The Madagascar Sandgrouse feeds on seeds on dry open ground. Groups may fly to water, and males carry water to chicks in their soaked belly feathers.
The male has a stocky body and broad pointed wings, with pinkish-brown mottled upperparts and a dark mask. The female is more heavily barred in brown.
It forages on the ground, mainly for seeds, and also takes shoots and leaves. Groups fly to water, often in the morning. Until chicks can fly, the male carries water in soaked belly feathers.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.