From Opus

Photo by rony_roshtov
Nitzana, Israel

Pterocles orientalis

[edit] Identification

33-39cm.
Male

• Grey head, neck and breast
• Black underparts
• Golden-brown upperparts with darker markings
• Thin black border to lower breast
• Chestnut throat patch

Female : Similar to the male but rather more brown. Upperparts, head and breast are more finely marked.

P. p. arenarius - Male - yellower above and greyer below than the western form. Female - whiter below, but hard to separate.

[edit] Distribution

Iberia, northwest Africa, Canary Islands, Turkey, Cyprus and Israel. The eastern form P. o. arenarius (Pallas, 1775) is found in Kazakhstan, western China and northern Pakistan.

[edit] Taxonomy

There are 2 subspecies

• P. o. orientalis
• P. o. arenarius

[edit] Habitat

Dry open plains.

[edit] Behaviour

Its nest is a ground scrape; 3 greenish eggs with cryptic markings are laid. Both sexes incubate, but only the male brings water.

[edit] Vocalisation

The call is a soft chowrrr rrrr-rrrr.

[edit] References

Wikipedia

[edit] External Links