See text Pterocles is a genus of near passerine birds in the sandgrouse family.

These sandgrouse have small, pigeon-like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies.

Pterocles species have a fast direct flight, and flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk.

The genus Pterocles was introduced in 1815 by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck.

[1] The type species was subsequently designated by the English zoologist George Robert Gray as the pin-tailed sandgrouse.