Abdelhakim Bouzid, Nedjla Adamou, Abdelwahab Chedad, Moulahcene Lazhar, Toufik Mouafek

New data on the nesting of the ortolan bunting Emberiza hortulana Linnaeus, 1758 in the Algerian Aures mountains

Abstract
The Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana is a rare and protected species in Algeria, with very rare nesting reports. It might be regarded as a possible umbrella species in the region. In this study, we report a new nesting site at Djebel Refaa woods, in the eastern part of the Atlas Mountains of Algeria, at 1830 m above sea level. Over an area of 125 hectares, we found three singing males, or 0.24 singing males/10 hectares. Three nests were located on the ground in an open environment in a steppic area and inserted in the bushes. The average diameter of the nests was 7.5 ± 0.53 cm, with a cup depth of 5.5 ± 0.67 cm. The approximate distance between the nest and its neighbour was 350 meters. Hatching commenced around 23 May, and flight training commenced on 15 June. 



Doi https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2024.1.9

Keywords Algeria; Aures Mountains; Ortolan Bunting; breeding; umbrella species; nidology

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