Pterocles burchelli W.L.Sclater, 1922

General Appearance

Burchell's sandgrouse is a plump bird roughly the size of a pigeon, with a small head and short legs. Its body is light brown, mottled with darker shades and marked by white speckles.

Male Plumage & Facial Features

Males have bare yellow skin surrounding the eye, and pale grey cheeks and throat.

Size

Males grow to around 25 cm (10 in) long, and females are slightly smaller.

Water Limitation Constraint

Like many species that live in desert environments, Burchell's sandgrouse is limited by water availability.

Thermal Cooling Adaptation

When temperatures approach the upper critical limit of their thermal neutral zone, around 43.8°C, adult sandgrouse increase gular fluttering and panting to achieve evaporative cooling.

Water Carrying Adaptation for Chicks

Another adaptation adult Burchell's sandgrouse have developed is carrying water in their body feathers from a water source back to the nest to give water to their chicks.

Feather Preparation for Water Absorption

When they arrive at a water source, adult Burchell's sandgrouse first rub their bellies on dry ground to ruffle their belly feathers, which increases the amount of water the feathers can hold.

Water Soaking Behavior

They then wade into the water and bob up and down to soak water into their belly feathers.

Water Carrying Capacity

On average, males have been observed holding 22 ml of water, while females can carry an average of 9 ml.

Chick Water Provisioning

After gathering the water, Burchell's sandgrouse fly back to the nest and let their chicks drink water from their belly feathers.

Geographical Range

Burchell's sandgrouse is found in Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

Population Status

It is widespread and common across most of its range.

Movement Patterns

It is normally resident, but moves over a limited area based on the availability of water and the seeds it primarily eats.

Habitat and Range Expansion

It often lives in areas of rough grass and scrub, especially on red Kalahari sand, and has been able to extend its range because sinking boreholes by farmers has made more water available.