New record of Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) in extreme southern Algeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4081/rio.2025.874Keywords:
Red-backed Shrike, North Africa, Tin Zaouatine, Sahara, migration, accidental visitor, LaniidaeAbstract
In this work, we review past records of the Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio in Algeria. Furthermore, we report a new observation of the species made in November 2023 of a juvenile individual spotted in Tawandert in the extreme south of Algeria. The identification was based on the observed plumage characteristics, including a greyish-brown crown and nape, pale rufous back, and faint barring above and below, with the white primary patch already visible. This record, following one in Djanet in 1960 and another in Bou Hanifia in 1977, represents the third for this species in Algeria and the first sighting in over 50 years, as well as the first documented occurrence in the southern Sahara region of the country of a species that normally follows an easterly route during post-breeding migration.
Downloads
References
Boulaouad B. A., Harzallah B., Ayyach K., Attouche K., Soukkou W., Aissa D. H., Faidi H. & Missoum M., 2022 - A new species for Algeria, White-throated Bee-eater (Merops albicollis), observations of probably escaped individuals of Cut-throat Finch (Amadina fasciata) and Village Indigobird (Vidua chalybeata) and a checklist of southern Sahara birds. Ornis Hungarica, 30: 195–207. doi:10.2478/orhu-2022-0030.
Boulaouad B. A., Ayyach K., Harzallah B., Missoum M., Ailam O. & Telailia S., 2023a - Northern Grey-headed Sparrows in southern Algeria in October 2022. Dutch Birding, 45: 187–189.
Boulaouad B. A., Harzallah B., Ayyach K., Missoum M. & Ailam O., 2023b - First Records of the Cricket Warbler Spiloptila clamans (Cretzschmar, 1826) (Passeriformes: Cisticolidae) in Algeria. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 75: 1–3.
Boulaouad B. A., Missoum M., Attouche K., Aissa D.H., Harzallah B., Ayyach K. & Belkacem M. 2024 - First record of the African green bee-eater (Merops viridissimus Swainson, 1837) in Southern Algeria. Arxius de Miscel·lània Zoològica, 22:25–29.
Dowsett R. J., 1971 - The Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor in Africa. Ostrich, 42(4): 259–270.
Isenmann P. & Moali A., 2000 - Birds of Algeria. Paris: Societé d’Études Ornithologiques de France.
Isenmann P., Gaultier T., El Hili A., Azafzaf H., Dlensi H. & Smart M., 2005 - Oiseaux de Tunisie/Birds of Tunisia. Paris: Societé d’Études Ornithologiques de France.
Isenmann P., Benmergui M., Browne P., Diam Ba A., Diagana C. H., Diawara Y. & El Abidine Ould Sidaty Z., 2010 - Oiseaux de Mauritanie/Birds of Mauritania. Paris: Societé d’Études Ornithologiques de France.
Lefranc N., 2022 - Shrikes of the World. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Magornitho, 2020 - Three new bird species added to Algeria’s bird list. https://magornitho.org/2020/12/three-new-species-algeria/ (retrieved on 28th December 2024).
Tellería J. L., 2018 - Distribution of the Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio at its western range boundary: patterns and conservation prospects. Ardeola, 65(2): 221–232
Thévenot M., Vernon R. & Bergier P., 2003 - The Birds of Morocco. BOU Checklist No. 20. Tring: British Ornithologists’ Union & British Ornithologists’ Club.
Tøttrup A. P., Pedersen L., Onrubia A., Klaassen R. H. & Thorup K., 2017 - Migration of Red‐backed Shrikes from the Iberian Peninsula: optimal or sub‐optimal detour?. Journal of Avian Biology, 48(1): 149–154.
Downloads
Published
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Belkacem Aimene Boulaouad, Djamel Hadj Aissa, Karim Attouche, Mohamed Missoum, Khaled Ayyach, Bachir Harzallah, Mohamed Belkacem
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.
