Diet of Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus at two stopover sites in Morocco during autumn migration

Diet of the Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) was estimated by means of forced regurgitations of captured individuals during autumn migration at Kerbacha and Sidi Bou Ghaba, two wetland sites located respectively on the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts in Morocco. Overall, 88 emetic samples were collected and 17 prey taxa were identified from 789 food items with a predominance of wasps (Hymenoptera) and beetles (Coleoptera) at Kerbacha, and ants including alate forms (Hymenoptera) at Sidi Bou Ghaba. Prey diversity and taxonomic distribution differed significantly between the two sites. Birds at Sidi Bou Ghaba had a lower food intake but fed on larger and less mobile prey than at Kerbacha where most diet samples comprised a large number of small flying prey. These between-site differences are assumed to reflect local food availability and may partly explain the different migratory strategies observed. The short stay and high fattening rate of Reed Warblers at Kerbacha can be associated with the high food intake of a few, abundant prey. The longer stopover duration and lower fattening rate at Sidi Bou Ghaba can be associated with higher diet diversity and lower feeding rate suggesting that prey abundance is globally low except for ephemeral patchily distributed food source such as swarms of flying ants, which are extensively exploited by Reed Warblers whenever availableLe régime alimentaire de la Rousserolle effarvatte (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) pendant la migration automnale (septembre-octobre 2000) a été étudié par analyse de régurgitats dans deux zones humides marocaines, Kerbacha en région Méditerranéenne et Sidi Bou Ghaba en région Atlantique. Dix-sept catégories de proies ont été identifiées dans 88 régurgitats totalisant 789 items, avec une prédominance de guêpes (Hyménoptères) et de coléoptères à Kerbacha, et de fourmis (ailées et non ailées) et coléoptères à Sidi Bou Ghaba. La distribution taxinomique des proies et leur diversité diffèrent significativement entre les deux sites. Les oiseaux consomment un plus petit nombre de proies de plus grande taille et de plus faible mobilité à Sidi Bou Ghaba, comparativement à Kerbacha où un grand nombre de petites proies volantes caractérisent la majorité des régurgitats. Ces différences sont vraisemblablement dues à des variations dans la disponibilité locale des proies qui peuvent expliquer en partie les stratégies migratoires différentes utilisées aux deux sites. Ainsi, le court séjour et le taux d'engraissement élevé à Kerbacha peuvent être associés à un taux d'alimentation supérieur grâce à l'abondance de quelques taxons fortement consommés. A Sidi Bou Ghaba, où la durée de stationnement est plus longue et le taux d'engraissement moindre, les rousserolles ont un régime alimentaire plus diversifié et un taux d'alimentation faible suggérant que les proies sont généralement peu abondantes à l'exception des fourmis volantes, une ressource alimentaire ponctuellement surabondante mais peu prévisible dont les rousserolles font bon usage

Does fragmentation of wetlands affect gene flow in sympatric Acrocephalus warblers with different migration strategies?

