The Pteroclidiformes order contains just one family, the Pteroclididae which is comprised of Sandgrouse. Sandgrouse are similar in appearance to doves and pigeons, but unlke these Columbiformes, the Pteroclidiformes cannot drink without tilting their heads back.
Genus Pterocles
Sandgrouse,_Black-bellied Pterocles orientalis Found: northwest Afica, Asia
The male Black-bellied Sandgrouse has golden-brown upperparts with darker markings; gray head, neck, breast; black belly; chestnut throat patch. Female has browner and more finely maked upperparts, head, breast; underparts same as male.
Image by: 1) Joaquim_Coelho 2, 3) Jan_Svetlik1, 2) Female 3) Male
Sandgrouse,_Black-faced Pterocles decoratusi Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Bob- Tanzania 2, 5, 6) Nik_Borrow - Kenya, Kenya, Tsnzania 3) Steve Garvie - Buffalo Springs NP, Kenya 4) Sergey Yeliseev - Samburu National Reserve, Kenya
1) Pair - female on left 2) Female 3 - 6) Male
Sandgrouse,_Burchell's Pterocles burchelli Found: Africa
The Burchell's Sandgrouse has light brown upperparts mottled darker shades with light spots; pale gray cheeks, throat; eye surrounded by bare yellow skin.
Image by: 1) Charlie Westerinen - Zimbabwae 2) Francesco_Veronesi 3) Derek Keats - South Africa 4) Ian_White - South Africa
Sandgrouse,_Chestnut-bellied Pterocles exustus Found: cantral and northern Africa, southern Asia
Image by: 1, 3, 5) Nik_Borrow - Somaliland, Tanzania, Tanzania 2) Shashank_shekhar29 4) Steve_Garvie 6) Daniel_Columbo - Tanzania
1) Pair - female in background 2, 3, 4) Female 5, 6) Male
Sandgrouse,_Crowned Pterocles coronatus Found: northern Africa, southwest Asia
Image by: 1) Totodu74 2) Marcel_Holyoak - Saudi Arabia
Sandgrouse,_Double-banded Pterocles bicinctus Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Yathin_Krishnappa 2) Bernard_Dupont 3) Arno Meintjes 4) Marie de Carne
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male
Sandgrouse,_Four-banded Pterocles quadricinctus Found: Africa
The Four-banded Sandgrouse has yellowish-green upperparts, head, neck; back heavily marked with brown. Male has black and white bands on forehead; black and white breast-bands separated from heavily barded belly. Female lacks the head and breast bands; heavily barred back, flanks.
Image by: 1, 4) Charles_J_Sharp - Gambia 2, 3) Nik_Borrow - Ethiopia, Ghana 5) Nik_Borrow - Ghana 6) Steve_Garvie - Gambia_male.jpg){kind=link}
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1) Pair 2) Female 3, 4) Male
Sandgrouse,_Lichtenstein's Pterocles lichtensteinii Found: Africa
Image by: 1. 2. 3, 4) Nik_Borrow - Somaliland, Ethiopai, Ethiopia, Kenya 1) Shankar_S 5) Carol Foil - Kenya 6) Sergey_Yeliseev - Ethiopia
Sandgrouse,_Madagascar Pterocles personatus Found: Madagascar
The male Madagascar Sandgrouse has a black at and around base of bill; brown mottled back; pinkish-buff breast; pale underparts with black bars; yellow bare skin around eyes. Female brown with dark specks and bars; no black on the face.
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans 2) David Cook 3) Zak_Pohlen
1) Pair 2,3) Male
Sandgrouse,_Namaqu Pterocles namaqua Found: Africa
Image by: 1, 5) Nik_Borrow - Nambia 2, 3) Arno Meintjes 4) Chris Eason - Kalahari, South Africa
1) Female 2 - 5) Male
Sandgrouse,_Painted Pterocles indicus Found: India, Pakistan
The male Painted Sandgrouse has brown upperparts with bold black and white bars; black bar across white forehead; fine black bars on nape; white patch bare shin around eye; pinkish-brown breast; broad black and white breast bands; orange bill. Female duller grayish-brown barred and speckled darker brown and white.
Image by: 1) Bernard_Dupont 2) S._Shankar 3) Brian_Gratwicke 4) Srihari_Kulkarni
Sandgrouse,_Pin-tailed Pterocles alchata Found: northern Africa, southern Europe, Asia
The Pin-tailed Sandgrouse has yellowish-green upperparts, head; chestnut breast-band; rest underparts white. Sexes similar; female has shorter tail.
Image by: 1, 2) Francesco_Veronesi - Spain 3) AES.jpg){kind=link}
Sandgrouse,_Spotted Pterocles senegallus Found: Africa
The male Spotted Sandgrouse has pinkish-gray upperparts with dark patches on wings reddish-brown nape; ; orange chin, neck, throat; gray breast. Female has orange throat region but duller than male.
Image by: 1, 2) Nik_Borrow - Somaliland 3) Ron_Knight
Sandgrouse,_Yellow-throated Pterocles gutturalis Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Tarique_Sani 2, 3, 4) Nik_Borrow - Tanzania 5) Carol Foil - Rift Valley, Kenya 6) Yathin_Krishnappa - Tanzania
1, 2) Pair 3) Female 4, 5, 6) Male
Genus Syrrhaptes Found: Asia
Sandgrouse,_Pallas's Syrrhaptes paradoxus Found: Asia
The Pallas's Sandgrouse has buff upperparts with black barring; buff underparts. Male has black belly patch. Female has heavier barring on upperparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Sergey_Pisarevskiy - south Siberia 3) Jan_Svetlik .jpg){kind=link}
Sandgrouse,_Tibetan Syrrhaptes tibetanus Found: mountain ranges of Asia
The Tibetan Sandgrouse has buff upperparts with blsck spots; orange face; pin tail; finely barred gray breast; gray head, crown.
Image by: 1) Paul_Jones 2) Dibyendu_Ash 3) Kulbhushansingh_Suryawanshi
HOATZIN
Order Opisthocomiformes Family Opisthocomidae- 1 family
Order Opisthocomiformes Family Opisthocomidae- 1 family
There is much confusion about where to place the Hoatzin Many "closest relatives" have been suggested, but all seem to be either only distantly related, or suggested due to faulty data. Perhaps the sandgrouse are the closest relatives.
Genus Opisthocomus - 1 species
Hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin Found: South America
Image by: 1) Bhardwaj Shanthanu - Buenos Aires, Argentina 2) Linda De Volder at the Beni River, Bolivia 3) Cláudio Timm - the Amazon, Brazil 4) David Cook - Sacha Lodge, Ecuador 5. 6) Nick Athanas - Ecuador
