Last month, the AWWA team recorded the first Chestnut-bellied Starling in Algeria, and a year later they documented the breeding of the species.
During a recent birding trip to southern Algeria, members of the Algerian Wildlife Watchers Association (AWWA) observed and photographed a Chestnut-bellied Starling (Lamprotornis pulcher). The bird was found in the region of Tawendert, Tin Zaouatine, near the border with Mali on 24 November 2022. This is the first record for Algeria and Northwest Africa.
In the same trip, the team observed also a number of local interesting species such as Namaqua dove (Oena capensis), African Grey Woodpecker (Dendropicos goertae), Blue-naped Mousebird (Urocolius macrourus), Cricket Warbler (Spiloptila clamans), and the widespread African Silverbill (Euodice cantans).
In October 2022, they recorded the first Northern Grey-headed Sparrow (Passer griseus) and the first breeding of Cricket Warbler in Algeria in the same province (wilaya of Bordj Baji Mokhtar).
Breeding of Chestnut-bellied Starling in Algeria
During a birding trip organised almost a year later (November 2023), three Chestnut-bellied Starlings were photographed along the Tamanrasset road between Tamanrraset and Tin Zaouatine. The observation of an adult feeding a juvenile indicate local breeding.
This is the second record for Algeria and potentially the first for the Western Palearctic sensu BWP.
Update — the first observation was published in:
Soukkou, W, Seddiki, F., Hadoun, A., Boulaouad, B. A., Ailam, O., 2023. Première observation du Choucador à ventre roux Lamprotornis pulcher en Algérie. Alauda, 91(3): 209-210