#pteroclidae

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata), family Pteroclidae, order Pterocliformes, Israel

There are plenty of great dads in the world, but Namaqua sandgrouse dads really know how to go the distance. Every day, males fly up to 20 km (12 mi) from their nest to a watering hole and back to deliver water to their chicks. But they don't carry the water in their beaks; instead, their belly feathers are specially designed to retain up to 25 ml (0.8 oz) of water. Unfortunately, this isn't nearly enough to keep his thirsty chicks satisfied, so dad often spends the whole day flying back and forth from the watering hole.

A group of Pallas's sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) flock by the water in Mongolia

[2988/11080] Double-banded sandgrouse - Pterocles bicinctus

Order: Pterocliformes (sandgrouse) Family: Pteroclidae