Spotted Sandgrouse (Males, OMAN)
Spotted Sandgrouse (Male, OMAN)
Spotted Sandgrouse (Female)
Scientific Name 
Pterocles senegallus
Arabic Name 
الكدرية غبراء الجناح
Kuwaiti name 
القطاة الكدرية
59.0 cm
32.0 cm
Least Concern
Similar species 


Irregular winter and passage migrant; rare summer visitor, has bred in Kuwait. Many nested along with Pin-tailed Sandgrouse after the Iraqi Invasion in the Demilitarized Zone, but since then poorly regulated hunting has resumed and their numbers have dwindled.
Where in Kuwait 
A true desert species that is more likely to be seen flying overhead in small flocks, very seldom coming to ground, unless there is suitable water in the early or late hours of the day.
In the world 
A ground dwelling species that has an extremely large range with an unquantified population. It is found in arid regions of northern and eastern Africa and across the Middle East and parts of Asia as far east as northwest India. It is a gregarious, diurnal bird and small flocks forage for seed and other vegetable matter on the ground, flying once a day to a waterhole for water. When the air temperature may reach over 50°C, the birds are inactive and have the ability to increase their thermal insulation when the air temperature exceeds their body temperatures.
Local threats 
Indiscriminate shooting and loss of habitat