Isotherms for January and July do not correlate well with the 
areas in which this sandgrouse is resident. As is to be expected, 
average maximum and average minimum temperatures tend to fall above 
those for more northern summer ranges and below those for prime winter- 
ing grounds in Asia. Imperials are resident in North Africa where 
average minimums are as low as 19 °F, In southern and southeastern 
Turkey, the highest January average is 65° F., the lowest 23°F, 
Resident range in southwestern Siberia is colder, with the highest 
January average 60°F ., the lowest -3°F. July average maximum and 
minimum temperatures for North Africa nes tcent Penge reach 113°F. and 
49°F,: similar figures for Turkey are 99° and 58°F., and for Siberia 
are 106° and 54°F. Most of the stations for which temperature and pre- 
cipitation data are recorded fall well short of these extremes 
(table 6). 
Yearly precipitation follows the patterns indicated above for 
summer and winter ranges. Total precipitation for the year may be as 
low as 2 inches in Tunisia and as high as 27.6 inches in eastern Turkey 
with many stations having 2 total between 6 and 15 inches. (See table 7.) 
Climatic comparisons 
Both climate and habitat within the range of the imperial sandgrouse 
exhibit many similarities in general with parts of the semiarid western 
United States. Included are short-grass habitats along the Great Plains 
from western North Dakota south to Texas and the region from the Columbia 
Plateau south through the Great Basin to the Mohave Desert and to south- 
ern Arizona and New Mexico. The more northern areas and the higher 
plateaus along the Rockies represent potential breeding and summer range, 
while winter habitats might include the more southern, warmer areas. In 
addition to semiarid rangelands, fields of wheat and other cultivated 
grains should prove attractive following the harvest. In figure 31 is 
a map of the United States outlining areas which by climate and topography 
might be suitable for trial introduction of imperial sandgrouse. 
For those who wish to make a more exact comparison of temperature 
and precipitation within the native range of the imperial, with climatic 
conditions existing locally, climacurves are presented in figure 32. 
These comparisons indicate the average maximum and average minimum 
temperatures in relation to precipitation for the breeding and the winter 
ranges of the imperial sandgrouse, Smoothed curves for each period 
represent the upper limits of the average maximum temperatures and the 
lower limits of the average minimum temperatures in relation to precipi- 
tation. The breeding period here represented is April through July. 
November through February is the period normally spent on the winter 
range. By plotting on these graphs similar climatic data for any given 
locality being considered for the trial introduction of imperial sand- 
grouse, one can make the desired comparisons of climate at a glance. 
46 
