Urban Wetlands: A Case Study of Wild Waterbirds Social Behavior at Laalaligue Pond, Northeastern Algeria

This study was conducted over three wintering seasons, for the years 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 in the Laalaligue pond (an urban site in the city of Annaba, North-eastern of Algeria). The objectives were to conduct an inventory, a regular count of the birds, and to characterize the waterbirds population assemblage in the Laalaligue pond. During our study, we counted 10 families represented by 23 species. The most represented family is the Anatidae family with 7 species encountered. These species have shown different phenological statuses. Among them, 2 species are listed on the IUCN Red List as the Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) and the Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca). Others are included in international bird protection agreements (AEWA, CMS) or are protected by Algerian legislation. Throughout the entire study, 8,745 individuals were recorded. The monthly evolution of the total population of this body of water shows that for the year 2016/2017, February 2017 is the most abundant with 936 individuals out of the 2079 recorded. The month of October 2016, on the other hand, is the least abundant with only 17 individuals. The count for the year 2017/2018 shows a total of 5,397 individuals, with the maximum abundance recorded in January 2017, reaching a population of 1,782 individuals. The month of May 2018 shows the lowest abundance with a total of 49 individuals. The year 2018/2019 was represented by only 1269 individuals in total. The month of December 2018 is the most abundant with a total of 346 individuals. The month of May 2019 is the least abundant with 30 individuals. According to our study, the majority of species left the Laalaligue site after the wintering period.