WHERE TO WATCH?

Both Black-bellied Sandgrouse and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse are very localised in their European distribution, being largely restricted to the Iberian peninsula, where they are resident. There is an isolated population of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse in southern France, otherwise, to see either species, your best bet is to follow David Tipling’s lead and visit Spain (or Portugal). Both species live in poorly vegetated plains and both are most frequently seen at dawn and dusk as they visit favoured watering sites. Both species are also painfully shy, so observing them well is a challenge, particularly in the heat of the Spanish day.