As a game bird -- The common Indian sandgrouse can provide thrills 
which will keep the most particular hunter alert and anxiously awaiting 
the day of the shoot. Hunting is commonly done at the waterhole, and this 
little fellow is a master of deception. His aerial acrobatics are a 
challenge to the best of nimrods. These small birds can carry a good 
deal of shot and hunting them has many of the pleasurable aspects of duck 
hunting, though on dry land. 
Relation to Other Game Species 
No direct competition has been seen in the field between the common 
Indian sandgrouse and other game species. During the winter period, when 
the imperial sandgrouse is present in India, both species of sandgrouse 
are found utilizing the same general habitat type. However, they do not 
comingle and they maintain species integrity during their daily activities. 
The common sandgrouse seems to be a very docile bird and has been 
held without incident in captivity with grey francolin, black francolin 
and the imperial sandgrouse. 
Breeding and Raising 
Based on current attempts to propagate sandgrouse it now appears 
that both the common and imperial sandgrouse might be difficult to breed 
in captivity. 
Between 1959 and 1961 the State of Nevada placed a total of 131 
common and 21 imperial sandgrouse on the Utah State Game Farm at Price 
for breeding experiments. By the end of 1962, only one egg had been laid 
by the common sandgrouse and none by the imperials. Experimental game 
farm production of sandgrouse on the Price farm was discontinued in 1963. 
Since the sandgrouse, so far, have not proved themselves suitable for 
game farm production, it would appear that any future releases in the 
United States would have to be made with wild-trapped birds. 
Trapping 
Birds were successfully trapped in large numbers at waterholes by 
using the clap net as described by Christensen (11). During the trapping 
operations it was found possible to "drive the sandgrouse, or to harass 
them to such a degree that they would land on a specific spot on the shore- 
line. Therefore, nets were placed at a few selected sites and people were 
stationed around the remainder of the shoreline to keep birds from watering 
anywhere except in net localities. Trapping was most successful when 
confined to tanks well isolated from other water sources. People were 
stationed at nearby untrapped tanks to harass the birds and prevent them 
from watering. Since sandgrouse are strong flyers, it was desirable during 
extended operations to control the watering of the birds in the above 
manner within at least a 5-mile circumference of the tank being trapped. 
This often involved the service of as many as 17 people daily. 
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