A comparative study of the diurnal behaviour of the Northern Shoveller (Anas clypeata) during the wintering season at Garaet Hadj-Tahar (North-East Algeria) and Garaet Timerganine (Algerian highlands)

The rhythms of the Northern Shoveller’s (Anas clypeata Linnaeus, 1758) activities during its wintering period in 2 wetlands, Garaet Hadj-Tahar (North-East Algeria) and Garaet Timerganine (Oum El-Bouaghi, Algerian highlands), were studied during 2 wintering seasons in Garaet Hadj-Tahar from November 2007 to March 2008 and November 2008 to March 2009, and in the Timerganine wetland from November 2007 to March 2008. They were linked to certain spatiotemporal variables, i.e. daytime activities and 2 different wetlands. During the wintering season, the main activity at Garaet Hadj-Tahar was sleeping (70%), followed by swimming (12%). By contrast, feeding was the dominant activity at Garaet Timerganine, occurring 45% of the total monitoring time, followed by sleeping (35%). The frequency of the behaviours did not differ significantly between the sites as a function of the date (P 0.05). The choice of the site was made according to either the feeding resources or the resting place. These factors are therefore essential and highlight the importance of the protection of the sites where the species is concentrated outside of the breeding period.