Further east, in north central Iran, large numbers of these birds 
were observed in the fall on vast alkaline flats, quite bare of vegeta- 
tion in parts but covered here and there with patches of spiny weeds, 
clumps of grass, and occasional low shrubs. The nearest cultivation 
was about 6 miles away. Considerably to the east of this area lay flat, 
dry steppes interspersed with barren salt or alkaline deserts. On the 
steppes there was some dry farming with wheat the principal crop 
raised, Vast areas were unscratched by the plow. Sheep and goats 
grazed fitfully among the scattering of thorny shrubs, perennial weeds, 
and some grass, Water was scarce and often salty. Here also were many 
imperial sandgrouse along with the great bustard (Otis tarda) the Hubara 
(Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii), gazelles, and desert foxes (7). 

As previously indicated Bohl and I saw these sandgrouse on the 
hard~-baked airfield at Kunduz in northern Afghanistan and were told 
that imperials commonly nested either on or in the immediate vicinity 
of the field. Further south, on a high plateau extending out from the 
peaks of the Hindu Kush near Band-i-mer I flushed a brood consisting of 
2 adults and 3 young from a short-grass meadow in early July. Fortunately 
I was able to collect one of the chicks which appeared to be about one- 
third grown and so small as to indicate the probability that imperial 
sandgrouse utilize these uplands as nesting and summer ranges. Dement'ev 
(15) also indicates that imperials take readily to upland plateaus and 
in Tarbagata and especially in central Tyan~Shan they are common on high 
mountain steppes. 
No attempt to identify the plants characteristic of summer imperial 
range was made by Program personnel. Zohary (47) indicates Sueada 
vermiculata, Atriplex sp., Schangenia bascata, Alhagi maurorum, and 
Juncus maritimus to be present on steppe and alkaline flats in Iraq and 
Iran. On gypseous soils Cleome glauca, Verbascum damascenum, Achillea sp. 
and Moltkia angustifolia are common. Within the breeding range in 
northern Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and southern Siberia, Zohary lists Artemesia 
herba ssp., Achillea santolina, Poa sp., Salsola rigida ssp., Andropogon 
sp., Capparis sicula, and Carex sp., some of which are familiar to game 
personnel in the western United States. In addition, other shrub and 
forb species include Salvia sp., Scrophularia xanthoglessa, Gypsophila 
pallida, and Althaea rufescens. 
Vegetation from dryland farm fields includes the genera of Loliun, 
Poa, Helicophyllum, Medicago, Vicia, Euphorbia, Convolvulus, and Salvia. 
In irrigated fields in these arid areas are found such familiar plant 
genera as Prosopis, Andropogon, Echinochloa, Portulaca, Amaranthus and 
Rumex,. 
Wintering grounds do not appear to differ materially from breeding 
ranges. In fact, in Spain, Turkey, and Iran it was not unusual to find 
some birds the year around in the warmer sections of the imperial's range. 
Whittaker (45) describes Tunisian wintering areas as semidesert plains in 
which sandy hillocks, strewn with stones and dotted with patches of 
Halfa-~grass, are characteristic features, 
35 
