Diurnal behaviour of wintering Wigeon Anas penelope at Lac des Oiseaux, northeast Algeria.

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Houhamdi, Moussa Samraoui, Boudjéma
Copyright Year	2013
Abstract	Over a period of four years, the diurnal behaviour of Wigeon Anas pene­ lope was monitored at Lac des Oiseaux, a shallow freshwater lake, part of the Numidian wetland complex located in northeast Algeria. Wigeon arrive around late October and overwinter for 5-6 months, with numbers fluctuating between 200 and 3, 000 birds. They occupy the central area of the lake and northwestern parts dominated by Bulrush Scirpus lacustris and Sea Club-rush S. maritimus, far from any human disturbance. Results show a seasonal change in behaviour throughout the study peri­ od and highlight the fact that feeding formed an important part of the birds' diurnal activities at Lac des Oiseaux, which is used both as a feed­ ing area and a roost. These results differ from data obtained in parts of Europe, where feeding is mainly a nocturnal activity. Possible factors influencing the geographic variation in the diurnal behaviour of Wigeon are discussed.
Starting Page	51
Ending Page	62
Page Count	12
File Format	PDF HTM / HTML
Volume Number	54
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://wildfowl.wwt.org.uk/index.php/wildfowl/article/download/1156/1156
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article