TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL PATTERNS OF ABUNDANCE AND BREEDING ACTIVITY OF NAMAQUA SANDGROUSE IN SOUTH-AFRICA

We examined various measures of temporal and spatial patterns of abund ance and breeding activity of Namaqua sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua (pr esumably mostly for P. -n' furvus) in South Africa. Bird-atlas maps in dicating reporting-rates and extensive-counts showed that the majority of Namaqua sandgrouse concentrate in Bushmanland, in the north-wester n Cape Province, from December to March. From April to July the sandgr ouse move north and east of Bushmanland and apparently return to Bushm anland from August to November. This west-east movement occurs at a re latively constant rate of 30-50 km per month. Only 15% of the sandgrou se ringed at an estate within the eastern part of this species range r eturned the following winter. Follicle diameter and brood-patch measur ements increased significantly from July to August, at the time when t he majority of birds leave the estate. Belly-soaking was more prevalen t in early summer in Bushmanland than in any season in the east. South African populations of Namaqua sandgrouse are partial migrants which breed primarily in earl summer October - November) in Bushmanland.