A nomadic species that, like other sandgrouse, is found in drier regions of the continent. It occurs patchily from Ethiopia to the northern parts of Botswana and Namibia, north-western South Africa and Zimbabwe. It prefers recently burned, open grasslands, fallow ields and other open areas on black clays near open water. It is recorded sparsely from Etosha National Park (reporting rate of about 1%) and in grassland areas around the Kwando and Chobe rivers. Its area of occupancy is 11,900 km2. It is known to have declined in South Africa in historic times, and populations there number about 500 birds.