<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The white-headed duck is a globally threatened species and its populations have become fragmented and undergone major decline in recent decades. Changes including long-term abundance (five times from 2005 to 2018) and diurnal activity budget (2010−2011 and 2017−2018) with respect to the effect of habitat features at Boussedra marsh (unprotected area) were compiled in order to fill some gaps in the status and trend of North African populations. The population size of the white-headed duck decreased over years from 2010 to 2018 by about 52.81%, and was positively associated with interior vegetation area, but not significantly with water surface area. Trends of population dynamics differed among seasons, and the number was higher in wintering than breeding season. Sleeping (44.93%, 23.74%) and feeding (59.09%, 27.43%) were the dominant diurnal activities at both the years of study, respectively. Boussedra marsh plays an important ecological role as a diurnal forging habitat and reproduction site for this threatened species and as a shelter for other waterfowl.</p>
</abstract>

The white-headed duck is a globally threatened species and its populations have become fragmented and undergone major decline in recent decades. Changes including long-term abundance (five times from 2005 to 2018) and diurnal activity budget (2010−2011 and 2017−2018) with respect to the effect of habitat features at Boussedra marsh (unprotected area) were compiled in order to fill some gaps in the status and trend of North African populations. The population size of the white-headed duck decreased over years from 2010 to 2018 by about 52.81%, and was positively associated with interior vegetation area, but not significantly with water surface area. Trends of population dynamics differed among seasons, and the number was higher in wintering than breeding season. Sleeping (44.93%, 23.74%) and feeding (59.09%, 27.43%) were the dominant diurnal activities at both the years of study, respectively. Boussedra marsh plays an important ecological role as a diurnal forging habitat and reproduction site for this threatened species and as a shelter for other waterfowl.

Abundance and Diurnal Time Activity Budget of the Threatened Species White-Headed Ducks (Anatidae: <italic>Oxyura leucocephala</italic>) in an Unprotected Area, Boussedra Marsh, Northeast Algeria

Laboratoire d’Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement

Département des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences Exactes, des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie

Laboratoire Biologie, Eau et Environnement (LBEE)

Faculté SNV-STU, University 8 Mai 1945 Guelma

Département des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Institut des Sciences et de la Technologie

Ekológia (Bratislava)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Abundance and Diurnal Time Activity Budget of the Threatened Species White-Headed Ducks (Anatidae: ) in an Unprotected Area, Boussedra Marsh, Northeast Algeria

The white-headed duck is a globally threatened species and its populations have become fragmented and undergone major decline in recent decades. Changes...

Abundance and Diurnal Time Activity Budget of the Threatened Species White-Headed Ducks (Anatidae: Oxyura leucocephala) in an Unprotected Area, Boussedra Marsh, Northeast Algeria

Published Online: Dec 23, 2021

Page range: 384 - 391

Received: Jan 13, 2021

Accepted: Apr 14, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2021-0040

Keywords
Oxyura leucocephala, abundance, diurnal activity budget, Boussedra marsh, Northeast Algeria

© 2021 Hennouni Mohamed Amine et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Abundance and Diurnal Time Activity Budget of the Threatened Species White-Headed Ducks (Anatidae: Oxyura leucocephala) in an Unprotected Area, Boussedra Marsh, Northeast Algeria

Published Online: Dec 23, 2021

Page range: 384 - 391

Received: Jan 13, 2021

Accepted: Apr 14, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2021-0040

KeywordsOxyura leucocephala, abundance, diurnal activity budget, Boussedra marsh, Northeast Algeria

© 2021 Hennouni Mohamed Amine et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Oxyura leucocephala, abundance, diurnal activity budget, Boussedra marsh, Northeast Algeria