This article was downloaded by: [michel clouet]On: 20 December 2013, At: 10:02Publisher: Taylor & FrancisInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: MortimerHouse, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Ostrich: Journal of African OrnithologyPublication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tost20

Variations in bird communities of the SaharanmountainsMichel Cloueta & Jean Joachimb

a Association Régionale Ornithologique du Midi et des Pyrénées (AROMP), MuséumHistoire Naturelle, 35 Allées Jules Guesdes, F-31400 Toulouse, Franceb Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Comportement et Ecologie dela Faune Sauvage, Chemin de Borde Rouge, BP52627, F-31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex,FrancePublished online: 17 Dec 2013.

To cite this article: Michel Clouet & Jean Joachim (2013) Variations in bird communities of the Saharan mountains,Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology, 84:3, 205-211

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2013.867550

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) containedin the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make norepresentations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose ofthe Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be reliedupon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shallnot be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and otherliabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to orarising out of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematicreproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in anyform to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

OSTRICH 2013, 84(3): 205–211Printed in South Africa — All rights reserved

Copyright © NISC (Pty) LtdO S T R I C H

ISSN 0030–6525 EISSN 1727-947Xhttp://dx.doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2013.867550

Ostrich is co-published by NISC (Pty) Ltd and Taylor & Francis

Variations in bird communities of the Saharan mountains

Michel Clouet1* and Jean Joachim2

1 Association Régionale Ornithologique du Midi et des Pyrénées (AROMP), Muséum Histoire Naturelle, 35 Allées Jules Guesdes, F-31400 Toulouse, France 2 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Comportement et Ecologie de la Faune Sauvage, Chemin de Borde Rouge, BP52627, F-31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France * Corresponding author, e-mail: michel.p.clouet@gmail.com

Characteristics and variations of the bird communities in the Saharan mountains were evaluated in five massifs from West to East: the Adrar of Mauritania, the Ahaggar in Algeria, the Adrar of the Iforas in north-eastern Mali, the Aïr Mountains in northern Niger, and the Red Sea Mountains in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Bird censuses (n 110) were conducted during dry seasons. A total of 139 species were recorded, of which 120 remained after elimination of occasional visitors and were used for analysis. Total richness and diversity increased from the most central and high Ahaggar towards the western, eastern and especially southern massifs. Among the resident communities the number of Saharo-Sindian species was higher in the central, eastern and western massifs, whereas Afrotropical species were more abundant in the southern ones. A principal component analysis distinguished three opposite poles of species linked with Adrar of the Iforas, Aïr and Red Sea mountains and cluster analysis led to the ordina-tion of the five massifs along a longitudinal gradient from West to East. Avifaunal variations between the different Saharan mountains sampled led to a regional pattern in relation with faunistic affinities and it fitted with the three biogeographical subregions of the Saharan biome: Sahara, Sahel and Nubian Desert.

Keywords: bird communities, faunistic affinities, Saharan mountains

The Sahara is part of the Saharo-Arabian or Saharo-Sindian realm, which extends from the Atlantic coast to the Indian peninsula (Holt et al. 2013). This extensive desert area developed during the Quaternary in a stretch of more or less permanently arid or hyperarid conditions between the Palearctic to the north and the Afrotropical realm to the south (Le Houérou 1997). Consequently, the bird fauna of this, the world’s largest desert, generally with low species density, displays affinities with both neighbouring biogeographical regions and has sometimes been considered as Afrotropical (since the Sahara is thought to form the last stage of vegeta-tion degradation of the African savanna; Heim de Balzac 1936, Kreft and Jetz 2010), but more often as Palearctic (Moreau 1966, Isenmann et al. 2010) and also as a specific recognis-able Saharo-Sindian entity (Harrison 1986).

Mountains rising out of the Sahara lowlands ranging up to 3 000 m potentially form ecological islands and refuges for flora and fauna after climatic-vegetational past events and thus represent spots of higher biodiversity (Ozenda 1977, Le Houérou 1997). As only few data are available on bird faunas in these areas we report and compare observations collected in Saharan mountains from the Western-Central Sahara to the Eastern Sahara Highlands and we looked for variations in the bird assemblages and their potential ecological and biogeographical origins.

