10.15470/fozdot ab1abc7c-cf9b-4965-a945-14c4c05dd09c https://ipt.gbif.es/resource?r=anatidae_souk-ahras_algeria A. Baaloudj LBEE, Faculty SNV-STU, University 8 May

Guelma DZ

aaloudj.affef@univ-guelma.dz N. Bouali Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Souk-Ahras

Souk-Ahras DZ

M. Touarfia LEAT Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Souk-Ahras

Souk-Ahras

I. Houhamdi LBEE, Faculty SNV-STU, University 8 May

Guelma DZ

M. C. Maazi LEAT Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Souk-Ahras

Souk-Ahras DZ

M. Houhamdi LBEE, Faculty SNV-STU, University 8 May

Guelma DZ

N. Bouali Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Souk-Ahras

Souk-Ahras DZ

Montse Ferrer Arxius de Miscel·lània Zoològica, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona Managing Editor

Ps Picasso s/n Barcelona Barcelona 08003 ES

montseferrerf@gmail.com publisher 2022-06-08 eng Understanding the spatial and temporal niche of waterfowl is essential for effective management and conservation. To determine the ecology and phenology of Anatidae in North Africa, we carried out a 12-month study (2019-2020) in three wetlands that constitute a winter refuge for waterbirds in the Souk-Ahras region in north-east Algeria. We surveyed species richness, the seasonal pattern of the number of Anatidae, and their wintering diurnal behavior using regular counts and scans. We recorded thirteen species: six wintering species (Anas clypeata, Anas penelope, Anas strepera, Tadorna tadorna, Aythya ferina, Anas crecca crecca) and three sedentary nesting species ( Anas platyrhynchos, Oxyura leucocephala, and Aythya nyroca), the latter two having national and international protection status. The survey showed that the wintering behavior of all these species is dominated by sleep, which on average accounts for almost half of the total time (48.91%). Our results indicate that the three wetlands host a complex waterfowl community that includes species of conservation concern and that these sites likely play an essential role in providing the essential resources for wintering. Waterfowl Wetlands North Africa Winter refuge Specific richness Phenology n/a Occurrence GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License. http://amz.museucienciesjournals.cat/volume-19-2021-amz/ecology-phenology-and-wintering-behavior-of-anatidae-in-the-wetlands-of-souk-ahras-north-eastern-algeria/?lang=en The wilaya of Souk-Ahras (4,365.59 km2) is located in north-eastern Algeria, at the limit of the Tunisian border on a strip of 88 km. It is bound to the northeast by the wilaya of El-Taref, Guelma in the northwest, Oum El-Bouaghi in the southwest, Tébessa in the south, and Tunisia in the east 7.727 8.241 36.147 36.025 2019-09-01 2020-08-31 order Anseriformes family Anatidae species Anas clypeata species Anas penelope species Anas platyrhynchos species Anas acuta species Anas strepera species Oxyura leucocephala species Aythya nyroca species Aythya ferina species Marmaronetta angustirostris species Anas crecca crecca species Anas querquedula species Tadorna tadorna species Aythya fuligula notPlanned N. Bouali Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Souk-Ahras

Souk-Ahras DZ

A. Baaloudj LBEE, Faculty SNV-STU, University 8 May

Guelma DZ

baaloudj.affef@univ-guelma.dz M. Touarfia LEAT Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Souk-Ahras

