Kadbanwadi Grasslands · Bhigwan, Pune District · Maharashtra
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse at Bhigwan
There are mornings at Kadbanwadi when the grassland looks like it holds nothing at all — a flat, sun-bleached canvas of dry stalks and dust, baking quietly under a January sky. I have driven this stretch of road outside Bhigwan enough times to know that this emptiness is a lie. The grassland is full. You just have to earn it.
It was on exactly such a morning that I first came across a trio of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus) — crouched low in the dead grass, so perfectly the colour of the earth that I nearly drove past. What stopped me was a flicker of movement: a head tilting, a yellow eye catching the low light. I cut the engine. And for the next several minutes, three of the most beautifully camouflaged birds in India simply sat there and let themselves be watched.
This is a field guide to the Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse — who they are, how to identify male from female in the field, how to find them at Bhigwan’s Kadbanwadi Grasslands, and why this dry stretch of Deccan plateau is one of Maharashtra’s most rewarding sites for a species whose numbers have been quietly declining.
Heading to Bhigwan? Read the complete Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary Travel & Birding Guide for routes, accommodation, safari booking details, and the full species checklist across both wetland and grassland habitats.
Species Overview: Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
The Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus) belongs to the family Pteroclidae — an ancient lineage of ground-dwelling birds that occupy a position somewhere between pigeons and waders in the avian family tree. Despite the name, sandgrouse are neither true grouse nor exclusively sand-dwellers. In India, the subspecies P. e. hindustan is the resident form across dry Deccan scrub, semi-arid grasslands, and the fringes of the Thar Desert. The Kadbanwadi belt at Bhigwan falls within the southernmost reliable range for this subspecies in Maharashtra.
Male vs Female: How to Tell Them Apart
Sexual dimorphism in the Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse is real and readable once you know what to look for — though both sexes are masters of camouflage and neither is easy to see at rest.
The male has a cleaner, plainer face with warm orange-buff tones on the head and neck forming an ochre collar. His breast is a vinous-buff, cut cleanly by a narrow black breast-band bordered by white below. The belly is a deep, rich chestnut — the feature that names the species and the single most diagnostic field mark at close range. On his upperparts the scalloping is more subdued, the overall tone paler and more sandy-grey.
The female — all three birds in my Kadbanwadi trio — is more intricately marked. Her upperparts carry dense dark-brown bars and streaks over a sandy buff base, breaking up her outline against dry grass more effectively than the male’s plainer patterning. Her face is plain buff with no orange tones. The yellow orbital ring around the eye is equally vivid in both sexes and is one of the most reliable features for confirming the species at any distance. Crucially, the female has no black breast-band and no chestnut belly — her underparts are more uniformly buff and barred.
In flight both sexes look similar: fast, direct, long pointed tail streaming behind, showing pale underwing and calling with the characteristic rolling gata-gata that carries well across open ground.
Quick Species Reference
| Common Name | Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pterocles exustus hindustan (India) |
| Family | Pteroclidae |
| Size | 28–33 cm; pigeon-sized |
| India Status | Resident; locally common in dry zones |
| IUCN | Least Concern (global); >57% population decline in India |
| Male field mark | Black breast-band + chestnut belly + plain orange-buff face |
| Female field mark | Densely barred upperparts + plain buff face + yellow eye-ring |
| Call | Rolling gata-gata |
| Best Bhigwan Site | Kadbanwadi Grasslands & Shirsufal Road |
Finding Them at Bhigwan: The Kadbanwadi Grassland Context
Most visitors arrive at Bhigwan for the wetland spectacle — the flamingos on the Ujani backwaters, the herons and storks along the reservoir margins, the raptors quartering the reed edges. That is the headline act. The Kadbanwadi Grasslands, stretching across dry Deccan plateau a few kilometres from the water, tell a different story — and the Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse is one of its most rewarding chapters.
These birds need open, sparsely vegetated ground with good sight lines and minimal disturbance. Kadbanwadi delivers exactly that: short dry grass, bare rocky patches, and scattered low scrub threaded by dusty jeep tracks that double as natural survey routes. The birds feed on seeds of dry-land grasses and herbs, moving in small groups of three to twelve, and resting on open ground during the heat of the day where they become all but invisible.
What makes Bhigwan particularly productive is the combination of habitat and vehicle access. The jeep tracks cut close enough to prime resting and feeding areas that encounters — when conditions are right — happen at comfortable distances. My sighting with this trio came at roughly 15 metres, with early morning light over my left shoulder: conditions that are genuinely achievable on a well-timed morning safari at Kadbanwadi.
The Shirsufal and Baramati road corridors south of Kadbanwadi are also worth exploring, particularly for birds moving between feeding areas and the reservoir in early morning. Dawn flight lines to water produce the best views of birds in fast formation flight — a very different experience from the patient ground-level encounter.
Behaviour and Natural History
Sandgrouse are creatures of routine. They rise before the heat, move to feeding areas in loose groups, and return to the same roosting spots with a consistency that experienced local guides learn to read. At Bhigwan, the birds I encounter most consistently are resting — sitting tight, pressed low, relying entirely on their plumage. This is the mode that produces the most satisfying field time: prolonged observation at close range of a wild bird going about its day.
