Pin-tailed sandgrouse
Scientific name: Pterocles alchata
- How weight is recorded: Whole weight
Field notes
Appearance
Compact game bird with striking long, pointed tail feathers. Males show buff and cream plumage with black breast patch and facial markings; females are duller, heavily barred and mottled brown-buff with finer markings.
Size and weight
Males 32–39 cm (190–270 g); females 28–35 cm (155–220 g). Sexual dimorphism pronounced in plumage and tail extension.
Habitat
Frequents arid and semi-arid lowlands with sparse scrub, sandy plains, and stony desert. Prefers open terrain with minimal vegetation between sea level and 2,000 m.
Distribution
Resident and nomadic across North Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia from Morocco to western Mongolia. Inhabits open desert and semi-desert plains with sparse scrub.
Diet
Seeds of desert plants, small gravel, and occasional insects; relies heavily on plant seeds in autumn and winter, shifts toward green vegetation and insects in spring.
Behaviour
Highly gregarious, crepuscular flyer moving to and from water sources at dawn and dusk. Walks and runs on ground; rapid, explosive flight when flushed. Roosts on bare ground.
Hunting tips
Scout for morning and evening flight lines between roosting and watering grounds; look for droppings and dust-bath impressions in sand. Approach open terrain quietly from downwind at dawn or dusk when birds are active. Flush birds from cover or intercept along known flyways; use decoys in open areas to draw flocks within range.
Whole weight
This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.
Where it is hunted
Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.
Names in other languages
Current language: en
These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.