Wintering Water Birds in Lac Ayata (Oued Righ Valley, Algerian Sahara) | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||||
| Article 201, Volume 29, Issue 4, July and August 2025, Page 2677-2696 PDF (843.47 K) | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2025.448447 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| Redaounia et al. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Bi-monthly field trips were conducted from September 2022 to mid-April 2023 to inventory and study the ecology of aquatic birds wintering at Lac Ayata, an unclassified wetland in the Oued Righ Valley (Eastern Sahara, Algeria). During these surveys, 22 species belonging to nine families were recorded. The family Anatidae was strongly represented, with eight species and high overall abundance (1,170–1,164 individuals recorded during February and March 2023). Notably, two of these species are listed on the IUCN Red List: the Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) and the Marbled Teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris). The families Scolopacidae and Recurvirostridae followed, with three species each. Of the total species recorded, seven used this wetland only as a stopover during migration, while 15 species remained throughout the wintering season. The most densely populated months were February and March, whereas the highest species richness (14 species) was observed in December 2022, January, and late March 2023. A balanced distribution of bird populations was particularly noticeable at both the beginning and end of the wintering season (September 2022 and March 2023). Furthermore, statistical analysis using Correspondence Factor Analysis (CFA) revealed that the wintering season can be subdivided into three distinct phases: the early wintering season (September–October), the mid-wintering season (November–January), and the late wintering season (February–early April). | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Saharan wetlands; Lac Ayata; Waterfowl; Check-list; Wetlands; Diversity index; Algeria | ||||
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