Materials and methods

We used data collected through five countries: Mauritania, Algeria, Mali, Niger and Egypt (the mountains of Chad,

Tibesti and Ennedi, despite their interest, were not investi-gated) (Figure 1). The study areas were located in arid or hyperarid zones with annual rainfall averaging 100 mm (50 mm) affected to various extents by altitude and large interannual variations. The study areas were selected to be representative of each massif visited where the bird community was sampled (Table 1). The western-most location was in the Adrar of Mauritania. The highest massif of Ahaggar, with summits culminating at 2 900 m, is in a more central position in southern Algeria. The Adrar of the Iforas, in north-eastern Mali was mainly prospected in its northern part, the Adrar Thirarar (Clouet and Goar 2003, 2008). The Aïr Mountains are situated in northern Niger. The Red Sea Mountains in the Eastern or Nubian Desert of Egypt were sampled in four main study plots: El Ghadeer, Wadi Gimal, Hamata and Abracq (Clouet2011) (Table 1).

For this study, bird censuses were conducted by the same observer (MC), in the same conditions, during dry seasons, and observations were carried out along ornitho-logical transects 1–5 km long (n 110) in three main kinds of habitat in common to the five massifs: (1) large dry river beds (oueds or wadis) with the richest vegetation dominated by trees and shrubs: Acacia spp., Balanites spp., Tamarix spp. and Salvadora spp.; (2) narrow intramontane wadis (with little vegetation but some rock-pools (‘gueltas’); and (3) fringing flood plains (flat sandy or rocky areas surrounding (i.e. 500 m) mountain escarpments) with some shrubs and steppe vegetation: Panicum spp., Lasiurus spp. and Cymbopogon spp.

Introduction

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

mic

hel c

loue

t] a

t 10:

02 2

0 D

ecem

ber

2013

Clouet and Joachim206

Environmental variables used for the analyses were (1) vegetation cover considered as two classes: 25%, and between 25% and 50% for three vegetation types: trees, shrubland and steppe-like; and (2) occurrence of settlements, occurrence of grazing, gardens and open water (‘gueltas’).

Species assignment to the biogeographical Saharo-Sindian and Sahelian biome followed Fishpool and Evans (2001) for ‘biome-restricted bird species’ and Jennings (2010), even though some of these species extend their distribution to adjacent regions and other bird species widely present in the Sahara are not included in thesespecific groups.

The bird assemblages of the different massifs were mainly compared through species richness, abundance and diversity indexes. To assess the variations among the bird assemblages, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the matrix of bird species, environ-mental variables and the location of the five Saharan massifs. To complete the picture of the variations and identify a potential biogeographical gradient, hierarchical cluster analysis (using the Ward link correlation coefficient method) was conducted using the same variables.

Results

Composition and characteristics of the bird communities A total of 139 species was recorded. After elimination of species observed only once (occasional visitors), analyses concerned 120 species (see Appendix).

Global richness, diversity and abundance increased from the most central and high Ahaggar to the western Adrar of Mauritania, the eastern Red Sea Mountains and mainly the southern Adrar of the Iforas and Aïr Mountains (although the Adrar of the Iforas is geographically a continuation of the Ahaggar) (Table 1). Palearctic migrating species were proportionally the more numerous in the western (45%) and eastern (52%) massifs, whereas residents dominated the central and southern massifs (68% and 81%, respectively).

Considering only the resident communities, biogeograph-ical variations showed that the number of Saharo-Sindian species was higher in the central, eastern and western massifs, whereas it was the Afrotropical species in the southern ones (Figure 2). Few species were common to the five massifs: they formed a background of only 14 species (12%), nine residents and five Palearctic migrating or overwintering species. Six of the nine common resident species were typically Saharo-Sindian. Eleven more species were common to four of the five massifs, mainly residents out of which six were typically Saharo-Sindian. Regarding frequencies of occurrence, the more frequent species were of this later biogeographical assignment. Only one species, Oenanthe leucopyga, occurred with a frequency of more than 50% in all the five massifs, whereas Ptyonoprogne fuligula, Ammomanes deserti and Emberiza striolata reached the same frequency in three of the five.

