Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Immature or female)
Scientific Name 
Pterocles orientalis
Arabic Name 
الكدرية بيضاء الجناح
Kuwaiti name 
القطاة الكدرية
60.0 cm
35.0 cm
Least Concern


Rare winter visitor. The heaviest and most distinctive sandgrouse, familiar to many Kuwaiti hunters. Although not seen every year in Kuwait, most sightings refer to birds shot by hunters. Populations have declined in some parts of its range.
Where in Kuwait 
Primarily a desert species, more often seen passing by overhead in small flocks in the north of the country and very rarely coming to ground
In the world 
It has an extremely large range with a decreasing population primarily due to habitat loss and the nominate race breeds in Iberia, northwest Africa, the Canary Islands, Turkey, Iran, Cyprus and Israel where it it avoids areas completely lacking in vegetation.
Local threats 
Indiscriminate shooting and loss of habitat