Diet composition of the Atlas Flycatcher Ficedula speculigera in Northeastern Algeria

Abstract

The diet of the Atlas Flycatcher, an endemic bird species of North Africa is studied in Northeastern Algeria in the forest of Guerrouch in the Taza National Park. The diet analysis was based on the examination of the faecal sacs of the nestlings (n=150) collected in nest boxes installed in a mixed formation of Algerian oak and African oak (Quercus canariensis and Quercus afares). A total of 854 food items were identified, representing 49 prey taxa. The analysis of centesimal frequencies by class revealed the clear dominance of Insecta with 85.12%, followed by Arachnida 13.34%, Gastropoda 1.28% and Malacostraca 0.23%. Regarding orders, the diet was constituted mainly of Coleoptera 44.37%, followed by Hemiptera 21.89% and Araneae 13.34%. The size of the prey taxa varied between 3 and 14 mm with an average of 7.11±3.14 mm. The best represented size class was that which varies between 3 and 4.37 mm. To test the homogeneity between the 4 nest boxes sampled, an ANOVA test was applied. The results show the presence of 2 distinct groups of nesting boxes concerning the variable number of families / faecal sacs.