Wetlands are naturally patchy habitats, but patchiness has been accentuated by the extensive wetlands loss due to human activities. In such a fragmented habitat, dispersal ability is especially important to maintain gene flow between populations. Here we studied population structure, genetic diversity and demographic history of Iberian and North African populations of two wetland passerines, the Eurasian reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus and the moustached warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon. These species are closely related and sympatric in our study sites, but the reed warbler is a long-distance migrant and widespread bird while the moustached warbler is resident or migrates over short distances, and breeds across a more discontinuous range. Using microsatellites and mtDNA data, we found higher population differentiation in moustached than in reed warbler, indicating higher dispersal capability of the latter species. Our results also suggest that the sea limits dispersal in the moustached warbler. For both species, we found evidence of gene flow between study sites, indicating the capability of compensating for habitat fragmentation. However, in most cases gene flow was restricted, possibly because of the large distances between study sites (from c. 290 to 960 km) or breeding site fidelity. Haplotype diversity was higher for the reed warbler, possibly because of a more important contribution of dispersal from different populations and the higher population size. Studying demographic history, we obtained signs of postglacial population growth for both species, and evidences of a recent colonization or re-colonization of the Mallorca Island by the moustached warblerWe acknowledge M. Rebassa, M. Marin, J. Gomez, Santi, Luis, Kames and family and many others, who have helped us with the field work. We would also like to thank the authorities of the Marjal de Pego-Oliva Natural Park, the S'Albufera de Mallorca Natural Park, 'Consejeria de medio Ambiente y Desarrollo Rural de Castilla-La Mancha', the 'Servei de Conservacio de la Biodiversitat de la Generalitat Valenciana' and the 'Haut Commissariat aux Eaux et Forets et a la lutte contre la desertification de Rabat, Morocco' for providing the facilities to work in protected areas and for the relevant permits. The people in these areas were always kind and have greatly helped us in sampling reed and moustached warblers. We are grateful to M. Serra and the researchers and PhD students of the Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology (Inst. Cavanilles of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology - Univ. of Valencia), for providing the laboratory and useful advices for DNA extraction. This study has been funded by Projects CGL2005-02041/BOS and CGL2010-21933-C02-02 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. FC was supported by an 'Atraent talent' grant from the Univ. of Valencia.Ceresa, F.; Belda, E.; Kvist, L.; Rguibi-Idrissi, H.; Monrós González, JS. (2015). Does fragmentation of wetlands affect gene flow in sympatric Acrocephalus warblers with different migration strategies?. Journal of Avian Biology. 46(6):577-588. doi:10.1111/jav.00589S57758846

The analysis of the canid mitochondrial genome studied in Morocco shows that it is neither wolf (Canis lupus) nor Eurasian jackal (Canis aureus)

The mitochondrial genome of three Moroccan canids has been analysed. Two of them complete and one partial. The sequences are included in GenBank with the accession numbers KT378605 (16721 bp), KT378606 (16734bp) and KT378607 (27809bp) Theses results have been compared with the results currently available in GenBank. In the phylogenetic analysis of the of cytochrome b regions and control region the three are grouped together with Canis lupus lupaster and the Senegalese golden jackal Canis aureus and separate from the wolf Canis lupus and the Eurasian golden jackal Canis aureus. The comparison of the complete mitochondrial genomes with Canis lupus confirms the distance between the two groups. We conclude that they belong to a different species to the wolf Canis lupus and the Eurasian golden jackal. We propose in agreement with (Koepfli et al., 2015) that it´s scientific name be Canis anthus by merit of being the name by which it was classified and published for the first time as a different species by Cuvier in 1824.Urios, V.; Donat-Torres, MP.; Ramírez Castillo, C.; Monroy-Vilchis, O.; Rguibi Idrissi, H. (2016). The analysis of the canid mitochondrial genome studied in Morocco shows that it is neither wolf (Canis lupus) nor Eurasian jackal (Canis aureus). PeerJ Computer Science. 1(1763):1-19. doi:10.7287/peerj.preprints.1763v1S1191176

Identifying the winter grounds of the recently described Barbary Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus baeticatus ambiguus)

The Iberian and North African populations of reed warblers have been described recently as a separate taxon, ambiguus, forming a sister clade to the Sahelian subspecies minor of African Reed Warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus. Although the breeding range of ambiguus has been identified, the migration strategy of its populations remained unknown. We deployed geolocators and sampled the innermost primary from breeding adults in Spain for stable hydrogen (d2H) analyses and also analysed stable carbon (d13C) and nitrogen (d15N) isotopes in feathers collected in two reed warbler taxa (Acrocephalus scirpaceus and Acrocephalus baeticatus ambiguus) in Morocco, to identify the moulting and wintering sites of these populations. Ring recoveries, geolocator tracks and probabilistic assignments to origin from d2H values indicate that Spanish ambiguus are likely to moult south of the Sahara and winter in West Africa, probably from Mauretania to southern Mali and Ivory Coast. Moroccan ambiguus, however, undergo post-breeding moult north of the Sahara, and possibly then migrate to West Africa. With other populations of ambiguus breeding from Algeria to Libya and probably wintering further east in the Sahelian belt, the Barbary Reed Warbler can therefore be considered a trans-Saharan migrant, with a post-breeding moult strategy that varies between populations, and probably structured according to breeding latitude

