Diurnal wintering behaviour of the Marbled Teal ...

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Diurnal wintering behaviour of the Marbled Teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris) in north-east Algeria a

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Meriem Aberkane , Mohamed-Chérif Maazi , Farah Chettibi , El-Yamine Guergueb , Zihad a

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Bouslama & Moussa Houhamdi a

Faculté des Sciences, Département de Biologie, Université Badji Mokhtar de Annaba, er

BP 291, 1 Novembre, Ain Beida wilaya d’Oum El Bouaghi, 04200, Annaba, Algérie b

Faculté SNV, Département de Biologie, Université Mohamed Cherif Messaadia, Cité Premier novembre, Souk-Ahras 41000, Algérie c

Faculté SNV-STU, Laboratoire Biologie, Eau et Environnement (LBEE), Département des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université 08 Mai 1945 de Guelma, Commune de Ain Makhlouf, 24200 wilaya de Guelma, Guelma, Algérie Published online: 24 Feb 2014.

To cite this article: Meriem Aberkane, Mohamed-Chérif Maazi, Farah Chettibi, El-Yamine Guergueb, Zihad Bouslama & Moussa Houhamdi (2014): Diurnal wintering behaviour of the Marbled Teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris) in north-east Algeria, Zoology and Ecology, DOI: 10.1080/21658005.2014.889870 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21658005.2014.889870

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Zoology and Ecology, 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21658005.2014.889870

Diurnal wintering behaviour of the Marbled Teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris) in north-east Algeria Meriem Aberkanea, Mohamed-Chérif Maazib, Farah Chettibia, El-Yamine Guerguebc, Zihad Bouslamaa and Moussa Houhamdic* a Faculté des Sciences, Département de Biologie, Université Badji Mokhtar de Annaba, BP 291, 1erNovembre, Ain Beida wilaya d’Oum El Bouaghi, 04200, Annaba, Algérie; bFaculté SNV, Département de Biologie, Université Mohamed Cherif Messaadia, Cité Premier novembre, Souk-Ahras 41000, Algérie; cFaculté SNV-STU, Laboratoire Biologie, Eau et Environnement (LBEE), Département des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université 08 Mai 1945 de Guelma, Commune de Ain Makhlouf, 24200 wilaya de Guelma, Guelma, Algérie

Downloaded by [Moussa Houhamdi] at 10:19 27 February 2014

(Received 18 July 2013; accepted 27 January 2014) The Marbled Teal, Marmaronetta angustirostris, is a globally threatened species, especially in the Western Mediterranean. Its numbers are currently following a downward trend. The population size and status of the Marbled Teal are well estimated in some areas of its geographic range, but in others, such as Algerian wetlands, they are still not known. Population and time-activity budget estimation of the species were carried out in the semi-arid Ramsar wetland Garaet Timerganine located in north-east Algeria in the course of two subsequent wintering seasons. The wintering population showed a significant decrease in numbers from the first to the second year with peaks of 763 and 270 individuals, respectively. This variation was probably due to the abrupt water level rise in the wetland, scarcity of the vegetation cover and availability of many other wintering places following heavy rains in the second year. The time-activity budget was dominated by resting followed by swimming and feeding. Preening, flight and courting were rarely observed accounting for less than 5% of the whole diurnal activity budget. Although the species preferred shallow parts of the wetland, it also used terrestrial habitats near the shore. Visame pasaulyje, ypač vakarinėje Viduržemio jūros dalyje marmurinė kryklė Marmaronetta angustirostris yra nykstanti rūšis, jų skaičius mažėja. Kai kurių rūšies populiacijų dydis ir būklė yra gerai ištirti, tačiau iš Alžyro šlapžemių duomenų apie šiuos paukščius nėra. M. angustirostris populiacijos būklė bei šių paukščių laiko sąnaudos įvairiai veiklai buvo tirtos Alžyro šiaurės rytinėje dalyje, pusiau sausringose Garaet Timerganine šlapžemėse (Ramsaro teritorija). Tyrimai truko du žiemojimo sezonus. Pirmaisiais tyrimo metais žiemojančios populiacijos dydis buvo 763, antraisiais – 270 individų. Žiemojančių kryklių skaičiaus pokytį galėjo sąlygoti staigus vandens lygio pakilimas šlapžemėse, skurdi jų augalija ir antraisiais tyrimo metais po liūčių atsiradusios naujos žiemojimo vietos. Didžiausią laiko dalį paukščiai praleido ilsėdamiesi, plaukiodami ir maitindamiesi. Plunksnų valymo procedūros, skraidymas, poravimosi ritualai buvo stebimi retai – mažiau nei 5% laiko. M. angustirostris dažniau rinkosi seklias šlapžemių dalis, tačiau buveinės sausumoje netoli kranto taip pat buvo naudojamos. Keywords: Marbled Teal; threatened; activity budget; Ramsar site; Algeria

