Pterocles gutturalis
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The yellow-throated sandgrouse (Pterocles gutturalis) is a bird species of the family Pteroclidae. The species common name is derived from the male's distinctive yellow throat. It is found in arid and semi-arid environments and inhabits regions distributed across 10 different African countries. The yellow-throated sandgrouse is listed as Near Threatened in the South African regional assessment but regarded as Least Concerned globally.
Pterocles gutturalis is one of the 16 species in Pteroclidae, the only family in the order Pterocliformes. Early morphological analyses placed the group at an intermediate position between fowls and pigeons (Columbiformes). However, a later study on feather structure suggest a closer evolutionary connection with shorebirds (Charadriiformes).
Molecular and behavioural analyses support that the yellow-throated sandgrouse is part of the short-tailed clade, which also includes the Madagascar sandgrouse (P. personatus), and the crowned sandgrouse (P. coronatus). Genetic assessments indicate that P. personatus, a species found only in Madagascar, is the sister species of... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 7 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 9 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-throated Sandgrouse sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, based on 510 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 87th most-seen of the 398 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-throated Sandgrouse in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, against about 10% in November to May, the lowest months. Those are among Masai Mara National Reserve's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain a month against 140 mm in April.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-throated Sandgrouse sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Yellow-throated Sandgrouse sightings, Masai Mara National Reserve ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Serengeti National Park (Tanzania, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow-throated Sandgrouse is recorded against all the birds logged in Masai Mara National Reserve (510 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
