03/12/2017
New research has found that Algerian
Nuthatch has declined markedly in one of its strongholds over the
past 25 years.
Algerian Nuthatch is, as its name
suggests, endemic to Algeria. It is found only in the ancient, humid oak
forests in the north of the country, occurring at just four known sites: Djebel
Babor, Guerrouch Forest in Taza National Park, Tamentout Forest and Djimla
Forest. The four sites are relatively close to each other and are all located
in the Babor Mountains.
The study, led by Riadh Moulaï,
concentrated on assessing population size at Guerrouch Forest during the
breeding season, by counting the number of territorial singing males and
conducting a systematic search for nest sites. The results were then compared
to population data collected in the early 1990s.
The results showed a significant
and worrying decline in the Algerian Nuthatch population at Guerrouch. The
researchers found a very low population density of between one and two pairs of
nuthatches per 10 hectares in the forest, a significant decline on the 2-3.1
pairs per 10 hectares noted in 1991 and the 3.25 pairs per 10 hectares in 1992.
Moulaï and his team counted just 18 individuals in a 300-hectare section of
surveyed forest, a stark contrast to the 91 individuals counted in an
800-hectare area of the same forest in 1991.
Reference
Moulaï, R, Bouchareb, A, Gheribi,
A & Bougham, A F. 2017. Statut de la population et biologie de la reproduction de la
Sittelle Kabyle (Sitta ledanti) dans la forêt de Guerrouch (Algérie). Alauda 85
(2), 2017: 101-107.
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