sandgrouse

Any bird of the family Pteroclidae, order Columbiformes. They look like long-tailed grouse, but are actually closely related to pigeons. They live in warm, dry areas of Europe, Asia, and Africa and have long wings, short legs and bills, a wedge-shaped tail, and thick skin. They are sandy coloured and feed on vegetable matter and insects.

Sandgrouse may travel long distances to water to drink, and some carry water back to their young by soaking the breast feathers. The pin-tailed sandgrouse Pterocles alchata is a desert bird living in southern Europe, Africa, and Asia.