Two Rustic Buntings at Tademaït Plateau, Central Algeria

Deux Bruants rustiques observés dans le plateau du Tademaït dans le Sahara central algérien le 23 novembre 2021 (Robert Minshull). C’est la deuxième mention de l’espèce pour l’Algérie.

Two Rustic Buntings found at Tademaït Plateau in Central Algerian Sahara on 23 November 2021. Robert Minshull first heard the birds’ call before trying to get some record shots. One of the birds was still present two days later.

This is the second record for Algeria after one being found on the Mediterranean coastal city of Annaba on 2 November 2013. I believe these are the only records in the whole Northwest Africa.

Other northern and upland species that are rare or scare in the Sahara were present at the site: a Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus), a Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla), and up to 25 Eurasian Siskins (Spinus spinus). The later species is over-wintering at the site for the 6th year in a row, so it’s more common in the Sahara than usually thought. [Read: Le Tarin des aulnes dans le Nord-est du Sahara algérien].

Etymology:

Tademaït is a rocky plateau located in almost the geographical centre of Algeria. Tademaït means “plateau” in Tamazight (Berber) language. This is similar to adding the word “lake” to Aguelmam (in Morocco) or Agoulmime (in Algeria) which means lake in the same language.