One of the more extraordinary aspects of sandgrouse biology is their water-carrying behaviour. Males have specially adapted breast feathers that can absorb and hold up to 20ml of water, which they then carry back to chicks at the nest — sometimes travelling 50–80 km in a single day to reach a waterhole and return. At Bhigwan the Ujani reservoir is close enough that the journey is less epic, but the behaviour persists: watch for small groups flying with purpose toward the water at first light, drinking rapidly, and departing in the same fast, direct style.
Breeding season in peninsular India typically runs March to June. Nests are simple scrapes on open ground and the cryptic eggs are notoriously hard to locate. Late March visits to Bhigwan sometimes reveal pairs moving through open patches with greater intent, and displaying males where the chestnut belly patch makes a surprisingly visible impression even against dry grass.
Tips for Photographing Sandgrouse at Kadbanwadi
The Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse is not a difficult subject once found — these birds sit. The challenge is entirely in the finding. Here is what has worked consistently across my field sessions at Kadbanwadi:
Light: The first 90 minutes after sunrise are your window. Low-angle morning light lifts the buff and chestnut tones beautifully and reveals the fine scalloping detail on the wing coverts. By mid-morning, overhead sun flattens the plumage and kills the texture that separates a good frame from a great one.
Reach: A 300mm or longer telephoto works well. On the Nikon Z50 with the APS-C sensor, a 300mm PF gives an effective 450mm equivalent — enough reach for a comfortable working distance of 10–20 metres without disturbing the birds.
Vehicle discipline: Cut the engine the moment birds are spotted. Slow-roll to a natural stop — do not overshoot. Sandgrouse at Bhigwan have a flushing threshold of roughly 12–15 metres with a stationary vehicle; approach on foot and that drops to 25–30 metres.
Background: The dry grass backdrop is an asset — warm, tonally consistent, and renders as smooth bokeh at telephoto focal lengths. Frame to place the birds against uniform grass rather than bare track or rock whenever possible.
Multiple birds: The stacked grouping — three birds at slightly different distances aligned along a single viewing axis — creates natural depth and narrative. These frames come from waiting for the group to settle, not from shooting immediately on first sight.
Conservation: A 57% Population Decline
The Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse carries a global IUCN status of Least Concern, and across its range from sub-Saharan Africa to South Asia that designation is broadly defensible. In India specifically the picture is more alarming. Long-term studies show a population decline of over 57% in the Indian range, driven primarily by grassland loss across the Deccan plateau. The species is now listed under Schedule II of India’s Wildlife Protection Act — a recognition that local pressures are serious even where global status appears stable.
Maharashtra’s grasslands remain poorly protected relative to forests and wetlands. Agricultural expansion, unregulated grazing, and the rapid growth of solar infrastructure across open plains have steadily reduced the dry-land habitat that species like the sandgrouse, the Montagu’s Harrier, and the Indian Fox all depend on. Kadbanwadi is one of the few remaining intact patches of Deccan grassland in Pune district, and the birding tourism centred on Bhigwan has played a meaningful role in building local economic incentives for its protection. Every guided jeep safari is a vote for keeping this landscape intact.
Plan Your Bhigwan Grassland Safari
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse are reliably found at Kadbanwadi between November and March, with December and January typically the most productive months. A two-night stay at Bhigwan gives one full cycle of morning and evening grassland sessions alongside a boat safari on the Ujani backwaters — the ideal combination for covering both habitat types in a single trip.
For a guided Bhigwan safari that covers both the grassland and wetland zones with local expert guides, book through Viator’s Bhigwan full-day birding excursion:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I see Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse in India?
The species is found across dry Deccan scrub and semi-arid grasslands through central and peninsular India. Bhigwan’s Kadbanwadi Grasslands near Pune is one of the most reliable and accessible sites in Maharashtra, particularly between November and March. The Thar Desert region of Rajasthan holds larger numbers, but Bhigwan is the most convenient site for birders based in Pune or Mumbai.
How do you tell male from female Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse?
The male has a plain sandy face with orange-buff tones on the head and neck, a narrow black breast-band, and a bold chestnut belly patch. The female — as in the three birds in my Kadbanwadi images — is more heavily barred and streaked across the upperparts, with a plain buff face and no black breast-band. Both sexes share the vivid yellow eye-ring that is the most useful long-range identification feature for the species.
What is the best time to see Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse at Bhigwan?
November through March, when the dry Deccan grasslands are most open and visibility is sharpest. December and January are typically the most productive months. Early morning jeep safaris at Kadbanwadi give the highest chance of a close, sustained encounter.
Is the Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse endangered in India?
Globally it is classified as Least Concern, but long-term studies show a population decline of over 57% in India. It is now protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act. Grassland loss across the Deccan plateau is the primary driver of local decline, making intact sites like Kadbanwadi increasingly important.
Can I see Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse on a Bhigwan jeep safari?
Yes — a morning jeep safari through Kadbanwadi Grasslands is the most reliable approach. The birds sit tight and rely on camouflage rather than flight, so a good local guide who knows the feeding corridors and resting areas makes a significant difference to the quality of any encounter.
All photographs were taken by Prashant S. Gupta at Kadbanwadi Grasslands, Bhigwan, Maharashtra, using a Nikon Z50. For photography licensing enquiries, use the contact page.
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