Pterocles alchata

The Pin-tailed Sandgrouse is classified as Endangered (EN) because of the continued decline in its population size and the sharp annual fluctuations in the number of breeding individuals. The rate of decline is estimated to exceed 20% in two generations (11.2 years). In the previous edition of the Red Book (2002), it was classified as Near Threatened (NT). The change in its status reflects the deterioration in the population status and its reduced range and population size.

Habitats	Desert Plains, Inland Sand Dunes
Presence In Israel	Resident, Winter Visitor
Breeding In Israel	Breeder
Migration Types	Resident, Nomad
Zoographical Zones	Saharo-Arabian, Irano-Turanian
Landscape Types	Plains & Valleys, Wide Wadis
Vegetation Types	Herbaceous
Vegetation Densities	Low
Nest Locations	Ground
Diet Types	Herbivore
Foraging Grounds	Ground
Body Sizes	Small (up to 500g)
Threat Factors	Overgrazing, Habitat loss and fragmentation, Nest destruction by agricultural activity, Tree planting

The Pin-tailed Sandgrouse is a medium-sized long-tailed, slender and colorful sandgrouse. The species displays prominent sexual dimorphism: the males have a metallic olive-green plumage and the females are browner and barred. Both sexes have a black eye-stripe and a blue eye-ring. Pin-tailed Sandgrouse are loud and gregarious, and can form flocks of hundreds up to thousands outside the breeding season. In summer and autumn, they fly to water sources in the early morning hours to drink and carry water for their chicks.

The Pin-tailed Sandgrouse is resident in the northwestern Negev but nomadic over large areas, concentrating in vegetation patches that appear after rain or agricultural cultivation. Its main distribution area extends between the Re’im-Ofakim line in the north, to the Ezuz-Sde Boker line in the south. Large flocks can be seen in winter, mainly in the area between Urim-Hatserim-Revivim; some of the birds may come from the Syrian or Jordanian deserts. The breeding population is estimated at several hundred nesting pairs.

The Pin-tailed Sandgrouse inhabits loess and sandy plains, broad wadis, low hills, hamada flats and plowed fields. Outside the breeding season, they flock in “green patches” in the desert and in cultivated fields with sparse vegetation. The species prefers steppe or semi-arid areas and is dependent on permanent water sources, and is thus usually seen in areas with annual precipitation exceeding 80 mm. Pin-tailed Sandgrouse nest on the ground in sparse colonies of up to 20 pairs, sometimes together with Spotted Sandgrouse.

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse are affected by development and the increase in the degree of exploitation of sandy and loess areas in the Western Negev. Much of these areas have been converted into grazing and farming, including field crops, citrus groves and greenhouses. Large parts of the area have been afforested with non-native acacia trees, so that they are no longer suitable for ground-nesting birds. Part of the population nests in cultivated areas where birds are vulnerable to farming management, fertilizers and pesticides.

No specific conservation measures have been taken for this species to date.

The Pin-tailed Sandgrouse is classified as an endangered species because of the continued decrease in its populations and the reduction of suitable habitats. It is a nomadic species that wanders over extensive areas and requires permanent water sources for daily drinking. Compared to other sandgrouse species, the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse utilizes agricultural fields for feeding and nesting, which exposes it to an additional array of threat factors. A specific conservation program should be developed for the species, which includes guidelines for supportive management and protection of the species in key natural and agricultural areas.

Sandy and loess areas in the Western Negev, such as the Nitsana-Ezuz area, which are important habitats for Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, should be preserved.
Restoration of afforested areas in the Northern Negev to their natural state.
Control of grazing in the Northern Negev, including restrictions on sheepdogs that endanger ground-nesting birds.
Conducting research to gain a better understanding of the threat factors and the conditions that benefit the population in both natural and cultivated areas.

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• Species page at Birdlife International