Structure and functioning of intertidal food webs along an avian flyway:A comparative approach using stable isotopes

1. Food webs and trophic dynamics of coastal systems have been the focus of intense research throughout the world, as they prove to be critical in understanding ecosystem processes and functions. However, very few studies have undertaken a quantitative comparison of entire food webs from a key consumer perspective across a broad geographical area, limiting relevant comparisons among systems with distinct biotic and abiotic components.2. We investigate the structure and functioning of food webs in four tidal ecosystems of international importance for migratory shorebirds along the East Atlantic Flyway: Tejo estuary in Portugal, Sidi Moussa in Morocco, Banc d'Arguin in Mauritania and Bijagós archipelago in Guinea-Bissau. Basal food sources, shorebirds and their prey (benthic invertebrates) were sampled in all areas, and Bayesian stable isotope mixing models and community-wide metrics were used in a comparative analysis among areas.3. Significant differences among study areas were found in the structure of food webs, as well as in the relative importance of basal resource pools supporting each food web. Overall, the food web of Banc d'Arguin was characterized by lower trophic diversity and higher functional redundancy than the other sites. This result might be explained by the low number of trophic pathways of organic matter transfer in this seagrass-dominated system which, as a fossil estuary, lacks inputs from both freshwater and nutrient-rich offshore oceanic waters.4. Structure of shorebird communities was consistent with the main organizational patterns found for each food web, highlighting the less diverse character of the community of Banc d'Arguin. At Banc d'Arguin and Bijagós archipelago, which displayed the smallest and largest isotopic niche widths in bird assemblage, respectively, mean niche overlap among species was low, suggesting high interspecific partitioning in resource use. Tropical systems typically offer comparatively lower harvestable prey biomass for shorebirds and might thus strengthen interspecific competition, leading to low niche overlap among species.5. Our study reveals relevant differences in the structure of food webs and shorebird communities in coastal areas along an avian flyway. While differences in trophic redundancy of food webs point to distinct levels of ecosystem resilience, contrasts in the organization of shorebird communities highlight the plasticity in the foraging behaviour of species inhabiting areas with distinct environmental conditions

Diet of Reed WerblersAcrocephalus scirpaceus at two stopover sites in Morocco during autumn migration

