The Crowned Sandgrouse lives in dry areas from the Sahara into western Asia. It visits water in flocks, and the adult male has a rufous crown and a black facial band.
Adult males show a rufous crown and black facial band. Females have a pale face and throat with finely patterned brown or buff upperparts; colors vary by region.
It feeds mainly on seeds and visits water in flocks. Birds stay alert at the waterhole, then run in to drink and take off quickly if disturbed.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.