The Himalayas, is a mountain range which separates the Great Indian Plains from the Tibetan Plateau. This range is home to nine of the ten highest peaks on the Earth, including the highest, Mount Everest. The abrupt rise of the Himalayan Mountains from less than 500 meters to more than 8,000 meters in a few hundred kilometers has resulted in a huge diversity of flora and fauna. Nearly 1000 birds have been recorded in the Himalayas of which 15 species are fully endemic.
Tibetan sandgrouse is found in (he Himalayas, Central Asia, Tibet and Central China. It is about 30-41 cm long, with a small pigeon-like head and neck, but sturdy compact body. Currently considered monotypic the species was first described by Gould in 1850 based on specimen from Tso-Morriri in Ladakh. They forage its the morning and afternoon on the undulating semi-desert plains. While foraging, their movements are fast and rapid. During the middle of the day it squats in a small depression in the ground, basking in the sun. They feed on seeds, grass, buds and legumes.
IUCN Status: Least Concern (LC) Photo: Dibyendu Ash