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Birds of Algeria

Index of articles about “Algerian birds”: ornithological studies and reports, rare birds sightings, general birding news,…etc. In short, everything about birds and birding in Algeria is filed under this category.

 

Leucistic birds found in Northwest Africa

Leucistic Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius), Essaouira (Leander Khil).

Leucism in birds is a partial or total lack of pigments (melanin) in the feathers resulting in these becoming white. It’s genetically inherited and can vary from only some white feathers (partial leucism) to totally white individuals (total leucism). The eye colour is always normal in leucistic animals (unlike in albinos). However, “not every white […]

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Vultures of Northwest Africa: a complete list

Rüppell’s Vulture (Gyps rueppelli), Tétouan, Morocco, May 2014 (Rachid El Khamlichi)

Historically, five vulture species had existed in Northwest Africa (the Maghreb), namely: Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Bearded Vulture, Cinereous Vulture and Lappet-faced Vulture. Of these, only the first three species still breeding in the region, while the last two species are already extirpated (although the Cinereous Vulture is a regular wintering and migrant in Morocco).

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African Crimson-winged Finch: a new endemic species

African Crimson-winged Finch / Roselin à ailes roses d'Afrique (Rhodopechys alienus), Oukaïmeden, High Atlas, Morocco (Mike Haley)

The Crimson-winged Finch sensu lato consists of two distinct taxa, alienus in Northwest Africa and sanguineus in the Middle East, Turkey, Caucasus, Central Asia and north-west China. The split of this taxon into two separate species, African Crimson-winged Finch (Rhodopechys alienus) and Asian Crimson-winged Finch (R. sanguineus), was first proposed by Kirwan et al. (2006).

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