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Segregation of breeding habitats and feeding resources among five north African game species in Midelt province, Morocco

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Abstract

Studies of niche segregation among avian species have mostly addressed food sites and foraging behavior, while partitioning relative to nesting sites differentiation has been little analyzed. The recent degradation and loss of suitable habitats have upraised concerns toward their effects on the distribution and evolution of ecological niches, particularly in threatened species. This study, conducted in Midelt from February to September, between 2015 and 2018, attempted to identify any potential differentiation in nesting habitats and feeding sites among wood pigeon, rock pigeon, turtle dove, collared dove, and barbary partridge as a game species mostly hunted in Morocco and Northwest Africa. Also, this study aimed to evaluate any possible sharing of habitats, principally with heavy loss of suitable habitats remarked recently. We analyzed breeding and feeding sites and diet composition with multivariate analysis to test the relevance of nest site and feeding site variables in the distribution of studied species. The results showed substantial segregation in nesting and feeding sites selected by studied species. Observed nesting sites and feeding features partitioning may reduce the potential competition between these species and enhance opportunities for their coexistence. While, the common use of feeding habitats and diet composition by turtle dove and rock pigeon is suggested to be controlled by the loss of available resources, which forces these species to use jointly the offered food resources. Finally, our data provide the primer and only comprehensive data on the partitioning of breeding and foraging resources among game species in their entire Northwest Africa. Information collected from this research provides valuable data for conservation measures of these highly appreciated games, mainly the vulnerable turtle dove. Moreover, these data provide a new window of large-scale comparative studies of the ecological niche of the game birds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Functional Ecology and Genie of Environment, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, USMBA, Fez, Morocco

    Ismail Mansouri, Wafae Squalli & Lahsen El Ghadraoui

  2. Laboratory of Geo-Environmental, Analysis Planning-Sustainable Development, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, USMBA, Fez, Morocco

    Hamid Achiban

  3. Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorisation of Phytogénétics Ressources, Faculty of Sciences and Technics, Sultan Moulay Sliman university, Beni Mellal, Morocco

    Mohamed Mounir

  4. Geo-Biodiversity and Natural Patrimony Laboratory, Scientific Institute, Mohammed V University in Rabat, 10106, Rabat, Morocco

    Mohamed Dakki

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  1. Ismail Mansouri
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Mansouri, I., Squalli, W., Achiban, H. et al. Segregation of breeding habitats and feeding resources among five north African game species in Midelt province, Morocco. Biologia 77, 137–148 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-021-00906-7

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