16-4-2024 PANNA TIGER RESERVE, INDIA - PAINTED SAND GROUSE (FEMALE) (Pterocles indicus)

The painted sandgrouse (Pterocles indicus ) is a medium large bird in the sandgrouse family found in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

The painted sandgrouse is a plump ground-dwelling bird with a small head and short legs. The sexes are differently coloured. In the male, the bill is orange and there is a black bar across the white forehead, fine black longitudinal lines on the nape and a white patch of bare skin surrounding the eye. There is a broad black and white band around the chest. The breast and belly are a uniform pinkish-brown colour and the back, wings and tail are brown, boldly marked in black and white transverse bars. The female is duller in appearance being a greyish brown colour, barred and speckled with darker brown and white.

The painted sandgrouse is found in dry regions in rough grassland, rocky areas and scrub and feeds mainly on seeds. It is gregarious and groups congregate at waterholes to drink.