Double-banded Sandgrouse
Pterocles bicinctus
A moderately-sized, quail-like bird with a plump body, the double-banded sandgrouse has a small, almost pigeon-like head with a long pair of wings and tail. The general colour of the plumage is light brown, with darker mottling and rows of whitish specks; the male is distinguished by having a conspicuous black-and-white band on his forehead, with a chestnut-coloured throat that is delineated by another black-and-white band. Both sexes have an area of bare, yellow skin surrounding their eyeball, and the male has an orange beak. The female is smaller and a more dull-brown in colour.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Namaqua Sandgrouse
Pterocles namaqua
The sandgrouse is a medium-sized bird with a plump body, small head and short legs. It grows to a length of about 28 centimetres (11 in). The male has an orangish buff head, throat and chest delineated by a conspicuous narrow band of white and dark brown. The back and wings are mottled brown with large white specks and there are two long black filaments extending from the olive-brown tail. The colouring of the female and juvenile is more cryptic being generally various shades of brown patterned with white specks.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Double-banded Sandgrouse and Namaqua Sandgrouse.