Some species (n 40) were recorded in only one of the five massifs and were then considered as characteristic and exhibited a distinctive biogeographical affinity: seven in the Adrar of Mauritania (three Palearctic residents, three Palearctic migrants and one cosmopolitan); none in the Ahaggar; seven in the Adrar of the Iforas (four Afrotropical and one Saharo-Sindian residents, and two Palearctic migrants); 10 in the Aïr (nine Afrotropical and one Sahelian residents) and 16 in the Red Sea Mountains (one cosmopol-itan, one Palearctic, one Palearctic/Afrotropical, four Saharo-Sindian residents, and nine Palearctic migrants).

Figure 1: Location of the five massifs. Ad.M. Adrar of Mauritania; Ah. Ahaggar; Ad.If. Adrar of the Iforas; Aïr; and R.S.M. Red Sea Mountains

Table 1: The different areas with location, altitude, dates of surveys, number of censuses and community parameters

Characteristic AdrarMauritania Ahaggar Adrar

Iforas Aïr Red SeaMountains

Geographic coordinates 20°30′–20°60′ N 23°00′–24°50′ N 19°25′–19°60′ N 19°00′–19°20′ N 24°55′–23°25′ N11°30′–13°00′ W 5°25′–5°50′ E 00°55′–01°15′ E 7°40′–8°40′ E 35°15′–35°40′ E

Elevation 300–700 m a.s.l. 1 000–2 300 m a.s.l. 600–900 m a.s.l. 600–1 000 m a.s.l. 600–800 m a.s.l. Date of surveys Nov–Dec 2008 Dec 2001 Feb 2003 Dec 2001 Mar 2010

Mar 2003 Jan 2004 Mar 2002 Nov–Dec 2010Mar 2007

N censuses 13 10 27 29 31Total richness 42 26 83 75 49Mean richness 9.2 7.9 12.67 12.1 12.67Total abundance 213 163 689 673 357Mean abundance 16.4 16.3 25.78 23.2 26Shannon index 4.73 4 5.51 5.45 4.59Habitat diversity (Shannon) 3.24 3.27 3.09 3.26 2.89

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

mic

hel c

loue

t] a

t 10:

02 2

0 D

ecem

ber

2013

Ostrich 2013, 84(3): 205–211 207

Trophic guilds The richness and diversity of trophic guilds are good indicators of ecological and functional organisation at the community level. Small insectivores (except aerials) represented the richest trophic guild with 40 species, dominated by Palearctic migrants (65%/68%). Predators–scavengers, which cover a large spectrum of ecological requirements and susceptibility, amounted to 26 species among which Palearctic species (both residents [n 11] and migrants [n 9]) accounted for 77%. Great insecti-vores–omnivores (26 species) are mainly resident Saharo-Sindian (30%) and Afrotropical (40%) species. Small granivores formed the poorest trophic guild (16 species) dominated by 69% of Afrotropical species.

All the trophic guilds were richer in the two southern massifs, except comparatively the small insectivores in relation to dispersion of migrants or overwintering Palearctic species. Concerning biogeographic affinities within trophic guilds, from the richest (the small insectivores) to the poorest guild (the small granivores), Palearctic species were progressively replaced by Afrotropical species.

AnalysisPrincipal component analysis Regarding the matrix 120 bird species 10 environmental variables five massifs, PCA assessed the variations between the bird assemblages. Axes 1 and 2 accounted for 15% of the variance in the data, 50% was reached with the 17th axis. The bird ordination distinguished three opposite poles of species, each linked to an environmental variable and one of the five massifs (Figure 3). Axis 1 set a group of Afrotropical species associated with the denser tree cover between 25% and 50% and the Aïr massif. Axis 2 set a second group in a positive situation, with species of Palearctic or Saharan origin, characteristic of open habitat, linked with low and poor vegetation cover: shrubland and steppe-like 25%, and with Adrar of the Iforas. The third group, in negative position, with Palearctic migrants and Saharan species, was related to the occurrence of grazing

and the Red Sea Mountains. Thus, despite the low values of the variance in the data, PCA illustrated a clear opposi-tion between the Adrar of the Iforas, the Aïr and the Red Sea Mountains, which were widely separated over the figure, whereas the Adrar of Mauritania and Ahaggar were very close in a central position.

