Hadj Aissa Benelkadi, Khawla Ziouani, Sara Hezil, Houria Kasmi, Oussama Ailam

Return of the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata) to the Mergueb Nature Reserve, Algeria: evidence of mass nomadism after five decades of absence

Abstract In 2022, an exceptional mass reappearance of the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata) was recorded in the Mergueb Nature Reserve (Algeria), north central Algeria, marking the first occurrence of this species in the region since 1974. Thousands of individuals were observed between April and September, exhibiting active breeding behaviour and complete dispersal following juvenile fledging. The birds concentrated in open steppe habitats dominated by annual vegetation and situated in proximity to water sources, conditions favoured by above-average seasonal rainfall and increased food availability. This unprecedented nomadic influx underscores the remarkable ecological flexibility of P. alchata and its capacity to respond rapidly to episodic environmental changes. These findings provide the first modern evidence of large-scale sandgrouse nomadism in Algeria and highlight the importance of continued ecological monitoring to understand population dynamics, habitat use, and the effects of climatic variability on arid land bird communities.

Doi https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2025.2.7

Keywords Pterocles alchata; nomadism; steppe; sandgrouse; Mergueb; arid ecosystem; Algeria

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