Winged ‘passing visitor' seen in Algeria flatlands for first time. Take a look
The Suez Canal to the east, connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, and the Strait of Gibraltar to the west, the channel of water between southern Spain and northern Morocco, act as major international migration routes for the birds of Europe and Africa.
From time to time, their paths lead them to Algeria, using the steppe region as a stopover point on their long journeys.
As many as 179 different species of bird have been seen here, including 40% of all bird species in Algeria, researchers said in a June 26 study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Bioresource Management.
Now, a new bird has been spotted in the region for the very first time.
Researchers were watching birds at a wastewater treatment plant in the agro-pastoral area outside the town of Mecheria when they noticed a medium-sized green and white bird, according to the study.
'Exactly at 2:00 p.m. we saw a bird with a clearly visible hoopoe that feeds with the shorebirds in this area,' researchers said of the December sighting. 'The Northern Lapwing is readily recognizable.'
The 'medium-sized' bird typically found in open fields has dark green feathers on the top of their plumage and white belly feathers underneath, according to the study.
'Its most striking characteristic is the black and white head, adorned with a long, upright black crest located at the back of the crown,' researchers said.
When Northern Lapwings migrate for the winter, they find open habitats like the plains and plateaus of Algeria to rest near water when possible, according to the study.
It's the first time a Northern Lapwing has been identified in the western Algerian steppes and is considered a 'passing visitor,' researchers said. The sighting 'confirms the importance of this area in the migratory birds' path through their passage and their stopover.'
Lapwings are about the size of a crow or robin, according to the National Audubon Society, and are grouped together with plovers and sandpiper-like birds.
The research team includes Youcefi Ahmed Toufik and Litim Kouider.
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