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Pterocles
''Pterocles '' is a genus of near passerine birds in the sandgrouse family. It includes all the species in the family except for two central Asian species in '' Syrrhaptes''. These sandgrouse have small, pigeon-like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails. Their legs are feathered down to the toes, but unlike species of the genus ''Syrrhaptes'' the toes are not feathered. ''Pterocles'' species have a fast direct flight, and flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Two to three eggs are laid directly on the ground. They are buff or greenish with cryptic markings. All species are resident. Taxonomy The genus ''Pterocles'' was introduced in 1815 by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck. The type species was subsequently designated by the English zoologist George Robert Gray as the pin-tailed sandgrouse. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek ''pteron'' meaning "wing" with ''-klēs'' meaning "notable" or "splend ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sandgrouse
Sandgrouse is the common name for Pteroclidae (), a family (biology), family of sixteen species of bird, members of the order Pterocliformes (). They are traditionally placed in two Genus, genera. The two central Asian species are classified as ''Syrrhaptes'' and the other fourteen species, from Africa and Asia, are placed in the genus ''Pterocles''. They are ground-dwelling birds restricted to treeless, open country, such as plains, savannahs, and semi-deserts. They are distributed across northern, southern, and eastern Africa, Madagascar, the Middle East, and India through central Asia. The ranges of the black-bellied sandgrouse and the pin-tailed sandgrouse even extend into the Iberian Peninsula and France, and Pallas's sandgrouse occasionally Irruptive growth, breaks out in large numbers from its normal range in Asia. Description Sandgrouse have small, pigeon-like heads and necks and sturdy compact bodies. They range in size from in length and from in weight. Their feathers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
