6-6-2019 KHWAI CAMP, BOTSWANA - DOUBLE BANDED SANDGROUSE (Pterocles bicinctus)

The double-banded sandgrouse, Pterocles bicinctus, presents itself as a moderately-sized bird with a quail-like appearance. Its plump body is adorned with light brown plumage, featuring darker mottling and rows of whitish specks. The species is characterized by a small, pigeon-like head, elongated wings, and a lengthy tail.

Males can be readily identified by a striking black-and-white band across the forehead and a chestnut throat bordered by another black-and-white band. Both sexes boast an area of bare, yellow skin encircling the eye, while the male's beak is tinged with orange. Females are generally smaller and exhibit a more subdued brown coloration. Juveniles resemble the female in appearance.

These birds show a preference for habitats with short, trampled grass beside roads and tracks, gravel patches, tussocky grasslands, and recently burned scrub areas with emerging green shoots. They are also found beneath scattered Terminalia sericea and Burkea africana trees and within scrubby mopane woodlands.

The double-banded sandgrouse is native to southern Africa, with sightings in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Typically observed in small groups, these monogamous birds often form pairs or family units. They forage in dry areas during the morning and congregate near water sources in the afternoon and after dark. Their presence fluctuates seasonally, with absences noted during wetter periods.

The diet consists largely of seeds including acacia, red pea (Requenia sphaerosperma), Tephrosia, Cyperus, blackjack (Bidens bidentata) and hairy thorn-apple (Datura innoxia).

Breeding takes place between February and September, peaking earlier in the northern part of the range than the south. The male has a courtship display in which he walks round in circles with his beak near the ground and his tail raised high. The nest is a shallow depression in the soil, lined with a few bits of dried vegetation, often hidden between grass tufts or under a bush. Two or three eggs are laid and both sexes take it in turn to incubate them. They hatch in about 24 days. The chicks are precocial, being active with eyes open and clothed in fluffy down as soon as they are hatched. In about a month they have grown adult-type feathers and can fly.

The double-banded sandgrouse is most often seen in groups of one to five birds, often two or four. The birds are monogamous and these are probably pairs or family units. In the morning they tend to feed in dry areas well away from water but in the afternoon they are most often seen near watering places. They visit water again, often in larger groups of up to 10, after dark. In Borakalalo Game Reserve, South Africa they were observed at dry times of year, in February and March and again between July and September. They were absent from the park during the wet summer period, from September to January.

4-6-2019 LINYANTI CAMP, BOTSWANA - DOUBLE BANDED SANDGROUSE (Pterocles bicinctus)

The double-banded sandgrouse (Pterocles bicinctus ) is a species of ground-living bird in the family Pteroclidae. It is found in arid parts of southern Africa.

A moderate sized bird with a plump body, the double-banded sandgrouse has a small pigeon-like head and long wings and tail. The general colour of the plumage is light brown with darker mottling and rows of whitish specks. The male is distinguished by having a conspicuous black and white band on its forehead and a chestnut throat area delineated by another black and white band. Both sexes have an area of bare yellow skin surrounding their eye and the male has an orange beak. The female is smaller and duller in colour. The juvenile resembles the female.

The double-banded sandgrouse is found in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It has a preference for short trampled grass beside roads and tracks, gravel patches, tussocky grassland and recently burned areas of scrub with green shoots starting to develop. It is also seen in areas of scanty vegetation beneath scattered Terminalia sericea and Burkea africana trees and in scrubby mopane woodland. It is less common than Burchell's sandgrouse (Pterocles burchelli ) and Namaqua sandgrouse (Pterocles namaqua ), both of which have an overlapping distribution in southern Africa.

6-6-2019 KHWAI CAMP, BOTSWANA - DOUBLE BANDED SANDGROUSE (Pterocles bicinctus) PHOTO COURTESY OF MRS VALERIE FISHER

The double-banded sandgrouse, Pterocles bicinctus, presents itself as a moderately-sized bird with a quail-like appearance. Its plump body is adorned with light brown plumage, featuring darker mottling and rows of whitish specks. The species is characterized by a small, pigeon-like head, elongated wings, and a lengthy tail.

Males can be readily identified by a striking black-and-white band across the forehead and a chestnut throat bordered by another black-and-white band. Both sexes boast an area of bare, yellow skin encircling the eye, while the male's beak is tinged with orange. Females are generally smaller and exhibit a more subdued brown coloration. Juveniles resemble the female in appearance.

16-4-2018 CHOBE NATIONAL PARK, BOTSWANA - DOUBLE BANDED SANDGROUSE (Pterocles bicinctus) COURTESY OF MRS VALERIE FISHER

The double-banded sandgrouse, Pterocles bicinctus, presents itself as a moderately-sized bird with a quail-like appearance. Its plump body is adorned with light brown plumage, featuring darker mottling and rows of whitish specks. The species is characterized by a small, pigeon-like head, elongated wings, and a lengthy tail.

Males can be readily identified by a striking black-and-white band across the forehead and a chestnut throat bordered by another black-and-white band. Both sexes boast an area of bare, yellow skin encircling the eye, while the male's beak is tinged with orange. Females are generally smaller and exhibit a more subdued brown coloration. Juveniles resemble the female in appearance.

These birds show a preference for habitats with short, trampled grass beside roads and tracks, gravel patches, tussocky grasslands, and recently burned scrub areas with emerging green shoots. They are also found beneath scattered Terminalia sericea and Burkea africana trees and within scrubby mopane woodlands.

The double-banded sandgrouse is native to southern Africa, with sightings in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Typically observed in small groups, these monogamous birds often form pairs or family units. They forage in dry areas during the morning and congregate near water sources in the afternoon and after dark. Their presence fluctuates seasonally, with absences noted during wetter periods.