Photo: Tomju48 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pallas’s Sandgrouse
Syrrhaptes paradoxus
Pallas's Sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) — Unusual & Unique Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pallas’s Sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) is a member of the Pteroclidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 256 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Pterocliformes
- Family Pteroclidae Sandgrouse
- Genus Syrrhaptes
- Species paradoxus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 256 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Pteroclidae
- Order
- Pterocliformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pallas’s Sandgrouse is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Pallas’s Sandgrouse is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Pallas’s Sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) is a member of the Pteroclidae family, within the order Pterocliformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL w Kazakhstan to ne, ec China.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 256 g, with a wing length of about 23.6 cm and a tail of around 16.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 7.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pallas’s Sandgrouse?
The Pallas’s Sandgrouse is a large bird that weighs around 256 g.
Where does the Pallas’s Sandgrouse live?
The Pallas’s Sandgrouse is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL w Kazakhstan to ne, ec China, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Pallas’s Sandgrouse belong to?
The Pallas’s Sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) belongs to the Pteroclidae family, in the order Pterocliformes.
What does the Pallas’s Sandgrouse eat?
The Pallas’s Sandgrouse is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Pallas’s Sandgrouse migrate?
The Pallas’s Sandgrouse is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Pallas’s Sandgrouse endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Pallas’s Sandgrouse make?
1 real field recording of the Pallas’s Sandgrouse — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Pallas’s Sandgrouse's range?
The Pallas’s Sandgrouse has a mapped global range of about 7.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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