From Opus

Photo by Seyed Babak Mus
Near to Hajabad town, IranFebruary 2005

Ammomanes deserti

[edit] Identification

15-16.5cm.

• Sandy upperparts
• Pale pink grey underparts
• Rufous tail with dark terminal band
• Thick yellow bill
• Sexes alike

There is some colour variation according to subspecies.

[edit] Distribution

Africa, Middle East and Asia:
Northern Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt
Western Africa: Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, Chad
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia
Middle East: Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran
Asia: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Western Himalayas

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

There are 24 subspecies^[1]:

• A. d. payni: Morocco south of the High Atlas and adjacent south-western Algeria
• A. d. algeriensis: Northern Algeria to Tunisia and north-western Libya
• A. d. mya: Central Algerian Sahara (between 27øN and 30øN)
• A. d. geyri: Mauritania to southern Algeria and north-western Niger (Air Massif)
• A. d. whitakeri: South-eastern Algeria to south-western Libya and north-western Chad (Tibesti Mountains)
• A. d. kollmanspergeri: North-eastern Chad (Ennedi Mountains) and western Sudan (Darfur)
• A. d. isabellina: Northern Egypt west of Nile Valley to Israel, southern Jordan, north-western Saudi Arabia, Iraq
• A. d. deserti: Eastern Egypt (east of Nile to Red Sea) south to Sudan
• A. d. erythrochroa: Western Chad (Ndjamena) to northern Sudan (Dongola to Kordofan)
• A. d. samharensis: Red Sea coast of eastern Sudan, Eritrea and Arabian Peninsula (south to northern Yemen)
• A. d. assabensis: Southern Eritrea, Ethiopia and north-western Somalia
• A. d. akeleyi: Highlands of northern Somalia
• A. d. coxi: Southern Turkey (Birecik), Syria and northern Iraq
• A. d. annae: Black lava deserts of Jordan (Azraq area) and extreme southern Syria
• A. d. azizi: North-eastern Saudi Arabia (Al Hufuf area)
• A. d. saturata: Black lava deserts of southern Arabia (northern Hijaz to Aden)
• A. d. insularis: Bahrain (Persian Gulf)
• A. d. taimuri: Oman (Muscat area)
• A. d. cheesmani: Iraq (east of Tigris River) to western Iran (west of Zagros Mountains to Persian Gulf
• A. d. darica: Southern Zagros Mountains (south-western Iran)
• A. d. parvirostris: Western Turkmenistan (Kara-Bogaz-Gol to Kopet Dagh and Atrak Basin)
• A. d. orientalis: North-eastern Iran, Turkestan and northern Afghanistan
• A. d. iranica: Eastern Iran to south-western Afghanistan and western Pakistan (Baluchistan)
• A. d. phoenicuroides: South-eastern Afghanistan, eastern Pakistan and north-western India (extreme western Rajasthan)

[edit] Habitat

Semi desert and deserts.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

It is a ground nester, building the nest in rocks or stones. The clutch consists of 3-4 eggs.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes seeds and insects.

[edit] Vocalisation

Song' choo-wee-chacha wooee.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Avibase
3. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links