"The success of the net is shown by the fact that 3,560 Indian 
sandgrouse were captured at 4 tanks in 2 trapping seasons. In Jan- 
uary 1961, a record 400 birds were caught in a 2-hour trapping period 
with 3 sets on one tank, Just before this a rather exceptional catch 
was made of 37 of the larger and extremely wary imperial sandgrouse 
(Pterocles orientalis) ." 
Following capture the birds were quickly transferred into special 
carrying crates and transported to Jodhpur where they were conditioned 
in large holding pens for 2 months prior to being sent to the United 
States. 
Releases in the United States 
In the southwestern United States there are great expanses of 
arid "desert" land which are currently deficient of upland game popu-~ 
lations. The search for a desirable species to fill this void centered 
around the sandgrouse primarily because they inhabited arid and semiarid 
regions of the Old World, could fly for long distances for food and 
water, and were highly prized as game birds. The common Indian sand- 
grouse was selected specifically because it not only had the above 
attributes but also was a resident species, instead of migratory, and it 
was found abundantly in desert areas of India and Pakistan which closely 
resembled game deficient habitat in southern Nevada and portions of 
Hawaii. 
As a result of trapping operations in the Thar Desert during the 
period 1959 to 1962, a total of 2,826 common sandgrouse were banded and 
released in the states of Nevada and Hawaii. In addition, 131 birds 
sent to Nevada were placed on the Utah State game farm for experimental 
propagation, Table 4 gives a summary of the release data. 
Table 4. Releases of common Indian sandgrouse in Nevada 


and Hawaii 
Number of birds released 
Year Nevada Hawaii 
1960 991 - 
1961 1,039 395 
1962 ~ 401 
Total 2 5030 796 

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