Souk-Ahras

I. Houhamdi LBEE, Faculty SNV-STU, University 8 May

Guelma DZ

M. C. Maazi LEAT Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Souk-Ahras

Souk-Ahras DZ

M. Houhamdi LBEE, Faculty SNV-STU, University 8 May

Guelma DZ

We used R 3.5.2 (R Development Core Team 2019) ) provided with the FactoMineR package. Data were expressed as mean ± SD for analysis. The Shannon and Weaver diversity index (H ') and equitability index (E) were calculated using ADE software (Chessel et al., 2004). Species are presented in the systematic order of Sibley and Monroe (1990). To conduct comparisons of diversity indices across the three sites, we applied the Kruskal-Wallis test (nonparametric alternative to ANOVA), first because our data did not meet the normality and homoscedasticity assumptions, and second to assess the difference in abundance across sites. The wilaya of Souk-Ahras (4,365.59 km2) is located in north-eastern Algeria, at the limit of the Tunisian border on a strip of 88 km. It is bound to the northeast by the wilaya of El-Taref, Guelma in the northwest, Oum El-Bouaghi in the southwest, Tébessa in the south, and Tunisia in the east. The region has a Mediterranean climate; it is subhumid in the north and semi-arid in the south with cold winters and scorching summers in the south. Most wetlands in the region depend on the climatic conditions for their water supply, mainly rainfall. Our work covered three natural wetlands: Tiffech and El-Kaf hill reservoirs and the marsh of Madjen Djedj. The phenology and structure of the Anatidae population was monitored bi-monthly over 12 months, from September 2019 to August 2020. Our counts allowed an individual count when the flock of waterbirds was close to the point. When the number of individuals was less than 200, we counted them individually. When the number of individuals was greater than 200 or at a greater distance, we made a visual estimate (Lamotte and Bourlière, 1969; Blondel, 1975; Houhamdi, 2002). The counts were carried out by direct observation using a KONUSPOT 20-60x80 telescope. The estimated total number represents the sum of all flock snumbers (Houhamdi and Samraoui, 2001, 2003, 2008; Aissaoui et al., 2011). This method often has an estimated margin of error among professionals of 05-10%. It also depends on the observers' experience and the quality of the optical equipment used (Legendre and Legendre, 1979; Tamisier and Dehorter, 1999). To characterize the waterbird community, a few ecological indices were calculated, namely the total abundance, species richness, the Shannon and Weaver diversity index (H') and the index of fairness (E) (Chessel et al., 2004). The second part of our study consisted of monitoring the rhythm of the daily activities of Anatidae. We used the the SCAN method, carried out every hour, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Baldassare et al., 1988; Losito et al., 1989; Tamisier and Dehorter, 1999; Boulekhssaim et al., 2006). The activities monitored were feeding, sleeping, swimming, grooming, flight, courtship, and antagonism (Houhamdi and Samraoui, 2001, 2003, 2008; Metallaoui et al., 2009). A. Baaloudj author The wetlands of north-eastern Algeria are characterized by great biodiversity of fauna and flora (Samraoui and De Belair, 1998; Samraoui and Samraoui, 2008; Khelifa et al., 2016). One of the key taxonomic groups that characterizes their ecological importance is waterbirds, not only because of their crucial role in ecosystem functioning (Temple and Wiens, 1989; Carignan and Villard, 2002) but also because they reflect the environmental health of these areas (Maazi, 2005; Houhamdi et al., 2009). Additionally, Algeria has a strategic geographic position in the Western Palaearctic, and it has more than 1200 wetlands, 52 of which are internationally classified (Samraoui and Samraoui, 2008). These geographic and environmental attributes make local wetlands a high-quality refuge for waterbirds. Algerian waterbirds have attracted a lot of attention over the last two decades, highlighting their great importance for biological conservation (Houhamdi et al., 2008; Saheb, 2009; Khelifa, 2012; Chettibi et al., 2013; Bara et al., 2014). These studies have focused on a wide range of waterbirds, including the common scaup (Aythya nyroca), the flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), the elegant avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), white stilt (Himantopus himantopus), white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala), common