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Namaqua sandgrouse

The Namaqua sandgrouse (Pterocles namaqua), is a species of ground-dwelling bird in the sandgrouse family. It is found in arid regions of south-western Africa.

Namaqua sandgrouse
Male
Female
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pterocliformes
Family: Pteroclidae
Genus: Pterocles
Species:
P. namaqua
Binomial name
Pterocles namaqua
(Gmelin, JF, 1789)
IUCN range
  Extant (resident)

Taxonomy edit

The Namaqua sandgrouse was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the grouse like birds in the genus Tetrao and coined the binomial name Tetrao namaqua.[2] Gmelin based his description on the "Namaqua grous" that had been described in 1783 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his A General Synopsis of Birds.[3] The Namaqua sandgrouse is now placed with 13 other species in genus Pterocles that was introduced in 1815 by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck.[4][5] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek pteron meaning "wing" with -klēs meaning "notable" or "splendid". The specific epithet namaqua is from Namaqualand, a region in Namibia and South Africa, the type locality.[6] The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.[5]

Description edit

The sandgrouse is a medium-sized bird with a plump body, small head and short legs. It grows to a length of about 28 centimetres (11 in). The male has an orangish buff head, throat and chest delineated by a conspicuous narrow band of white and dark brown. The back and wings are mottled brown with large white specks and there are two long black filaments extending from the olive-brown tail. The colouring of the female and juvenile is more cryptic being generally various shades of brown patterned with white specks.[7] It could be confused with the double-banded sandgrouse (Pterocles bicinctus) and Burchell's sandgrouse (Pterocles burchelli), which share the same range.

Distribution and habitat edit

The Namaqua sandgrouse can be found in various arid parts of South Africa and its neighbouring lands. It is common in the Kalahari Desert, the Nama Karoo (in central and western South Africa), and in parts of the Western Cape. In addition, it is also found in Namibia (especially in the Namib Desert), Zimbabwe, Botswana and Angola.

It favours deserts and other arid areas. In order to survive, this bird needs only seeds, some gravel, and easy access to some sort of fresh water source. Their habitat usually has rough vegetation and tussock-type grasses. [8]

Behaviour edit

Outside the breeding season, the sandgrouse are gregarious. The birds converge on watering holes in the early morning and several dozens or even hundreds of individuals may congregate in one place. They also tend to spend the night in groups, congregating about an hour before dusk. They split up during the day into much smaller groups to feed.

Feeding edit

Their principal diet is seeds but they also eat leaves, flowers, small fruit, insects and molluscs.[7] They forage by exploring loose soil with their beaks and flicking it away sideways.[9]

Breeding edit

 
Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden

Breeding takes place at any time of the year and is dependent on rainfall. Usually the nests are solitary but sometimes several pairs of birds choose sites near each other. The nest is a scrape in the earth, scantily lined with dried plant material. Two or three pinkish-grey eggs with brown markings are laid over the course of a few days. Incubation starts after the last egg has been laid and lasts about 22 days. The female does the incubation by day and the male does a longer shift at night, starting about two hours before sunset and finishing two hours after dawn.[10] The chicks are precocial and able to leave the nest on the day they are hatched. The male brings them water absorbed on the specially adapted feathers of his breast. The chicks grow rapidly; they are fully feathered at three weeks and able to fly at six.

Status and threats edit

The species is common within its range and is considered to be of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.[1] The birds are at risk of predation by mongooses while they are young. Sheep farmers kill birds of prey and jackals to protect their flocks and this may have resulted in an increase in the mongoose population and consequently a diminution in the number of sandgrouse chicks that survive.[7] Other predators that prey on the Namaqua sandgrouse include the booted eagle (Aquila pennatus), the tawny eagle (Aquila rapax), the lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus) and the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus).[9] The Namaqua sandgrouse is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Moniliformis kalahariensis.[11]

