Pterocles lichtensteinii

Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) because of its extremely small population, currently estimated at 50 adult birds and limited range. In the previous edition of the Red Book (2002), it was classified as Near threatened (NT). The change in threat category reflects an actual deterioration in the species population and range.

Habitats	Desert Plains, Salt Marsh
Presence In Israel	Resident
Nesting In Israel	Breeder
Migration Types	Resident
Zoography Zones	Sudano-Zambezian
Landscape Formations	Plains & Valleys, Wide Wadis, Rural Area
Vegetation Densities	Low
Nest Locations	Ground
Diet Types	Herbivore
Foraging Grounds	Ground
Body Sizes	Small (up to 500g)
Threat Factors	Plantations, Habitat Fragmentation, Unknown

Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse is the smallest sandgrouse in Israel. Both sexes have a dark brown barred plumage, which gives them a generally dark appearance. The male has a patchy black-white pattern on its crown and forehead and a yellow eye-ring. It forms small flocks throughout the year and breeds in sparse scattered colonies. It gathers at regular drinking sites at dusk, unlike other sandgrouse in Israel that fly to drinking sites in the morning.

Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse is a resident species and rare breeder in the southern Arava, in the triangle between Eilat, Lotan and Neot Smadar.

Hill slopes, broad wadis with low vegetation and rocky desert flats in the extreme desert. Also nests at the edges of settlements and is dependent on water sources for drinking.

In the 1980s, the Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse population was estimated at about 50 to 100 pairs, based on visits to drinking sites (Shirihai 1996). During the past decade, the number of Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse decreased and the current population is estimated at less than 50 adults (Itai Shani and Noam Weiss, pers. comm.).

Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse is apparently affected by the accelerated development in the southern Arava in recent years, which modifies and disturbs its natural habitats, and by invasive and eruptive species, which apparently affect the breeding success of ground nesters in general, and of sandgrouse in particular.

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

Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse is a resident species with an extremely restricted range in Israel, limited to the southern Arava. The Israeli population has always been small, but in recent years there has been a significant decrease in the number of observed birds, and the current population is estimated at less than 50 adult birds. There is a need for research to understand the factors behind this decrease.

The population should be monitored and studied to clarify the factors threatening it.

• פז, ע. 1986. עופות. מתוך אלון, ע. (עורך), החי והצומח של ארץ ישראל. כרך 6. הוצאת משרד הביטחון, ישראל.
• פרלמן, י., שוחט, א. ולבינגר, ז. 2009. סקר אטלס ציפורים בערבה סיכום שנת 2009. דו"ח מרכז הצפרות של החברה להגנת הטבע.

• Perlman, Y., Shochat, E. and Labinger, Z. 2011. Developing Managment plan for important bird areas in southern Israel. second annual report, Nizzana region and Arava Valley.Israeli Ornithological center, SPNI.
• Shirihai, H., 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press, London.
• Symes, A. 2013. Species generation lengths. Unpublished, BirdLife International.
• Species page at Birdlife International