Food and Water 
For food-habits studies 47 sandgrouse crops were collected in West 
Pakistan and northwestern India. Of these crops, 7 were taken near 
Karachi, 30 from the Thar Desert, and the rest from the region near 
Delhi and Poona. An analysis of these crops has been given by Faruqi 
et al (18) and Christensen (13) and are combined in table 3, The common 
Indian sandgrouse are selective feeders. They are primarily seed eaters 
and prefer small seeds, in large numbers, usually from leguminous plants, 
No insects were found in the crops examined. 
Table 3. Foods eaten by the common sandgrouse in West Pakistan 
and India according to season and number of crops in 
which each was found (from 13, 18). 


Foods Season 
Sprin Summer Fall Winter 
Plant Seeds 
Alysicarpus sp. Zz 3 5 
Amaranthus sp. (amaranth) 
Crotalaria sp. (rattlewort) 1 
Cyamopsis Cyamopsis psoralioides 
Desmodium sp. (beggarweed) 
Euphorbia sp. (spurge) 1 
Gynandropsis gynandra 
Heliotropium strigosum (heliotrope) 2 6 7 
Indigofera anabaptista (indigo) 
Indigofera cordifolia (indigo) 2 5 
Indigofera enneaphylla (indigo) 
Indigofera linifolia (indigo) 
Indigofera uniflora (indigo) 
Panicum antidotale (panicgrass) 6 
Panicum sp. (panicgrass) 5 
Panicum turgidum (panicgrass) 1 
Phaseolus radiatus (pulse) 4, 
Tephrosia purpurea (legume) 4 6 
Tephrosia sp. (legume) 
Tephrosia strigosa 5 10 
Tephrosia tenuis (hoary pea) 2 
Unidentified (grass) blades 2 
Wh a eS 
mE pot 
~ lo 
co NB 
Se fu 
re lo 
Hh 
Miscellaneous 
Grit 3 3 6 6 

14 
