Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
Chestnut-bellied SandgrouseChestnut-bellied SandgrouseChestnut-bellied SandgrouseChestnut-bellied Sandgrouse

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse

Pterocles exustus

Silhouette: Tarique Sani (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Serengeti National Park
477 Verified sightings at Serengeti National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,002 Verified sightings across all 15 parks From 2019 to 2026
March Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse

The chestnut-bellied sandgrouse or common sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus) is a species of sandgrouse. It is a sedentary and nomadic species that ranges from northern and central Africa and further east towards western and southern Asia. There are six recognized subspecies.

The chestnut-bellied sandgrouse is sexually dimorphic in plumage colouration and varies in overall plumage colouration between the six subspecies. The chestnut-bellied sandgrouse is a bird of barren, semi-deserts. It is heavily reliant on water, despite living in hot, arid climates and is known to travel up to 50 miles (80 kilometres) in a day to search for water.

Chestnut-bellied sandgrouse are selective feeders which primarily subsist on seeds, often preferring to consume small seeds in large amounts. The chestnut-bellied sandgrouse is a species of sandgrouse placed in the genus Pterocles. Sandgrouse belong to the family Pteroclididae, which belongs to the order Pteroclidiformes. This means they are more closely related to pigeons and doves and are not a type of grouse.

There are six recognised subspecies of chestnut-bellied sandgrouse: P. ex. exustus: Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania and Sudan. P. e... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Serengeti National Park

Yellow-throated Sandgrouse
LC

Yellow-throated Sandgrouse

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pterocles gutturalis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Black-faced Sandgrouse
LC

Black-faced Sandgrouse

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pterocles decoratus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~40%
2 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
3 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
4 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
5 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
6 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
~10%
7 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
8 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
9 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
10 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
11 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
12 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
13 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
14 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
15 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse in Serengeti National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse sighting in Serengeti National Park, based on 477 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse in Serengeti National Park?

March has the highest sighting rate for Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse in Serengeti National Park in our monthly data.

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