Diet of the Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) was estimated by means of forced regurgitations of captured individuals during autumn migration at Kerbacha and Sidi Bou Ghaba, two wetland sites located respectively on the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts in Morocco. Overall, 88 emetic samples were collected and 17 prey taxa were identified from 789 food items with a predominance of wasps (Hymenoptera) and beetles (Coleoptera) at Kerbacha, and ants including alate forms (Hymenoptera) at Sidi Bou Ghaba. Prey diversity and taxonomic distribution differed significantly between the two sites. Birds at Sidi Bou Ghaba had a lower food intake but fed on larger and less mobile prey than at Kerbacha where most diet samples comprised a large number of small flying prey. These between-site differences are assumed to reflect local food availability and may partly explain the different migratory strategies observed. The short stay and high fattening rate of Reed Warblers at Kerbacha can be associated with the high food intake of a few, abundant prey. The longer stopover duration and lower fattening rate at Sidi Bou Ghaba can be associated with higher diet diversity and lower feeding rate suggesting that prey abundance is globally low except for ephemeral patchily distributed food source such as swarms of flying ants, which are extensively exploited by Reed Warblers whenever available.Le régime alimentaire de la Rousserolle effarvatte (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) pendant la migration automnale (septembre-octobre 2000) a été étudié par analyse de régurgitats dans deux zones humides marocaines, Kerbacha en région Méditerranéenne et Sidi Bou Ghaba en région Atlantique. Dix-sept catégories de proies ont été identifiées dans 88 régurgitats totalisant 789 items, avec une prédominance de guêpes (Hyménoptères) et de coléoptères à Kerbacha, et de fourmis (ailées et non ailées) et coléoptères à Sidi Bou Ghaba. La distribution taxinomique des proies et leur diversité diffèrent significativement entre les deux sites. Les oiseaux consomment un plus petit nombre de proies de plus grande taille et de plus faible mobilité à Sidi Bou Ghaba, comparativement à Kerbacha où un grand nombre de petites proies volantes caractérisent la majorité des régurgitats. Ces différences sont vraisemblablement dues à des variations dans la disponibilité locale des proies qui peuvent expliquer en partie les stratégies migratoires différentes utilisées aux deux sites. Ainsi, le court séjour et le taux d’engraissement élevé à Kerbacha peuvent être associés à un taux d’alimentation supérieur grâce à l’abondance de quelques taxons fortement consommés. A Sidi Bou Ghaba, où la durée de stationnement est plus longue et le taux d’engraissement moindre, les rousserolles ont un régime alimentaire plus diversifié et un taux d’alimentation faible suggérant que les proies sont généralement peu abondantes à l’exception des fourmis volantes, une ressource alimentaire ponctuellement surabondante mais peu prévisible dont les rousserolles font bon usage.Rguibi Idrissi Hamid, Lefebvre Gaëtan, Poulin Brigitte. Diet of Reed WerblersAcrocephalus scirpaceus at two stopover sites in Morocco during autumn migration. In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 59, n°3, 2004. pp. 491-502

Migration et hivernage de quelques passereaux au Maroc: Mise au point à partir des données de baguage-reprise

Beaucoup de passereaux traversent le Maroc au cours de leur passage migratoire entre les régions de reproduction paléarctiques et leurs quartiers d'hivernage africains. Le Maroc joue un rôle majeur dans la migration et l'hivernage de ces migrateurs, en raison de sa position géographique et sa grande diversité d'habitats utilisés comme sites de la halte. La migration des passereaux y a été étudiée par une analyse des données des reprises enregistrées par le Centre d'Etude des Migrations d'Oiseaux (CEMO). L'analyse de la migration automnale confirme une tendance des migrateurs à traverser le Maroc le long de la côté Atlantique. Les reprises hivernales sont principalement concentrées dans les régions du nord et au centre du Maroc. L'analyse de la migration printanière montre des différences dans les routes empruntées en fonction des espèces et les saisons de migration.Morocco plays a major role in the migration and wintering of several Palaearctic-African passerines, because of its geographical position and great diversity of wetlands used as stopover sites. These have been studied on the basis of recovery data stored at the Centre d'Etude des Migrations d'Oiseaux (CEMO). The analysis of the autumn migration across Morocco confirms that many birds pass near the Atlantic coast. Winter recoveries in Morocco are mainly concentrated in the northern and central regions. The analysis of the spring migration shows that most birds use approximately the same routes in both autumn and spring, but some other species: Pied Flycatcher, Black Redstart and Wheatear, follow a loop migration, using a different route in each season.Ostrich 2007, 78(2): 343–34

Foraging behaviour of wintering shorebirds at Merja Zerga lagoon (Atlantic coast, Morocco)

