Biodiversity and phenological status of the waterbirds of the Lac des Oiseaux (Northeast of Algeria)

Abstract

Counts carried out over two consecutive years (from September 2017 to August 2019) of waterbirds occupying the Lac des Oiseaux (Ramsar site, wilaya of El-Tarf, extreme north-eastern Algeria) showed a species richness estimated at 38 waterbird species belonging to 11 families. The Anatidae and Scolopacidae with 10 and 7 species respectively are the most families represented. The former are mainly observed during the wintering season and the latter during the summer period. From an effective point of view, Anatidae and Rallidae, mainly the Eurasian Coot Fulica atra are the most abundant. From a phenological point of view, eleven species are summering, ten are resident and wintering and eight are sporadic species.