Crowned sandgrouse

The crowned sandgrouse is a captivating bird species from the sandgrouse family, Pteroclidae, commonly found in North Africa and the Middle East. This small bird is distinguished by its uniform coloration and prominent dark flight feathers. One of the key features that set the males apart is their black mask, a characteristic not shared by females and juveniles.

Crowned sandgrouse prefer stony deserts and generally avoid areas with excessive vegetation. During the dry season, they become nomadic, frequently congregating around water sources in the mornings and evenings. Their diet primarily consists of hard seeds, but they also consume plant shoots when available.

Nesting in crowned sandgrouse is straightforward. They lay their eggs in a shallow depression on open ground, without any additional lining. Typically, a clutch consists of 2-3 eggs.

In terms of classification, the crowned sandgrouse was once placed in the genus Eremialector. It is now considered part of a group that includes other sandgrouse species. There are five recognized subspecies of the crowned sandgrouse, each found in different regions within its range.