New distribution and breeding location of the Stock Dove Columba oenas in Algeria

Algeria hosts seven species of the Columbidae family, including pigeons and doves, the majority of which have been the subject of numerous studies, but none have been conducted on the Stock Dove (Columba oenas). Data on this species are still scarce, and its distribution is limited only to Kabylie in northern Algeria. Species occurrence data were collected from September 2022 to August 2023 using the point count method. However, the species was recently recorded in several new localities (20 stations) in West Algeria, at Sidi Bel Abbès and Tlemcen. All our observations were made in a semi-arid bioclimatic area at an altitude ranging between 750 and 1,216 m. Nesting sites were located on woodland and forest edges, not far from water sources, and feeding sites were located in open, natural, or agricultural environments where cereal seeds, grasses, flower buds, and young green shoots were consumed. It could also cohabit with other species of pigeons and doves.