Cluster analysis The extensive hierarchical clustering using the same sets of data showed clusters that merge with each other at certain distances marked on the y-axis of the dendrogram (Figure 4). The cluster analysis provided a complemen-tary picture of the similarities and differences of the massifs and displayed a geographic ordination along a longitudinal gradient from West to East. The extreme position of the Red Sea Mountains has to be related to the highest number (16) of unique species in this massif and its nearer location to the centre of the Saharo-Sindian biome.

Discussion

Limits of this study Richness assessment may be affected by a different sampling effort among massifs and was non-exhaus-tive (inherent to the sampling method). Samples were restricted to dry seasons. Rains may affect mainly migrating species whether Palearctic or African (and richness grows during the rains in the southern massifs with movements of African migrants; Clouet and Goar 2008) but precise data on annual rainfall were not

10

20

30

40

50

Ad.M. Ah. Ad.If. Aïr R.S.M.

Afrotropical + SahelSaharo-SinidianPalearctic

NU

MB

ER

OF

SP

EC

IES

REGION

Figure 2: Number of resident species of different biogeographical assignment in the five massifs. Ad. M Adrar of Mauritania; Ah. Ahaggar; Ad. If Adrar of the Iforas; Aïr; and R.S.M. Red Sea Mountains

AD.IF

AIR

AHAGMAUR

RSM

CP1

CP

2

step25shrub25

tree2550

grazing

Aquila chrysaetos

Ammoperdix heyi

Lanius meridionalis

Passer griseus

Cercotricas podobe

Sylvia curruca

Gypaetus barbatus

Hedydipna platura

Aquila nipalensis

Oenanthe leucopygaFalco tinnunculusAmmomanes deserti

Oenanthe desertiOenanthe lugens

Eremopterix nigriceps

Merops orientalisLybius vieilloti

Urocolius macrourus

0.1 0.2 0.30.00.10.20.30.4

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

Figure 3: Ordination of the most discriminant bird species, environmental variables and the five massifs in the plane defined by the first and second axes of the PCA. The first axis sets a group of Afrotropical species (left). The second axis sets a group of Palearctic or Saharan species (upper) and a third group (lower) of Palearctic migrants and Saharan species. Environmental variables (□): tree2550 tree cover between 25% and 50%; shrub25 shrubland 25%; step25 steppe-like 25%; and grazing. Massif situation ( ): MAUR Adrar of Mauritania; AHAG Ahaggar; AD.IF Adrar of the Iforas; AIR Aïr; RSM Red Sea Mountains

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

mic

hel c

loue

t] a

t 10:

02 2

0 D

ecem

ber

2013

Clouet and Joachim208

available for the areas of the surveys. Nevertheless, we consider that the number of censuses, even if limited in space and time, was adequate in such structurally simpli-fied ecosystems for a reliable comparison of current bird assemblages of the different massifs sampled. On the other hand, precise comparison with former studies did not seem appropriate because of the different sampling methods or survey of much larger areas extending outside the mountain range. In comparison with former studies, no record of some obvious species (i.e. Athene noctua in the Adrar of Mauritania [Isenmann et al. 2010], Struthio camelus in the Aïr [Newby et al. 1987], and Aquila verreauxii in the Red Sea Mountains [Baha el Din 2001]) may be in relation with increasing aridification, habitat degradation and human pressure or destruction (Ostrowski et al. 2001, Thiollay 2006).

Origin of the variationsStructure of the habitatsThe structure of the habitats did not show a very high diversity and no great differences between the massifs (Table 1). No correlation was found between the richness and diversity of the avifauna and the diversity of habitats. Few environmental variables were discriminant except the extremes of the vegetation gradient and the occurrence of grazing. The latter was probably linked with more trophic resources in the places where domestic animals occurred in a hyperarid environment. The low between-species segregation and low correlations with environmental variables may represent an ecological feature in relation with low densities of birds, low sampling intensity and high temporal variability of climate in arid environments (Wiens 1989, Kaboli et al. 2006).

Climatic and geographic factorsAt such a coarse scale, the main feature is the hetero-geneity of the bird communities of the Saharan mountains leading to a regional pattern of avifauna in relation with faunistic affinities and to a geographic discrimination along a longitudinal gradient.

