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Historic Document – Content May Not Reflect Current Scientific Research, Policies Or Practices U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services Historic document – Content may not reflect current scientific research, policies or practices. ~ .,.,- ,. )' - P.AMPE.LE T F' l LL - .' A Study and Review of the COMMON INDIAN SANDGROUSE > and the IMPERIAL SANDGROUSE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE Special Scientific Report--Wildlife No. 84 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, SECRETARY Frank P. Briggs, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife Fish and Wildlife Service Clarence F. Pautzke, Commissioner Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Daniel H. Janzen, Director The United States Department of the Interior, created in 1849, is concerned with management, conservation, and de­ velopment of the Nation's water, wildlife, fish, mineral, forest, and park and recreational resources. It has major responsibilities also for Indian and Territorial affairs. As America's principal conservation agency, the Department works to assure ·that nonrenewable resources are developed and used wisely, that park and recrea~ional resources are conserved for the future, and that renewable resources make their full contribution to the progress, prosperity, and security of the United States, now and in the future. On the cover Female common Indian sandgrouse. A Study and Review of the COMMON INDIAN SANDGROUSE by Glen C. Christensen Nevada Fish and Game Commission and Wayne H. Bohl Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife and the IMPERIAL SANDGROUSE by Gardiner Bump and Wayne H. Bohl Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife -----u.s ---~ DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Special Scientific Report--Wildlife No. 84 Washington, D.C. June 1964 THE FOREIGN GAME INTRODUCTION PROGRAM Year by year the number of individuals seeking relaxation through hunting is increasing. Yet the 'area available for this sport is slowly decreasing. Likewise, much of the habitat which mothers the game crop is becoming less and less able to produce shootable surpluses under an impact of clean farming, over-grazing, drainage, power equipment, in­ creased use of insecticides and herbicides, scientific forestry, urban­ ization, and declining soil fertility. Faced with this situation, common sense dictates an all-out effort to increase habitat productivity. There are many habitats which have been so thoroughly changed by man that native species can no longer maintain themselves therein in numbers sufficient to provide good hunt­ ing. Competing interests and the cost of reversing this trend are such that only a part of these lands can be restored to reasonable produc­ tivity in the foreseeable future. There are other coverts which never were fully occupied by native game birds or mammals possessing the char­ acteristics requisite to survival in the face of today's intensive hunting pressure. For these, new,adaptable species possessing a high hunting resistance should be sought, so that such areas might provide greater hunting opportunities. This is the logic behind the foreign game introduction program as developed cooperatively by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, cooperating State Fish and Game Commissions, and the Wildlife Managem·ent Institute. The program is based on requests for assistance from State Fish and Game Commissions following an ecological appraisal of their game deficient habitats. After such information is in hand, biologists are assigned to make a careful study of game species occupying similar habitats and climates in foreign countries. From dozens considered, one or two may be selected on the basis of their characteristics, habits, reproductive capacity, resistance to predation and disease, relationship to agriculture, ability to withstand heavy hunting pres­ sure, and the possibility of competition with game species native to the United States. Modest, carefully planned trial introductions of these species, utilizing wild-trapped or farm-raised individuals, carefully quarantined before shipment are then carried out in cooper­ ation with interested State Fish and Game Commissions. Unplanned or "hit and miss" introductions are actively discouraged. ii CONTENTS THE FOREIGN GAME INTRODUCTION PROGRAM •• 0 •••••••••••••••••••• ii FOREWORD ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••• v .ABSTRACT •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• vii SANDGROUSE IN GENERAL ••••••••••••••••- ••••••••••••• 0 ••••• o ••• 1 Taxonomy and Distribution ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1 • ••••••••••••••••••••••••• Genus and Species •••••••••••• • 1 2 Introductions •.•••••••••.••.••.•••••••.••••.••.•..•.••.••. 5 THE COMMON SANDGROUSE OF INDIA ••••••••••••••.••••••••••••••• 5 Common Names ••••••• o •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 5 Distribution and Relative Abundance ••••••••• o••••••o••o••o 6 Description ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••. 