Abstract
Between 2017 and 2019, 42 species of wintering waterbirds were recorded in the wetland complex of the Oued Righ valley in the Algerian Sahara. The intersite amplitudes of salinity explained the variations in species richness and distribution of waterbirds in the various wetlands studied. Oligohaline (0.5-5 ‰) and mesohaline (5-18 ‰) environments, represented by Lake Ayata, Lake Sidi Khelil and Oued Kherouf, were the most favorable to Anatidae with the exception of the tadornes where their presence was noted in the euhaline (30-40 ‰) and hyperhaline stations (> 40 ‰). The presence of the greater flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus and the slender-billed gull Chroicocephalus genei stood out in the most holomorphic areas of the complex, such as Chott Merouane. Dataset published through GBIF (Doi: 10.15470/6fqd0h)
Highlights
Wetlands are reservoirs for biodiversity, providing habitats for large numbers of waterbirds (Sebastián–González and Green 2014; Cherkaoui et al, 2015, 2017)
Our present study focuses on the possible influence of water salinity on the distribution and structure of the aquatic avifauna of Saharan wetlands
Our study focused on six wetlands: Chott Merouane and Oued Kherouf both of which have been classified as Ramsar sites since 2 February 2001), Lake of Sidi khelil, Chott Tendla, Lake of Ayata and Lake of Merdjadja
Summary
Wetlands are reservoirs for biodiversity, providing habitats for large numbers of waterbirds (Sebastián–González and Green 2014; Cherkaoui et al, 2015, 2017). Data on wetlands at the southern border of the Mediterranean in North Africa, especially those in inland areas (Hamza and Selmi, 2018) have received little attention and data are lacking. Many North African wetlands, are recognized as Important Bird Areas and appear to play a crucial role as wintering and breeding sites for a wide range of waterbirds (Bensaci et al, 2013; Cherkaoui et al, 2015; Hamza and Selmi 2015; Cherkaoui et al, 2017). The physico–chemical parameters of wetlands (salinity, PH, temperature, oxygen levels, mineralization and conductivity) influence the choice of feeding, resting and breeding sites for many species of waterfowl
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