New Data on the Staging and Winter Behavior of the Red-Crested Pochard Netta rufina in the Lac des Oiseaux (North-Eastern Algeria)

The Lac des Oiseaux in the utmost northeast of Algeria receives a significant migratory aquatic avifauna every year, where adequate circumstances cover its winter requirements. Over the years, this lake, which has been listed as a Ramsar site since 1999, has been the winter home for varying species  (11- 12) of the Anatidae family. During the winter of 2023, a species was spotted sighting only once in the study post. This species is the red-crested pochard, Netta rufina. It commonly frequents the wetlands in the interior of the country, with relatively low numbers. While, it ordinarily persists in humid zones in the interior of the country, with relatively fading abundances. Pending its stay at Bird Lake, the species number was regularly counted upon noticing a maximum of 103 individuals, including 61 males and 41 females throughout January. This population is situated at the waist-deep of the lake and in its southwest part, away from the turmoil and near the helophytes (cattails of Typhas and Bulrushes). The study of diurnal activity budgets covering 312 hours (8h/  day) showed that sleeping is the most prevalent activity in both sexes (49%), followed by swimming (23%) and feeding, while grooming and displaying exemplify only 9%. Whereas, activities of theft and antagonism recorded the lowest rates, accounting for 1% of the time budget. The results acquired assert the value of this wetland as a wintering position and as a storage location for plentiful species of Anatidae, implicating scarce ones as the species studied