Races:
Pterocles orientalis arenarius Pallas, 1775

Synonyms

Pterocles orientalis magna Zarudny, 1889
Pterocles orientalis koslovae Meinertzhagen, 1934
Pterocles orientalis enigmaticus Neumann, 1934
Pterocles orientalis bangsi Koelz,1939

Description

Common, in places rare breeding migrant. Inhabits plain or little hilly clay deserts with wormwood associations, prefer crushed stone or pebbly places, sandy deserts with wormwood-grasses associations and saline soil deserts, with fresh or salty water not far as 60-80 km. In such habitat lives on mountain broad valleys, up to 1400-1800 m. Appears in end February – mid-April, in pairs, small groups and flocks of up to 20-30 birds. Breeding in separate pairs no less, than 150-200 m each of other. Nest is shallow hole without lining. Clutches of 3, rare 2 eggs in end April – mid-August. Both parents excavate nesting hole, incubate (female at day, male at night) and care for chicks. Regularly flight for water and at nearby water can be met from late morning up to evening. Flying juveniles recorded from mid-July, and they begin to fly for water, when distal primaries not fully grown jet. A brood of feathered, but not flying juveniles recorded 10 October 1978. Two broods per season. As up to 92% nests loss out of predators, repeated breeding very common. After breeding is finished, they joined in large flocks, up to several hundred individuals, and disperse widely. Autumn migration in September – October mostly, some birds linger up to mid-November.

Distribution

Breeds and occurs on migration in southern half of plain Kazakhstan, north up to north-eastern border of Volzhsko-Ural’skiye sands, Inderskiye Mts., upper reaches of Uil, Akkumsagiz sands in Sagiz valley, lower reaches of Turgay, Arkarly area, near Irtysh river at Maykain, in foothills of Monrak ridge and Zaysan depression. Dispersing birds observed up to Elton lake, on Kushum river near Telnov village in area between Volga and Ural rivers, in Naurzum Reserve, near Tengiz lake and Semipalatinsk. Common on Ustyurt. In small numbers winters in Kyzylkum desert on not snowy areas, on Ustyurt and Barsa-Kelmes island.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005
Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.