Sampling conducted during the dry seasons corresponding to northern winters showed the importance of the Palearctic migrants. Even though the Sahara is not really considered as a major wintering zone for Palearctic

birds, vegetated wadis are used by a large number of migrating insectivores (mainly Sylvia and Phylloscopus species, and the richest trophic guild recorded), a situation already reported in the most central Sahara (Brehme et al. 1994, Isenmann and Moali 2000). Considering residents only, the variation depends mainly on the penetration of species of northern or southern origin in addition to the Saharo–Sindian component, which is richer in the southern Iforas and Aïr and in the Red Sea Mountains. The Ahaggar displays the lowest richness, diversity and abundance without any unique species possibly in relation with higher (i.e. 1 000 m above sea level) altitudes. On the other hand, the Red Sea Mountains, which exhibit the most numerous characteristic (i.e. only present in this massif) Sahara–Sindian species (but all shared in common with Arabia), are in a more central position longitudinally in this biome (which extends to the arid western part of the Indian subcontinent) and are also part of a north–south cordillera, acting as a corridor that has facilitated repeated interchanges between Eurasia and Africa after past climatic–vegetational events and which is still used as a major migrating route (Newton 2008). Saharan mountains are not endemic bird areas as are the south-west highlands of Arabia, which represent the most important zone of endemism of the whole Sahara–Sindian arid region (with 11 endemic land bird species; Jennings 2010). Only one species, Passer simplex, can be defined as truly Saharan, and only a few endemic subspe-cies are recorded in the Sahara (i.e. Athene noctua saharae and Lanius meridionalis elegans), while most of the desert species are shared with other regions (mainly Sindian but also Sahelian and Palearctic). Nevertheless, the Saharan mountains act as refuge areas for some Palearctic birds species (i.e. Aquila chrysaetos and Athene noctua) and as outposts for others of Afrotropical origin mainly in the southern massifs (Newby et al. 1987, Clouet and Goar 2006, 2008).

The variations of the bird communities of the Saharan mountains fit with the point of view that the Saharan avifauna is a mixed assemblage of species of three components: Palearctic, Afrotropical, and Saharo-Sindian, the latter (with a limited number of species) being not only confined to Africa. This is in agreement with the pattern defined on the basis of recent combined analyses dividing the Saharan region into three subregions: Sahara (north), Sahel (south) and Nubian Desert (east) (Linder et al. 2012).

References

Baha el Din SM. 2001. Egypt. In: Fishpool LDC, Evans MI (eds), Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands. BirdLife Conservation Series no. 11. Newbury: Pisces Publications; Cambridge: BirdLife International. pp 241–264.

Brehme St, Hahnke H, Mielke M, Helbig AJ, Ehmig G. 1994. Beiträge zur Wintervogelwelt Algeriens mit ernährungs-ökologischen Beobachtungen speziell an Sylviiden. Vogelwelt 115: 227–241.

Clouet M. 2011. Sur l’avifaune des massifs du Désert Oriental Égyptien. Alauda 79: 237–240.

Clouet M, Goar JL. 2003. L’avifaune de l’Adrar Tirharhar/Adrar des Iforas (Mali). Alauda 71: 469–474. Erratum: Alauda 72: 80.

Clouet M, Goar JL. 2006. L’Aigle royal Aquila chrysaetos au Sud du Sahara. Alauda 74: 441–446.

Ad.M. Ah. Ad.If. Aïr R.S.M.

DIS

TAN

CE

33

55

77

100

Figure 4: Dendrogram of similarities making an ordination of the five massifs along a longitudinal gradient from West to East. Ad.M. Adrar of Mauritania, Ah. Ahaggar, Ad.If. Adrar of the Iforas, R.S.M. Red Sea Mountains

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

mic

hel c

loue

t] a

t 10:

02 2

0 D

ecem

ber

2013

Ostrich 2013, 84(3): 205–211 209

Clouet M, Goar JL. 2008. Sur l’avifaune de l’Adrar des Ifoghas (Mali). Alauda 76: 65–69.

Fishpool LDC, Evans MI (eds.) 2001. Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands. BirdLife Conservation Series no. 11. Newbury: Pisces Publications; Cambridge: BirdLife International.

Heim de Balzac H. 1936. Biogéographie des Mammifères et des Oiseaux d’Afrique du Nord. Bulletin Biologique de la France et de la Belgique Supplément XXI.

Harrison CJO. 1986. The Saharo-Sindian arid zone birds. Sandgrouse 7: 64–70.

