Ecology of wintering Commons Cranes Grusgrus in arid and semi-arid area (Algeria)

Abstract

Algeria houses a diversity of wetlands whose geographical position between the Tell and Sahara play a vital role for many animal species, such as migratory waterbirds. These eco-complex distributed from west to east across the whole country contain more than 2.8 million ha of saline and brackish water bodies. The lands surrounding the wetlands (salt lakes, salt pans, Garaet) are regularly and exclusively used for cereal crops: the durum wheat Triticum durum and the barley Hordeum vulgare. However, due to climate changes experienced by the country during the last decade (since 2000), many wetlands have been dried up and thus were not filled with water or not gain that much later, this situation has influenced the behaviour of many animal species (abundant breeding species, the decline in the number of wintering species and decrease in abundance and total species diversity of water birds ...). Throughout this work, we intend to expose the first results of the ecological study of one of the largest wintering granivorous birds in Algeria "the common crane Grusgrus" and to explain its wintering strategy in our Wetlands eco-complex (structure and phenology of arrival, resting-foraging, behaviour ...) while pointing out the various threats to species and their host environment hoping for a good support for sustainable conservation.