Introduction Migratory wildfowl are attracted to highly productive wetlands especially during the wintering season in order to compensate for the energy and weight loss sustained during their journey (Kear 2005; Newton 2007). Birds (such as ducks) pass through three main periods, i.e. compensation and growth, pairing and reserve storage (Tamisier and Dehorter 1999), during the wintering season at wintering grounds. These periods have an important impact on both survival and breeding success of individuals. Studies of time-activity budget, i.e. time that animals allocate to different activities (Rave and Baldassarre 1989), are crucial for the understanding of how species use their habitat and manage their energy to respond to their ecological and nutritional needs (Paulus 1983, 1988; Muzaffar 2004). Such data have enabled ornithologists to conserve threatened species, manage *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] © 2014 Nature Research Centre

natural wetlands and improve species status (Hughes, Henderson, and Robertson 2006; Young 2006). The Marbled Teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris) is a globally threatened duck ranked as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List (BirdLife International 2012). The species shows a discontinuous distribution over the Mediterranean, the Middle East and West-Central Asia. The current global population is estimated at 50,000–55,000 individuals with 80% of it located in south-western Asia (BirdLife International 2012). However, in the West Mediterranean, where the fragmented population is estimated at 3000–5000 birds, the species reproduces only in Spain, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia (Green 1993, 1996; BirdLife International 2012). Several studies have investigated the species’ ecology and behaviour mainly in Spain and Morocco (Navarro and Robledano 1995; Green 1996; Green and El Hamzaoui 2000; Green et al. 2002,

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2004, 2005; Green and Sánchez 2003), but little attention has been paid to Algerian populations. In the present study, population and diurnal activity budget estimation of the species was conducted during two consecutive wintering seasons in a partially breeding population located in north-east Algeria, Garaet Timerganine.


Study site Garaet Timerganine is a 280 ha freshwater pond located in semi-arid high plains of north-east Algeria (35°40′N; 06°58′E) (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Geographic location of Garaet Timerganine.

With a maximum water depth of 1.5 m, this small wetland harbours large numbers of breeding species of conservation concern such as the White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala), the Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) and the Marbled Teal (Maazi 2009). It is due to these species that since 2010 this wetland has been ranked as a Ramsar site of international importance. The vegetation cover mainly consists of Reeds (Phragmites australis), Sea Club-rush (Scirpus maritimus) and Triangular Club-rush (Scirpus triqueter).

Zoology and Ecology


Materials and methods Regular counts of the Marbled Teal were conducted three times a month from September to April in the course of two consecutive years 2011–2012 using a Konus-Spot (20 × 60) spotting scope. When ducks were near enough and their number did not exceed 200 individuals, birds were counted individually. In other cases, visual estimations were carried out by dividing the visual field into several strips, counting birds in a single strip and extrapolating the number to the whole population (Lamotte and Bourrelière 1969; Blondel 1975). During the same study period, the diurnal activity budget was monitored with the same sampling frequency. Taking into account the relief of the wetland and the number of Marbled Teals, instantaneous scan sampling was carried out from 8 am to 4 pm to estimate the time allocated to the following activities: resting, locomotion, preening, feeding, flight and courtship (Altmann 1974; Baldassare et al. 1988; Losito, Mirarchi, and Baldassare 1989; Tamisier and Dehorter 1999). Statistical tests were conducted using SPSS 17.0. Non-parametric tests were chosen when data did not follow a normal distribution. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to reveal a significant difference in the number of ducks in both wintering seasons. χ2 tests were carried out to determine whether there were significant differences in time-activity budgets between the two wintering seasons. Results Phenology The number of Marbled Teals decreased substantially from 2010 to 2012 (Paired t-test: t = 4.22, df = 23, p < 0.0001). In 2010, the maximum number of individuals (763) was recorded in September, which gradually decreased to just 10 ducks in April (Figure 2). In 2012, the peak number of individuals (270) was recorded in

Figure 2. Dynamics of the number of Marbled Teals in Garaet Timerganine in 2010 and 2011. Black and grey lines represent counts done in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

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early October, which plunged abruptly to only 12 ducks in early November. Then, a slight variation was observed until the total disappearance of the species at the study site in mid-March (Figure 2). Diurnal activity budget Diurnal activity budget exhibited small variations between the two subsequent wintering seasons in all activities except feeding and swimming (Figure 3). Resting was the dominant activity accounting for 67 and 62% of the diurnal activity budget during the first and second wintering seasons, respectively. In the first wintering season, swimming was the second dominant activity constituting 21% of all the diurnal activity budget, while feeding was the third accounting for only 4% of the diurnal activity budget. In the second wintering season, the opposite trend was observed with feeding constituting 25% and swimming 8% of the diurnal activity budget. Preening, flight and courting were the least frequent activities accounting for 3.65 and 4.83% of the activity budget in the first and second year. Monthly time-activity budgets of the Marbled Teal for both study years are presented in Figure 4. Diurnal rhythms of activities were usually similar in both study years (Figure 5). Resting period was the longest early in the morning, then it gradually decreased at mid-day. Swimming, preening and feeding periods were the shortest in the morning, reaching a peak in the afternoon. Courtship and flight were not observed at noon. However, the former was displayed both in the morning and in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the latter (flight) peaked in the afternoon in the first year and in the morning in the second year of the study. Microhabitat use Although diurnal activity of the Marbled Teal was mainly performed in water, the terrestrial habitat near the bank was also used. Locomotion, flight, and courtship

Figure 3. Activity (in percentage terms) of the Marbled Teal wintering at Garaet Timerganine. Black and open bars represent the wintering season of 2010–2011 and 2011–2012, respectively.