References edit

  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2016). "Pterocles namaqua". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22692986A93376920. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22692986A93376920.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ^ Gmelin, Johann Friedrich (1789). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae : secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 2 (13th ed.). Lipsiae [Leipzig]: Georg. Emanuel. Beer. p. 754.
  3. ^ Latham, John (1783). A General Synopsis of Birds. Vol. 2, Part 2. London: Printed for Leigh and Sotheby. pp. 750–751.
  4. ^ Temminck, Coenraad Jacob (1815). Histoire Naturelle Générale des Pigeons et des Gallinacés (in French). Vol. 3. Amsterdam: J. C. Sepp et fils. pp. 238, 712.
  5. ^ a b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2022). "Turacos, bustards, cuckoos, mesites, sandgrouse". IOC World Bird List Version 12.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  6. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 322, 265. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  7. ^ a b c "Ganga namaqua". Oiseaux.net. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  8. ^ "Namaqua Sandgrouse {Pterocles namaqua}". www.sa-venues.com. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  9. ^ a b "Pterocles namaqua (Namaqua sandgrouse)". Biodiversity. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
  10. ^ Lloyd, Penn; Little, Robin M.; Crowe, Timothy M. (2001). "The breeding biology of the Namaqua sandgrouse, Pterocles namaqua ". Journal of African Ornithology. 72 (3–4): 169–178. doi:10.2989/00306520109485313. S2CID 84241760.
  11. ^ Amin, Omar M.; Heckmann, Richard A.; Halajian, Ali; El-Naggar, Atif; Tavakol, Sareh (2014). "Description of Moniliformis kalahariensis(Acanthocephala: Moniliformidae) from the South African Hedgehog,Atelerix frontalis(Erinaceidae) in South Africa". Comparative Parasitology. 81: 33–43. doi:10.1654/4664.1.

External links edit

  • Namaqua sandgrouse – Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.