This paper presents the results of a comparative study on the foraging behaviour of 15 species of wintering shorebirds at Merja Zerga lagoon. We video recorded a total of 600 actively foraging birds at the intertidal mudflats of the lagoon during the wintering period. We collected data on capturing rates, foraging method and movement characteristics for each observed individual. Results highlighted that studied shorebird species showed marked differences in their feeding strategies and movements when foraging. Plovers used exclusively a visual-run-stop strategy (superficial pecks), unlike Scolopacidae species that showed a wider range of types of feeding behaviour. Generally, this group favoured a tactile-continuous hunting strategy and it can be divided into two important subgroups. The first, including calidrids and shanks, used a mixed hunting strategy (pecking and probing) and had the highest prey capture rate and the fastest feeding rhythm, whereas the second included larger shorebirds that predominantly used tactile foraging technique with a slower rhythm and straighter trajectory. These differences in foraging behaviour and strategies suggest that shorebird species are able to exploit the intertidal flats and trophic resources of Merja Zerga in different ways, a fact that ensures that this site can host large numbers of birds at the same time, because of a lower level of interspecific competition. Keywords: benthic prey, comparative study, feeding behaviour, intertidal habitats, wader

Evolutionary ecology of hares (Lepus spp.) from northwestern Africa; The problem of cryptic species and the description of a new species (Lepus saharae sp. nov.)

[EN] Objective: We examine the different pressures that lead to the occurrence of new species and thus to their phylogenies. From an evolutionary ecology perspective, we examine the phylogenetic relationships of different lineages, as well as the evolutionary pressures that lead to them and, in some cases, mask them. Organisms and locales: Hares (Lepus spp.) in northwest Africa that are morphologically similar, which, superficially, makes it appear that there is only one species. Methods: We describe different populations of hares in northwest Africa. We describe the morphology of a new species and provide photographs of specimens from across the study area. We analyse five mitochondrial DNA fragments. Results: Mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed the presence of three Lepus species which are different from both Lepus capensis and L. victoriae and which have contiguous, partially overlapping geographical ranges. One of the species, found in the western Sahara (Morocco), is new (Lepus saharae sp. nov.). The other two species (Lepus mediterraneus Wagner, 1841 and Lepus schlumbergeri Remy-St. Loup, 1894) inhabit the northern and central regions of Morocco. The distributions of at least two of the three species extend to countries other than Morocco. Various eco-evolutionary pressures have masked this diversity until now. Certainly, the species have had to adapt to different habitats that include mountains and desert; and isolation of populations by distance, or because of climatic or geographical barriers has led - or at least facilitated - them to appear different. Yet some evolutionary pressures have made them converge morphologically, making it appear that there is only one species.Soria-Boix, C.; Donat-Torres, MP.; Rguibi Idrissi, H.; Urios, V. (2019). Evolutionary ecology of hares (Lepus spp.) from northwestern Africa; The problem of cryptic species and the description of a new species (Lepus saharae sp. nov.). Evolutionary Ecology Research (Online). 20(5):537-555. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/167876S53755520

The vulnerable Osprey breeding population of the Al Hoceima National Park, Morocco: present status and threats

In the Mediterranean, most areas belonging to the initial distribution range of the Osprey Pandion haliaetus have been lost and local populations have disappeared in recent decades because of persecution. Even though direct management actions have allowed local partial recovery, the Mediterranean population currently only holds a few tens of breeding pairs and is still exposed to local extinction risks. One of the last Mediterranean Osprey breeding areas lies along the North African coast between Morocco and Algeria. In this paper, we report new information on the Osprey population within the Al Hoceima National Park, Morocco. The status of the population for 2012 and 2013 is reported and compared with data collected during the period 1983–1990. A reduction in number of nests and breeding pairs was observed and a 35.7% decrease in the population size recorded. In addition, we discuss the main identified threats to Osprey habitats (e.g. dynamite and poison fishing) that affect the Osprey breeding population in this area. In this context, we stress the necessity for urgent measures to be adopted at the local scale for the protection of this vulnerable population in the light of a sound conservation strategy also at the scale of the Mediterranean.Keywords: conservation, Morocco, Pandion haliaetus, population, threats OSTRICH 2013, 84(3): 199–20