Crowned Sandgrouse vs Madagascar Sandgrouse

Pterocles coronatus compared with Pterocles personatus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Crowned Sandgrouse Madagascar Sandgrouse
Scientific Name Pterocles coronatus Pterocles personatus
Order Pterocliformes Pterocliformes
Family Pteroclidae Pteroclidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 38.4 cm (15.1 in) 44.6 cm (17.6 in)
Weight 280.0 g (9.88 oz) 212.5 g (7.50 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 3 3
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Crowned Sandgrouse only

Madagascar Sandgrouse only

Song & Call Comparison

Crowned Sandgrouse

Song

Loud, melodious crowning call; distinctive resonant notes carrying across North African dry open landscape.

Madagascar Sandgrouse

Song

Loud, barking call with nasal resonance; distinctive notes echoing across Madagascar open arid terrain.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Crowned Sandgrouse

Least Concern

Madagascar Sandgrouse

How to Tell Them Apart

Crowned Sandgrouse

Plumage

Crowned Sandgrouse: pale sandy-cream; pinkish-orange crown; black facial markings; white belly; sandy above; African-Arabian desert

Madagascar Sandgrouse

Plumage

Madagascar Sandgrouse: orange-rufous head; sandy-spotted brown above; barred below; white belly; long square tail; Madagascar endemic

About These Birds

Crowned Sandgrouse

Crowned Sandgrouse (Pterocles coronatus) — 26–30 cm. Pale sandy with fine markings; male with orange face and black-and-white forehead pattern; short tail. Inhabits stony and rocky desert from the Sahara through the Middle East to Pakistan. Granivore; highly cryptic against rock and gravel. Drinks at dawn.

Madagascar Sandgrouse

Madagascar Sandgrouse (Pterocles personatus) — 30–35 cm. Sandy-brown with pale spotting; male has chestnut and black facial mask; pointed tail. Endemic to Madagascar in arid and semi-arid western and southern habitats. Granivore. Unique among sandgrouse as the only species found solely on Madagascar.

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