Species Abundance and Richness Patterns of Wintering Waterbirds in Sétif Wetlands Complex (Algeria)

Abstract Surveys of wintering waterbirds were conducted in 17 wetland areas along the wetland complex of the Sétif region, with the aim to determine the variability of waterbird populations and the ornithological value of these wetlands for further strengthening of their management and conservation. Our survey revealed a total species richness of 47 waterbird species. The total regional population averages 31921 individuals per year recorded from 2014 to 2021. Among these species, 12 are dominant representing 94%. Based on the calculated occurrence index for each species, the population consists of two common species, 10 frequent species, and 35 rare species. The Kruskal-Wallis test (also referred to as one-way ANOVA) was utilized to compare the distribution of data series related to species richness, average abundance, and values of Shannon diversity and evenness among the different studied sites, showing highly significant differences between the wetlands.