Following these species in its habitat is certainly an experience.
The Adult male distinguished from other sandgrouse by combination of extensive orange on the head,pale brownish upperparts and coverts, espcially the former with coarse barring,black patch on the belly and in flight, rather uniformly pale upper-and under wings.


At close range,diagnostic chestnut greater covert and elongated outermost primary can be seen.

The Adult female resembles the adult male but is duffer,with dark spots on the sites of the breast and coverts, has streaked ear-coverts, shows a dark band across the
the lower throat and lacks male's bar across breast.









The juvenile show brownish tinged breast with fine dark horseshoe markings.
The upper parts and coverts are less barred,showing more V shaped marks than the adult. Lacks the orange on the head, black necklace,chestnut greater coverts,and elongated outer primary and central tail feathers.
The primaries differ from the adult much as in Spotted Sandgrouse.

Breeds on steppes of C Asia from approximately the aral sea to MONGOLIA and this study was don in the steppe of Mongolia.
Birds of the nord migrate south but generally do not winter far south of the southern limits of their breeding range.






Large intruptions have occasionaly been noted....1988 Britain the Netherlands Sweden Finland Shetland, so you see It can be a rare bird In Europe, but you never now....