Holt BG, Lessard JP, Borregaard MK, Fritz SA, Araujo MB, Dimitrov D, Fabre PH, Graham CH, Graves GR, Jonsson KA et al. 2013. An update of Wallace’s zoogeographic regions of the world. Science 339: 74–77.

Isenmann P, Moali A. 2000. Oiseaux d’Algérie/Birds of Algeria. Paris: Société Ornithologique de France, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle.

Isenmann P, Benmergui M, Browne P, Ba AD, Diagana CH, Diawara Y, ould Sidaty ZEA. 2010. Oiseaux de Mauritanie/Birds of Mauritania. Paris: Société Ornithologique de France, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle.

Jennings MC (ed.). 2010. Fauna of Arabia, vol. 25: Atlas of the breeding birds of Arabia. Frankfurt: Senckenberg Gesellschaft fü r Naturforschung.

Kaboli M, Guillaumet A, Prodon R. 2006. Avifaunal gradients in two arid zones of central Iran in relation to vegetation, climate, and topography. Journal of Biogeography 33:133–144.

Kreft H, Jetz W. 2010. A framework for delineating biogeographical regions based on species distribution. Journal of Biogeography 37: 2029–2053.

Le Houérou HN. 1997. Climate, flora and fauna changes in the Sahara over the past 500 million years. Journal of Arid Environments 37: 619–647.

Linder HP, de Klerk HM, Born J, Burgess ND, Fjeldsa J, Rahbek C. 2012. The partitioning of Africa: statistically defined biogeograph-ical regions in sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Biogeography 39: 1189–1205.

Moreau RE. 1966. The bird faunas of Africa and its islands. London: Academic Press

Newby J, Grettenberger J, Watkins J. 1987. The birds of northern Aïr, Niger. Malimbus 9: 4–16.

Newton I. 2008. The migration ecology of birds. Amsterdam: Elsevier; London: Academic Press.

Ostrowski S, Massalatchi MS, Mamane M. 2001. Evidence of a dramatic decline of the red-necked ostrich Struthio camelus camelus in the Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve, Niger. Oryx 35: 349–352.

Ozenda P. 1977. Flore du Sahara. Paris: Editions du Centre national de la recherche scientifique.

Thiollay JM. 2006. The decline of raptors in West Africa: long term assessment and the role of protected areas. Ibis 148: 240–254.

Wiens JT. 1989 The ecology of bird communities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Received August 2013, accepted October 2013Editor: M Louette

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

mic

hel c

loue

t] a

t 10:

02 2

0 D

ecem

ber

2013

Clouet and Joachim210

Species Status Biogeographicassignment

AdrarMauritania Ahaggar Adrar of

the Iforas Aïr Red SeaMountains

1 Tachybaptus ruficollis R PA U2 Nycticorax nycticorax R C U3 Ciconia coconia M PA U4 Pandion haliaetus R C U5 Gypaetus barbatus R PA/AT U6 Neophron percnopterus R/M PA/AT U U U U7 Aegypius tracheliotus R AT U U8 Circaetus gallicus M PA U U9 Circaetus beaudouini R AT U U10 Circus macrourus M PA U U11 Circus pygargus M PA U U12 Circus aeruginosus M PA U13 Melierax metabastes R AT U U14 Buteo rufinus M PA U U U U U15 Aquila nipalensis M PA U16 Aquila clanga M PA U17 Aquila chrysaetos R PA U U U U18 Aquila verreauxii R AT U19 Aquila fasciata R PA U20 Aquila pennata M PA U U21 Falco tinnunculus R/M PA/AT U U U U22 Falco biarmicus R PA/AT U U F U U23 Falco peregrinus M C U U24 Falco pelegrinoides R PA/SS U U25 Ammoperdix heyi R SS U26 Burhinus oedicnemus M PA U27 Cursorius cursor R PA/SS U U U28 Tringa ochropus M PA U U U29 Pterocles senegalus R SS U U R U30 Pterocles coronatus R SS F U U31 Pterocles lichtensteinii R SS R R U U32 Oenas capensis R/(M) AT F F33 Columba guinea R AT U34 Columba livia R C F F U F35 Streptopelia decipiens R AT U36 Streptopelia roseogrisea R SL U U U37 Sterptopelia senegalensis R AT F U R R U38 Clamator jacobinus R/(M) AT U U39 Clamator glandarius M PA U40 Bubo ascalaphus R SS U41 Athene noctua R PA U U42 Strix butleri R SS U43 Caprimulgus aegyptius R SS U U44 Apus affinis R AT U45 Urocolius macrourus R AT F F46 Meriops orientalis R AT F U47 Upupa epops R PA/AT F F U48 Lybius vieilloti R AT U F49 Trachyphonus margaritatus R SL U F50 Dendropicos elachus R SL U51 Dendropicos gortae R AT U U52 Mirafra cordofanica R SL U U53 Alaemon alaudipes R SS U F U54 Ammomanes cinctura R SS U U F U U55 Ammomanes deserti R SS F R R F R56 Calandrella brachydactyla M PA U U57 Galerida cristata R PA U F58 Galerida theklae R PA U59 Eremopterix nigriceps R/(M) AT U U

Appendix: Species recorded, their status (R resident, M Palearctic migrant or overwintering, (M) intra-African migrant), biogeographical origin (C cosmopolitan, PA Palearctic, SS Saharo-Sindian, SL Sahel biome species, AT Afrotropical), frequency of occurrence (U uncommon, present in less than 25% of the censuses; R regular, present in more than 25% but less than 50% of the censuses; F frequent, present in more than 50% of the censuses)

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

mic

hel c

loue

t] a

t 10:

02 2

0 D

ecem

ber

2013

Ostrich 2013, 84(3): 205–211 211

Species Status Biogeographicassignment

AdrarMauritania Ahaggar Adrar of

the Iforas Aïr Red SeaMountains

60 Ptyonoprogne fuligula R SS R R R U F61 Hirundo rustica M PA U U U U62 Delichon urbicum M PA U U63 Motacilla flava M PA U64 Motacilla alba M PA U U U U U65 Anthus campestris M PA U U66 Pycnonotus barbatus R AT U U67 Luscinia svecica M PA U68 Cercotricas galactotes R AT U U69 Cercotricas podobe R SL U F U70 Phoenicurus phoenicurus M PA U U71 Saxicola rubetra M PA U72 Oenanthe leucopyga R SS R R R R R73 Oenanthe oenanthe M PA U U U74 Oenanthe hispanica M PA U U75 Oenanthe lugens R/M SS R76 Oenanthe deserti M PA U U U U77 Oenanthe monacha R SS U78 Oenanthe isabellina M PA U79 Oenanthe xanthoprymna M PA U80 Cercomela melanura R SS R F81 Monticola solitarius M PA F U82 Hippolais pallida R/M PA/AT U F83 Hippolais polyglotta M PA U U84 Phylloscopus collibyta M PA U F U U U85 Phylloscopus trochilus M PA U U U86 Sylvia hortensis M PA U U F F U87 Sylvia borin M PA U U88 Sylvia atricapilla M PA U U89 Sylvia communis M PA U U90 Sylvia curruca M PA F91 Sylvia melanocephala M PA F R F U U92 Sylvia cantillans M PA F F F U U93 Sylvia ruppellii M PA U94 Spiloptila clamans R SL U U95 Eremomela icteropygialis R AT U96 Batis senegalensis R AT U97 Turdoides fulva R SS F F F F98 Hedydipna platura R/(M) AT R R99 Lanius meridionalis R PA R F F F U100 Nilaus afer R AT U101 Corvus rufi collis R PA/SS F R F F R102 Corvus albus R AT F103 Corvus rhipidurus R AT R104 Lamprotornis chalybaeus R AT U105 Lamprotornis pulcher R SL F F106 Passer griseus R AT F F107 Passer domesticus R PA U108 Passer hispaniolensis R/M PA U109 Passer simplex R SS U U110 Passer luteus R/(M) SL U F U111 Sporopipes frontalis R AT U U112 Ploceus luteolus R AT U U113 Ploceus velatus R AT U U114 Lagonostica senegala R AT U U115 Amadina fasciata R AT U116 Lonchura cantans R AT U117 Vidua chalybeata R AT U118 Rhodopechys githagineus R/(M) SS U F F U119 Emberiza tahipisi R AT U U120 Emberiza striolata R PA/SS R R R R U

Appendix: (cont.)

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

mic

hel c

loue

t] a

t 10:

02 2

0 D

ecem

ber

2013