Black-faced Sandgrouse vs Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse

Black-faced Sandgrouse

Pterocles decoratus

Medium181 gShrubland

The black-faced sandgrouse is a medium-sized bird approximately 28 cm (11 in) long and weighing between 140 and 210 g (4.9 and 7.4 oz). Overall, it has a small and compact body, with a short tail, pointed wings, as well as short and feathered legs. The wing tips are black when in flight. As its name suggests, the male is easily recognizable with black face markings extending from the forehead down to the throat. The male is also characterized by a black and a white eyebrow stripe above the eye, a pinkish-orange bill, and a yellow eye-ring contrasting against its black facial colour. Voice: The flight call is similar to a dove's and is a rhythmic, three-note sound described as 'what-wa-wha'. During take-off and flight, it has a short, high, whistling note 'wheeeuw' about 0.4 seconds long, within a 2–4 kHz range or a low-pitch 'chut-to-la'. Another vocalization is in a series of triple-noted whistling chucking 'chuker-chuker-chuker'.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Bob · CC BY 3.0

Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse

Pterocles lichtensteinii

Medium209 gGrassland

Lichtenstein's sandgrouse is a small, stocky sandgrouse about 25 cm (9.8 in) long and weighing 175–250 g (6.2–8.8 oz). It lacks the elongated central tail feathers of some other sandgrouse, and both sexes are closely barred blackish on a buff ground, above and below.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: mourad-harzallah · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-faced Sandgrouse and Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse.