''Pterocles '' is a genus of
near passerine bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
s in the
sandgrouse family. It includes all the species in the family except for two central Asian species in ''
Syrrhaptes
''Syrrhaptes'' is a genus of birds in the sandgrouse family. The genus name is from Ancient Greek
''surrhaptos'', "sewn together"; the feathered toes of birds in this genus are fused together.
There are two central Asian species.
These are lar ...
''
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
Coenraad Jacob Temminck (; 31 March 1778 – 30 January 1858) was a Dutch aristocrat, zoologist and museum director.
Biography
Coenraad Jacob Temminck was born on 31 March 1778 in Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic. From his father, Jacob Temm ...
. The
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen( ...
was subsequently designated by the English zoologist
George Robert Gray as the
pin-tailed sandgrouse. The genus name combines the
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
''pteron'' meaning "wing" with ''-klēs'' meaning "notable" or "splendid".
Species
The genus contains 14 species:
References
External links
Sandgrouse videoson the Internet Bird Collection
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2271534
Bird genera