Podoces

a genus of birds of the family Corvidae of the order Passeriformes. The body is 24–30 cm long. The wings are short and rounded, and the legs are strong. The plumage is gray or a rusty-sandy color, with black wings and tail. There are four species: one in Iran, two in Central Asia, and one—P. panderi —in the USSR (Middle Asia and southern Kazakhstan). The birds, which are not migratory, inhabit semideserts or deserts with shrubbery. They keep to the ground and run well; they fly only for short distances. The nests, which are large and covered, are built in thickets not far off the ground. A clutch contains four to six spotted eggs. The birds feed on insects and seeds.