feathered legs and toes, has no hind toe and the three front toes are short and squat.
This species breeds from May to June on the arid stony plateau and ridges, the nest site generally chosen near the top of the ridge on the leeward side. Its nest is a ground scrape in which three pale brown elliptical eggs with cryptic markings are laid. Generally the nest is exposed, though occasionally could be protected by a stone or grass. The young ones are able to move around soon after hatching. They move around with the flock. When threatened, adults resort to distraction display
s, while the chicks crouch and freeze.
They feed on seeds, grass, buds and legumes.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the sandgrouse
Sandgrouse
The sandgrouse are a family, Pteroclididae, of 16 bird species, the only living members of the order Pteroclidiformes. They are restricted to treeless open country in the Old World, such as plains and semi-deserts. They are distributed across northern, southern and eastern Africa as well as...
family.
Description
Tibetan Sandgrouse is about 30-41 cm long, with a small, pigeon-likeDove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
head and neck, but sturdy compact body. It has long pointed wings and pin tail. It has an orange face, finely barred grey breast, neck and crown, white belly and black underwings. Male has unspotted buff wing while the female has barred wing coverts, upperparts and upper belly than the male. Juvenile lacks the tail pin, has narrower barrings and has less orange on the face. White belly and dark underwings are distinctions from the related Pallas's Sandgrouse
Pallas's Sandgrouse
The Pallas's Sandgrouse is a medium large bird in the sandgrouse family named after the German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas....
, with which its range overlaps. Like that species, Tibetan Sandgrouse has feathered legs and toes, has no hind toe and the three front toes are short and squat.
Taxonomy and systematics
Currently considered monotypic. Birds from the Pamirs were earlier separated as race pamirensis. The species was first described by Gould in 1850 based on specimen from Tso-Morriri in Ladakh.Distribution and status
Tibetan Sandgrouse is found in mountains ranges of Central Asia, Tibet, Central China and the Himalayas. Though the population is decreasing, due to the large range and low rate of population decrease, the species is classified as "Least Concern" by IUCN.Behaviour and ecology
Tibetan Sandgrouse is found on barren sandy plains near water. They are gregarious and form loose flocks. Their flight is fast and direct and on the wings, a clanging double note is uttered repeatedly. Flocks fly noisily to watering holes at dawn and dusk, usually the former, though less regular than other Sandgrouses. They forage in the morning and afternoon on the undulating semi-desert plains. While foranging, their movements are fast and rapid. During the middle of the day it squats in a small depression in the ground, basking in the sun. They are generally not wary, especially in the middle of the day during resting.This species breeds from May to June on the arid stony plateau and ridges, the nest site generally chosen near the top of the ridge on the leeward side. Its nest is a ground scrape in which three pale brown elliptical eggs with cryptic markings are laid. Generally the nest is exposed, though occasionally could be protected by a stone or grass. The young ones are able to move around soon after hatching. They move around with the flock. When threatened, adults resort to distraction display
Distraction display
Distraction displays, also known as deflection display, diversionary display or paratrepsis, are anti-predator behaviours used to attract the attention of an enemy away from an object, typically the nest or young, that is being protected. They are particularly well known in birds but noted also in...
s, while the chicks crouch and freeze.
They feed on seeds, grass, buds and legumes.
External links
- Photos, Videos Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse by Madge and McGowan, ISBN 0-7136-3966-0
- Photographs from Oriental Bird Images