6 Adult Ma.le •••••••••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••.•••• 6 Female •••••• o ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 8 Weight •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 8 Habitat and Cover Preferences ••• •••••••••••••••••••••••o•• 8 Climatic Comparisons ••••••••••••••• a••••••••o••••••••••••• 10 Food and Water •••••••••••••••••••.••• o ••••••• o •••• o ••••••• 14 Gerieral Habits ••••••••••••••••• o ••••••• o •••••••••••••• o. a a 15 Movements and Mobility. o ••••••••••••• o •••••••••••••••••• 15 Wariness •••••••••••• o •••••••••••••••••••••••••• o ••••• o •• 17 Resting and Roosting.•••••••••••••o••••••••••••••••••o•• 17 Nesting and Renesting••••••••••••••••••o•••••••••••••••• 17 Eggs •• o • • • • • • • o • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • o • • • • • • • • • •••••••••••• o • 17 Brooding and Rearing ••••••• o•••••••••••••o•••••••••a•••• 18 Gregariousness o •••••••••••••••••• o •••••••••••••••• o ••••• 18 Ca 11 s •••••• o •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• o ••••••• 18 Preda ti on o •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• o ••••• 18 Reproductive CapacitY·•••••••••••••••••••••••••••a•••••••• 18 D ~seases and Parasites•••••••o•••••••••••••••••••••o•••o•• 19 Analysis of Competing Interests •• o••••••••o•••••••••••••O• 19 Relation to Agricultureo••••oo•oo••••O•••••••••••••••••• 19 Usefulness ••••••••• o •••••••••••••••••••••• o •••••••••• o •• 19 Relation to Other Game Specieso.oo•o•••••••••••••••••o•• 22 Breeding and Raisingo••o•o•••o•••o••o••••••••••••••••••••• 22 Trappingoeoooo••••••••••••o••••o•o•o••o••••••••••oooo••••• 22 Releases in the United States.ooo•o••••••••••••••••••o•o•• 23 Potential Adaptability to the United States •• o••••••••ooo• 26 THE IMPERIAL OR BLACK-BELLIED SANDGROUSE •• o•••o••••o•••••••• 27 Taxonomy and Distribution of the Subspecies ••••••••••••••• 28 Introductions ••• o ••••• o o ••••••• o •• o •••• o ••••••••••••••• o •• 30 Comm.on Nam.es ••••••••••••••••••••••• o •••••• o ••••••••••••••• 30 Distribution and Abundance ••••• ooooooo••••O•••••o••••O•••O 30 Description • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • ••••••••• o •• o • o ••••• o •• o 32 Adult Ma. le ••••••• o o ••••••• o ••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 • • • • • 33 Adult Female ••••••• o ••••••••••• o •••••• o ••••• o •••••••• "' • • 33 Juvenile Ma. le •• o •••• o •••• o o o •••••••• a ••••••••••••• • • o • • • 34 Size and Weight •• o o •••• o ••••••• a •••• o ••••••••••••••••••• 34 iii Habitat and Cover Preferences •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 34 Cover ••••• a ••••••••• o •• a o •••••• o • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 34 Topography o • o •• o ••••••••••••••••••••• o •• o •••• o •••••••••• o 40 Soi 1 s •• o •••• o o ••••••••• o ••• o •• o • o •••• o o • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 41 C1 ima t e • o ••••••• o •• o •••••••••••••••• o •••••••• o • • • • • • • • • • • • • 41 Of the SUillner range o o • o ••• o ••• o ••••• o •••••••• o • • • • • • • • • • • 41 Of the winter range •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 42 Of the "resident" range •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 42 Climatic comparisons.oo•o••O•••••o•••••••O•••••••••••o••• 46 Food an1 Water ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 47 Gener a 1 Habits •• o o ••• o •• o • o ••••••• o ••••••••••••••••••••••• o 52 Migrations, Movements and Mobility ••••••••••••••••••••••• 52 Flighteeeoo••••••••••••••••••••••••••o•••••••••oo•••o•••• 54 Wariness •• o o ••• o ••• o •• o o •• o ••••••••••••••••••• o. o ••••••• o 54 Resting and Roosting.o•O••••••••••••o••o••••••O•o••••···· 54 Breedingo ••• o o..... o •••• o •••••••• o........... o. o......... 54 Nesting and Renesting •••• ao•••••••••o•••••••••••••••••o•• 54 Eggs. o o o o •• o ••••••••••• o •••••••••••••••••••• o ••• o • o •• o o o o 56 Brooding and Rearing ••••• o•••o•••••••••••••o•o••••••oo•o• 56 Gregariousness ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 56 Psychology and Behavior •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 57 Ca 11 s •• a •• o ••••••• o •• o •• o o ••••• o • o •••••••• o •••••• o •••••• o 5 7 Interbreeding •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 57 Predation•o••o•••••••••••••••••••o••••••••••••••••ooeoo•••• 58 Reproductive CapacitY••••••••••••••••o••••••••••••o••o••••• 58 Diseases and Parasites ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 59 Analysis of Competing Interests ••••••••.••••••••••••••••••• 59 Relation to Agriculture •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 59 Usefulness •• o ••• o. o •••••••••••••••• o ••••• o ••••• o o. o...... 59 Relation to Other Game Birds ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 61 Breeding and Raising •• oo•o••o•eooo•••O••o•o••••••••o••o•••o 62 Trapping. o ••••••••••••• o •••••••••••••••••••• o
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