Crowned Sandgrouse vs Four-banded Sandgrouse

Pterocles coronatus compared with Pterocles quadricinctus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Crowned Sandgrouse Four-banded Sandgrouse
Scientific Name Pterocles coronatus Pterocles quadricinctus
Order Pterocliformes Pterocliformes
Family Pteroclidae Pteroclidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan 38.4 cm (15.1 in) 34.9 cm (13.7 in)
Weight 280.0 g (9.88 oz) 179.62666666666667 g (6.34 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 3 2-3
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Crowned Sandgrouse only

Four-banded Sandgrouse only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Crowned Sandgrouse

Song

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

Four-banded Sandgrouse

Song

Loud, cackling call with chattering quality; rapid notes carrying across East African dry four-banded terrain.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Crowned Sandgrouse

Least Concern

Four-banded 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

Four-banded Sandgrouse

Plumage

Four-banded Sandgrouse: four distinct dark belly bands on white; sandy-brown above; short tail; West African forest-edge species

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.

Four-banded Sandgrouse

Four-banded Sandgrouse (Pterocles quadricinctus) — 26–30 cm. Brown with multiple thin black-and-white breast bands; barred above; short tail. Inhabits dry savanna, open woodland, and Sahelian scrub across West and Central Africa. Granivore; crepuscular drinker. Male belly-soaks to deliver water.

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