cranes (Grus grus), teal (Anas crecca crecca), shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) and souchet duck (Anas clypeata) (Boulkhssaim et al., 2006; Baaziz and Samraoui, 2008; Houhamdi et al., 2008; Mayache et al., 2008; Aissaoui et al., 2009; Metallaoui et al., 2009; Saheb et al., 2009; Maazi et al., 2010; Metallaoui et al., 2014). Among these birds, the Anatidae constitute the most dominant group in view of both species richness and abundance (Metallaoui and Houhamdi, 2008; Maazi, 2009; Houhamdi et al., 2009; Boukrouna et al., 2011; Baaziz et al., 2011; Merzoug et al., 2014; Guergueb et al., 2014; Amoabda et al., 2015; Halassi et al., 2016; Atoussi et al., 2017). Given that the most threatened waterbirds also belong to Anatidae, studies on their ecology, behavior, and demography should be regularly conducted to build up a long-term database and support their management and conservation. Our aim was to assess the abundance, species composition, and wintering diurnal behavior of Anatidae in three wetlands in the Souk-Ahras region in north east Algeria. The study was conducted from September 2019 to August 2020, thus covering both the wintering season and the breeding season. We determined species composition and abundance by means of bi-monthly visits, allowing us to monitor seasonal patterns. The wintering behavior was categorized into seven different behaviors. The time allocated to each behavior was then calculated using the scan method. The wilaya of Souk-Ahras (4,365.59 km2) is located in north-eastern Algeria, at the limit of the Tunisian border on a strip of 88 km. It is bound to the northeast by the wilaya of El-Taref, Guelma in the northwest, Oum El-Bouaghi in the southwest, Tébessa in the south, and Tunisia in the east. The region has a Mediterranean climate; it is subhumid in the north and semi-arid in the south with cold winters and scorching summers in the south. Most wetlands in the region depend on the climatic conditions for their water supply, mainly rainfall. Our work covered three natural wetlands: Tiffech and El-Kaf hill reservoirs and the marsh of Madjen Djedj. The phenology and structure of the Anatidae population was monitored bi-monthly over 12 months, from September 2019 to August 2020. Our counts allowed an individual count when the flock of waterbirds was close to the point. When the number of individuals was less than 200, we counted them individually. When the number of individuals was greater than 200 or at a greater distance, we made a visual estimate (Lamotte and Bourlière, 1969; Blondel, 1975; Houhamdi, 2002). The counts were carried out by direct observation using a KONUSPOT 20-60x80 telescope. The estimated total number represents the sum of all flock snumbers (Houhamdi and Samraoui, 2001, 2003, 2008; Aissaoui et al., 2011). This method often has an estimated margin of error among professionals of 05-10%. It also depends on the observers' experience and the quality of the optical equipment used (Legendre and Legendre, 1979; Tamisier and Dehorter, 1999). To characterize the waterbird community, a few ecological indices were calculated, namely the total abundance, species richness, the Shannon and Weaver diversity index (H') and the index of fairness (E) (Chessel et al., 2004). The second part of our study consisted of monitoring the rhythm of the daily activities of Anatidae. We used the the SCAN method, carried out every hour, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Baldassare et al., 1988; Losito et al., 1989; Tamisier and Dehorter, 1999; Boulekhssaim et al., 2006). The activities monitored were feeding, sleeping, swimming, grooming, flight, courtship, and antagonism (Houhamdi and Samraoui, 2001, 2003, 2008; Metallaoui et al., 2009). 2021-06-23T00:29:02.364+02:00 dataset Bouali, N., Baaloudj, A., Touarfia, M., Houhamdi, I., Maazi, M. C., Houhamdi, M., 2021. Ecology, phenology and wintering behavior of Anatidae in the wetlands of Souk-Ahras (north-eastern Algeria). Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona. Dataset/Occurrence. https://doi.org/10.15470/fozdot Bouali, N., Baaloudj, A., Touarfia, M., Houhamdi, I., Maazi, M. C., Houhamdi, M., 2021. Ecology, phenology and wintering behavior of Anatidae in the wetlands of Souk-Ahras (north-eastern Algeria). Arxius de Miscel·lània Zoològica, 19: 135- , https://doi.org/10.32800/amz.2021.19.0135 http://www.gbif.es/ipt/logo.do?r=mcnb-tissue ab1abc7c-cf9b-4965-a945-14c4c05dd09c/v1.4.xml