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Figure 4. Monthly time-activity budget of the Marbled Teal at Garaet Timerganine. (A) Wintering season 2010/2011 and (B) wintering season 2011/2012.

Figure 5. Time-activity budgets (per hour) of the Marbled Teal at Garaet Timerganine. (A) Wintering season 2010/2011 and (B) wintering season 2011/2012.

were exclusively performed under or above water, while resting, feeding and preening were also observed on the bank. The ratio between terrestrial and aquatic activity peaked in November reaching 23.72, 12.72 and 51.55% in percentage terms and had the mean of 4.17 ± 8.30, 1.82 ± 4.45 and 6.77 ± 18.10% for resting, feeding and preening, respectively. Discussion Algerian populations of the Marbled Teal are among the least studied in the species geographic range. Reliable and regular population estimation has never been conducted, and time-activity budget of the species has never been investigated either. Our results showed significant differences in wintering behaviour of the teal between Moroccan and Spanish populations (Green and El Hamzaoui 2000). Except for the two study years, the Marbled Teal regularly bred in Garaet Timerganine in a small population of 30–50 breeding pairs. The considerable differences in numbers of the teal recorded between the years of the study are thought to be due to the annual

variation of water level. In fact, heavy rains fell in the second year of the study raising the water level. Vegetated areas, which represent the preferred habitats of the species (Green 1998; Green and El Hamzaoui 2000), became scarce and it took more time for them to emerge from water. In addition, other potential wintering areas became available in the region. The peak number of individuals (763) recorded in 2010 was higher than that of all populations reported by Green and Navarro (1997) in Spain and represented 18% of the regional wintering population (BirdLife International 2012). Time-activity budget displayed significant variations between months compared to that observed in Moroccan wintering populations (Green and El Hamzaoui 2000). Teals spent more time resting at the study site than those wintering in Spain and Morocco (Green and El Hamzaoui 2000). This species is known to be a nocturnal forager during the wintering season. The second year of the study was marked by more frequent diurnal feeding at the expense of swimming. This might be explained by the scarcity of seeds in the second year, which, besides Chironomids (Green 2000) constitute a staple component of the species diet. Therefore, foraging of teals lasted longer.


Zoology and Ecology Swimming is usually associated with courtship. Increased swimming in early spring (March) corresponds to more active search for breeding partners prior to the breeding season, as was noted by Green and El Hamzaoui (2000) in Morocco. Predation attempts by Marsh Harriers (Circus aeruginosus), which caused an increase in the flying activity, were common in November and December. In fact, when teals noticed a flying raptor, they flew towards vegetated areas, which, as pointed out in other studies (Tamisier 1974; Euliss and Harris 1987; Green and El Hamzaoui 2000), is a common behaviour of Anatidae. Diurnal rhythms of the Marbled Teal were also significantly different from those reported by Green and El Hamzaoui (2000) from Spain and Morocco, where resting peaked early in the afternoon, while feeding, preening and swimming (locomotion) showed maximums in the morning. Interpopulation variations in diurnal rhythms could be explained by different local conditions including food availability and distribution, abiotic factors such as water temperature (thermoregulation) and biotic factors such as predation and intra and interspecific competition. Studies on the Marbled Teal showed its preference for shoreline habitats where vegetation is relatively dense. The current study revealed that the species usually allocated some time for feeding and comfort activities (resting and preening) out of water near the bank, something that has never been recorded in previous studies. The study site was characterized by a semi-arid climate where temperature fluctuates substantially over daytime and where food availability may be low. Therefore, teals that left water could find some thermoregulation (warmer temperature) and foraging (seeds availability) advantages in terrestrial areas. To assess the local status of the species, it is necessary to conduct regular counts and long-term surveys of Algerian populations. It is interesting to study the species’ behaviour in different bioclimatic regions (humid, semi-arid and Sahara) to determine how the species copes with different environmental conditions in order to survive and reproduce.

Acknowledgements We wish to thank Mr Khelifa Rassim (Université Mouloud Mammeri, Tizi Ouzou, Algeria) for providing assistance in logistics, statistical analyses and translation. We would also like to thank Dr Saheb Menouar (Université Larbi-Ben-M’hidi, Oum EL Bouaghi, Algeria), Bakhouche Badis and Draidi Khalil (University of Annaba, Algeria) for their helpful assistance during fieldwork.

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