namaqua, sandgrouse, pterocles, namaqua, species, ground, dwelling, bird, sandgrouse, family, found, arid, regions, south, western, africa, malefemaleconservation, statusleast, concern, iucn, scientific, classificationdomain, eukaryotakingdom, animaliaphylum, . The Namaqua sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua is a species of ground dwelling bird in the sandgrouse family It is found in arid regions of south western Africa Namaqua sandgrouseMaleFemaleConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder PterocliformesFamily PteroclidaeGenus PteroclesSpecies P namaquaBinomial namePterocles namaqua Gmelin JF 1789 IUCN range Extant resident Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Behaviour 4 1 Feeding 4 2 Breeding 5 Status and threats 6 References 7 External linksTaxonomy editThe Namaqua sandgrouse was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus s Systema Naturae He placed it with all the grouse like birds in the genus Tetrao and coined the binomial name Tetrao namaqua 2 Gmelin based his description on the Namaqua grous that had been described in 1783 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his A General Synopsis of Birds 3 The Namaqua sandgrouse is now placed with 13 other species in genus Pterocles that was introduced in 1815 by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck 4 5 The genus name combines the Ancient Greek pteron meaning wing with kles meaning notable or splendid The specific epithet namaqua is from Namaqualand a region in Namibia and South Africa the type locality 6 The species is monotypic no subspecies are recognised 5 Description editThe sandgrouse is a medium sized bird with a plump body small head and short legs It grows to a length of about 28 centimetres 11 in The male has an orangish buff head throat and chest delineated by a conspicuous narrow band of white and dark brown The back and wings are mottled brown with large white specks and there are two long black filaments extending from the olive brown tail The colouring of the female and juvenile is more cryptic being generally various shades of brown patterned with white specks 7 It could be confused with the double banded sandgrouse Pterocles bicinctus and Burchell s sandgrouse Pterocles burchelli which share the same range Distribution and habitat editThe Namaqua sandgrouse can be found in various arid parts of South Africa and its neighbouring lands It is common in the Kalahari Desert the Nama Karoo in central and western South Africa and in parts of the Western Cape In addition it is also found in Namibia especially in the Namib Desert Zimbabwe Botswana and Angola It favours deserts and other arid areas In order to survive this bird needs only seeds some gravel and easy access to some sort of fresh water source Their habitat usually has rough vegetation and tussock type grasses 8 Behaviour editOutside the breeding season the sandgrouse are gregarious The birds converge on watering holes in the early morning and several dozens or even hundreds of individuals may congregate in one place They also tend to spend the night in groups congregating about an hour before dusk They split up during the day into much smaller groups to feed Feeding edit Their principal diet is seeds but they also eat leaves flowers small fruit insects and molluscs 7 They forage by exploring loose soil with their beaks and flicking it away sideways 9 Breeding edit nbsp Egg Collection Museum WiesbadenBreeding takes place at any time of the year and is dependent on rainfall Usually the nests are solitary but sometimes several pairs of birds choose sites near each other The nest is a scrape in the earth scantily lined with dried plant material Two or three pinkish grey eggs with brown markings are laid over the course of a few days Incubation starts after the last egg has been laid and lasts about 22 days The female does the incubation by day and the male does a longer shift at night starting about two hours before sunset and finishing two hours after dawn 10 The chicks are precocial and able to leave the nest on the day they are hatched The male brings them water absorbed on the specially adapted feathers of his breast The chicks grow rapidly they are fully feathered at three weeks and able to fly at six Status and threats editThe species is common within its range and is considered to be of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 1 The birds are at risk of predation by mongooses while they are young Sheep farmers kill birds of prey and jackals to protect their flocks and this may have resulted in an increase in the mongoose population and consequently a diminution in the number of sandgrouse chicks that survive 7 Other predators that prey on the Namaqua sandgrouse include the booted eagle Aquila pennatus the tawny eagle Aquila rapax the lanner falcon Falco biarmicus and the peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus 9 The Namaqua sandgrouse is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Moniliformis kalahariensis 11 References edit a b BirdLife International 2016 Pterocles namaqua IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 e T22692986A93376920 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2016 3 RLTS T22692986A93376920 en Retrieved 13 November 2021 Gmelin Johann Friedrich 1789 Systema naturae per regna tria naturae secundum classes ordines genera species cum characteribus differentiis synonymis locis in Latin Vol 1 Part 2 13th ed Lipsiae Leipzig Georg Emanuel Beer p 754 Latham John 1783 A General Synopsis of Birds Vol 2 Part 2 London Printed for Leigh and Sotheby pp 750 751 Temminck Coenraad Jacob 1815 Histoire Naturelle Generale des Pigeons et des Gallinaces in French Vol 3 Amsterdam J C Sepp et fils pp 238 712 a b Gill Frank Donsker David Rasmussen Pamela eds January 2022 Turacos bustards cuckoos mesites sandgrouse IOC World Bird List Version 12 1 International Ornithologists Union Retrieved 13 August 2022 Jobling James A 2010 The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names London Christopher Helm pp 322 265 ISBN 978 1 4081 2501 4 a b c Ganga namaqua Oiseaux net Retrieved 2012 06 05 Namaqua Sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua www sa venues com Retrieved 2019 06 10 a b Pterocles namaqua Namaqua sandgrouse Biodiversity Retrieved 2012 06 06 Lloyd Penn Little Robin M Crowe Timothy M 2001 The breeding biology of the Namaqua sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua Journal of African Ornithology 72 3 4 169 178 doi 10 2989 00306520109485313 S2CID 84241760 Amin Omar M Heckmann Richard A Halajian Ali El Naggar Atif Tavakol Sareh 2014 Description of Moniliformis kalahariensis Acanthocephala Moniliformidae from the South African Hedgehog Atelerix frontalis Erinaceidae in South Africa Comparative Parasitology 81 33 43 doi 10 1654 4664 1 External links editNamaqua sandgrouse Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Namaqua sandgrouse amp oldid 1167227143, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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