Namaqua Sandgrouse

Pterocles namaqua (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

Namaqua Sandgrouse, Pterocles namaqua, breeds in Angola, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, where it lives in dry country across south-western Africa. It is a sandgrouse of the family Pteroclidae and is placed in the order Pterocliformes. The bird is ground-dwelling and is associated with deserts and other arid places. It has a plump body, a small head and short legs. The male shows an orangish buff head, throat and chest with a narrow white and dark brown band, while the female and young are more subdued brown with white speckling.

Order

Pterocliformes

Family

Pteroclidae — Sandgrouse

Breeding range

Africa: Angola, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa