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Numbers and phenology of the Yellow - legged Gull Larus
michahellisin the wetland of Réghaïa
Samia Ouarab1*, Jean-Francois Voisin2,
Michel Thevenot3 and Salahedine
Doumandji4
1Laboratory
of Biologie, University Saâd Dahlab, Blida, Algeria.
²UMS 305,
National natural history meseum, CP 51 (Mammifères et
Oiseaux), 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris.
3University
of Montpellier II, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes,
Laboratory of Biogeography et Ecology des Vertebrates, Place
Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
4Departement
of Zoology agricole et forestry, Institut natiional
agronomique, El Harrach, Alger, Algeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
souarab2002@yahoo.fr
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Accepted 10
November, 2009 |
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The Yellow - legged Gull Larus michaellis is a
common visitor to the Marsh of Reghaia (Algeria) and breeds
off the coast in small numbers on the Agueli islet, a rocky
outcrop with scarce vegetation. It is especially frequent in
the marsh out of the breeding season, particularly in
December (120 individuals) and January (234 individuals)
(data from 2004). Gulls breed on the islet: 31 nests were
recorded in 2004 but only 14 in 2006, when no chick fledged
due to human disturbance. In 2004, 39% of the nests were
built by the centre of the islet and only few were located
on the western slope exposed to winds blowing from the
North, North-west and West. Clutch size varied from 1 to 3
eggs (2± 0.93).
Key words:
Larus michahellis, numbers, breeding, Algeria.
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