Macro-habitat, micro-habitat segregation and breeding success of the ‘vulnerable’ native European turtle dove and the ‘invasive’ Eurasian collared dove from a North African agricultural area

Fadil

et al. 2022

PeerJ

Self Cite

Background The turtle dove is a migratory species that has suffered a rapid decline principally across its Northern ranges, despite pronounced conservation measures. Consequently, it has been categorized as ‘Near Threatened’ in Europe. Degradation of breeding habitats and a decrease in food resources are listed as principal causes of this decline. Despite its importance, the productivity of the North African population is widely unknown. Here we present the first estimation of the density of the breeding population and the superior reproductively of Streptopelia turtur arenicola in Morocco and entire North Africa. Methods This study was carried out for two seasons 2018–2019 in the Saïss plain, central Morocco. Based on previous data, doves were monitored weekly, from early March to late August, in aquatic ecosystems (two dams and one river) and farmlands (cereals and orchards). The breeding population was censused using the “point-count” method, following a walked transect of 5 km in orchards, 7 km in cereal fields, and 3 km along the river. Equally, nests were searched in natural habitats counting riparian trees, forests, and ornamental trees, and in orchards based on the Common Birds Census (CBC) methodology, in which the singing doves, mating pairs, nesting, and/or feeding behavior were the most monitored signs to discover nests. In orchards, nests were searched line-by-line based on the rows of fruit trees. For each recorded nest, we note the breeding chronology, clutch size and incubation period, success and failure factors, dimensions, and vertical placement on trees. To evaluate the predictors of doves’ occurrence, we noted at each site the presence of cereals, water, human disturbance, presence of nesting trees, and predators. Results and Discussion In total, 3,580 turtle doves (22.37 birds/ha), including 240 breeding pairs, were documented. Nesting occurred mainly in olive groves, cereals were used for forage, and aquatic ecosystems for water sources. The nesting period lasted from late April to July (last fledglings). All nests were located on olive trees at a height of 225.30 ± 48.87 cm. The clutch size was 1.98 ± 0.13 (laid eggs/built nests), the incubation period lasted 14.16 ± 1.32 days, and the rearing period lasted 16.54 ± 1.76 days. The breeding success among the 240 monitored nests accounted for 73.84% during the nesting phase and 87.42% during the incubation phase; 71.5%% of nestlings have fledged, which is the highest success rate for turtle doves in Europe and Northwest Africa. Clutches were aborted mostly due to predation from snakes (7.5% of nests, 16.12% of eggs, and 5.63% of chicks), nest desertion (9.16% of nests and 5.37% of eggs), and marginally by the destruction of nests through farming activities. These findings are important for conservation plans, to restore turtle doves’ habitats in Europe, where the species is widely declining.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High density and successful breeding of Turtle doves Streptopelia turtur in Moroccan olive groves

Squalli

Fadil

et al. 2022

PeerJ

Self Cite

“…Morocco hosts an important breeding population of Doves, mainly Streptopelia turtur arenicola (Hartert, 1894) [8]. In Moroccan grounds, Doves are mostly dispersed in woody environments [9,26,27] that represent 12.7% of the national surface [28] and farmlands that represent 1.5% of the total land area of Morocco [29,30]. Tey are most commonly found in farm landscapes with irrigated perimeters [17,31,32], with olive, orange, and apple orchards being particular favorites [17,33].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial and Temporal Monitoring of North African Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur arenicola (Hartert, EJO, 1894): First Migrants Arrive Early and Select Nesting Trees next to Foraging Resources while Second Breeders’ Wave Breed around Earlier Nests

Mounir

International Journal of Zoology

Squalli

et al. 2023

Self Cite

This study aimed to evaluate the spatial microdistribution and temporal microdistribution of the North African subspecies of the globally threatened Turtle Doves in Morocco. From the end of February to early September, we monitored the migration dates, counting arrival and departure dates, and breeding chronology, to clarify if the breeding season is divided into sub-breeding phases or not. Equally, the spatial distribution of nests following potential breeding phases was surveyed weekly in Beni Mellal province following a map of a selected orange orchard. Doves arrived in Beni Mellal in the third week of March and left in mid-October, according to the results. The first nests occurred in the second week of April, followed by the first eggs in the third week of April and the first chicks in the first week of May. PCA analysis showed that the nesting and laying stages were achieved principally during the last two weeks of April and the first three weeks of May, the hatching stage between the fourth week of May and the second week of July, and fledging between the fourth week of July and the first week of September. Further, the breeding season was divided into two phases: the first breeding phase, from the first week of April to the first week of June, and the second phase, between the second week of June and the second week of August. The DCA analysis and orchard-created map indicated that the first wave of breeders colonized the marginal trees located on the orchard sides, surrounded by foraging cereals and legumes, and the second breeding-phase nests were constructed in flocks next to the nests of the first breeding phase. According to this strategy, the first breeders prospect the orchard and select nesting trees near foraging resources, while the second breeders’ wave colonizes trees near successfully used prospector sites. These findings are of great importance for comparative investigations and habitat-scale conservation management.

“…The majority of avian species research in Morocco has focused on aquatic ecosystems far from populated areas (Cherkaoui et al 2015;Es Salai et al 2021;Squalli et al 2021), farmlands (Mansouri et al 2019), and forests (Cherkaoui et al 2009;Mansouri et al 2022). Despite their expanding populations, urban areas have not received considerable attention (Bellout et al 2021;Mansouri et al 2021Mansouri et al , 2022Bahi et al 2016).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban landscapes are richer in bird species when compared to farming lands: evidence from Morocco (Northwest Africa)

Douini

Mounir

et al. 2022

Zoology and Ecology

Urban expansion leads to modifications of habitat features, organization, and resources. Bird assemblages are known to respond by escaping destructive changes and adapting to sustainable ones. In this study, we investigated for the first time the avian diversity and its variation following the rural-urban gradient in Beni Mellal (Morocco) from 2018 to 2021. We used the line-transect method and multivariate analysis to demonstrate the selection of breeding habitats. Our result revealed a total of 84 species divided into resident breeders (64.28%), passage migrants (17.85%), breeding migrants (26.19%), winter visitors (32.18%) and accidental visitors (1.19%). Two globally vulnerable species counting the European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur and the European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis were recorded. Breeding populations were concentrated in green spaces (9 species) located in the urban zone, compared with farmlands (7 species), peri-urban (3 species), and rural areas (3 species). Therefore, these results reverse the hypothesis that rural and farming lands are more species-rich because of a higher population size. This is due to the abundance of breeding and foraging resources in urban green spaces compared to arid lands surrounding cities in this North African area. Furthermore, our study provides a new opportunity for comparative studies of avian diversity in Morocco and Northwest Africa.