RÉP ARTITION ET ABONDANCE DE L’ÉRISMA TURE À TÊTE BLANCHE Oxyura leucocephala DANS LES ZONES HUMIDES DU NORD-EST ALGÉRIEN

Abstract

Status of the White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala in Northeast Algeria. The globally threatened White-headed Duck is one the most rare duck species in the Western Palearctic. Its distribution in Algeria is mainly restricted to the northeastern part of the country and the Hauts-Plateaux. In 2013 and 2014, 694 individuals were counted. The studied sites harboured distinct numbers in winter and in summer of the two years. The p-values (KRUSKAL WALLIS test) were lower than 0.05. The Lake Tonga showed the highest numbers in winter and the Boussedra wetland in summer. The results indicated a stable occurrence in the studied areas without any difference between the two years. The PCA analysis showed a significant correlation between the distribution of this species and three following main factors: vegetation, surface area and water depth at the Boussedra wetland, Lake Tonga and Garaet Hadj-Taher. The lower occurrence in other parts of the studied areas, particularly on the Hauts- Plateaux, is mainly the consequence of drying out process and habitat degradation. Key words: Oxyura leucocephala, Status, Wetlands, Hauts-Plateaux, Algeria (Northeastern).