Bull 541 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Bederrar et al. Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. (2023) 17(4): 541-548. https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2023.17.4.0541 SHORT COMMUNICATION SECOND OBSERVATION OF AFRICAN CRAKE CRECOPSIS EGREGIA (PETERS, W, 1854) (GRUIFORMES, RALLIDAE) IN AlGERIA Fouad Bederrar*, Noura Hadouchi**, Abdeslam Arab-Saïd**, Abdelkarim Lachichi**, Amal Belghit**, Abdennour Ketfi**, Moustapha Souahlia**, Massoud Demouche**, Leila Bougherab**, Leila Amzel** and Abdelwahab Chedad***♦ * Independent Naturalist, 33000, Illizi, Algeria. ** Directorate of Forest Conservation of Illizi. 33000Illizi, Algeria. *** Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Saharan Bio- Ressources: Preservation and Valorization, University of Ouargla. 30000 Ouargla, Algeria. Directorate of Forest Conservation of Ghardaïa. 47000 Ghardaïa, Algeria. ♦Corresponding author: agrochedad@yahoo.fr Recived Date: 08 March 2023, Accepted Date 9 June 2023, Published Date:20 December 2023 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ABSTRACT On December 6, 2022, a single individual of African Crake Crecopsis egregia (Gruiformes, Rallidae) was recovered in the Algerian Sahara at Illizi City. This observation is considered the second in Algeria after the first at Kerzaz in Béni Abbès dated November 27, 2020. Keywords: Algerian Sahara, Crecopsis egregia, Expansion, Rallidae, New location. INTRODUCTION More than two million square kilometers are in the area of Algeria with important ecosystem diversity, contributing to its faunistic and floristic biodiversity, which remains unknown in some regions, especially in the great Algerian desert (Chedad et al., 2020a). The twelve species of Rallidae recorded in Algeria, eleven of which were reported by Isenmann and Moali (2000) and Samraoui and Samraoui (2008) include: Water Rail Rallus aquaticus (Linnaeus, 1758), Spotted Crake Porzana porzana (Linnaeus, 1758), Little Crake Zapornia parva (Scopoli, 1769), Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1818), Western Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio (Linnaeus, 1758), Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Linnaeus, 1758, Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata Vieillot, 1817, Baillon's Crake Zapornia pusilla (Pallas, 1776), with doubtful or rare observation: Striped Crake Aenigmatolimnas marginalis (Hartlaub, 1857), Allen's Gallinule Porphyrio alleni Thomson, 1842 and, Corn Crake Crex crex (Linnaeus, 1758). Recently, the African Crake Crecopsis egregia (Peters, W, 1854) has been added to the list (Haddad et al., 2020). BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Iraq Natural History Research Center & Museum, University of Baghdad https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/Home Copyright © Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum Online ISSN: 2311-9799-Print ISSN: 1017-8678 https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2023.17.4.0541 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8098-1803 mailto:agrochedad@yahoo.fr https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/Home 542 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Second observation of African African Crake is classified as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List (BirdLife International, 2016). This article presents the second sighting report of the African Crake in the east of the Algerian Sahara at Illizi City, after the first recording on November 27, 2022, in the west of the Algerian Sahara at Kerzaz, Béni Abbès, which is located more than 1000 km away from our observation. NOTES AND OBSERVATION On the morning of December 6, 2022, this bird was found in a not-good state of health because it seemed that he was tired and unable to fly. Mr. Fouad Bederrar discovered it in a school (Sebgag Mohamed) in Illizi City (8°28'53.66" E; 26°31'5.71" N; 569 m a.s.l.) (Map 1, Pl. 1). The bird looks a little like a chicken, but its plumage is different. The designated authorities were contacted represented by the Directorate of Forest Conservation of Illizi to be identified as a species of Rallidae, the African Crake, and transferred directly to the veterinary services in order to carry out the necessary examinations. The veterinarian examined it , made sure of its safety, provided medication, and in the same day evening , it regained its energy and was released into a green area extending 10 hectares, which has water and diverse vegetation (8°27'31.21"E; 26°28'58.44"N; 557 m a.s.l.), which in turn is 7.6 km away from the mouth of the wastewater discharges (8°23'25.33"E; 26°30'48.04"N; 550 m a.s.l.), which is considered a reservoir for fauna and flora biodiversity (Pl. 1). The same place was visited several times, but the bird has not been observed in this area. African Crake is a sub-Saharan species whose distribution ranges from Senegal to Kenya and, towards the south, to the north and east of South Africa; it avoids the arid zones of the south-west and South Africa (Taylor, 2020). This species is partly migratory, but its movements are complex and poorly understood (Qninba et al., 2020). It seasonally migrates away from the equator in northerly and southerly directions to breed during wet periods (Taylor and van Perlo, 1998). Our observation is the second for Algeria, after the first was spotted on November 27, 2020, at more than 1000 km to the west at Kerzaz, Béni Abbès (Haddad et al., 2020) (Map. 1). This species of rail is a rare vagrant in the Western Palearctic (Haddad et al., 2020). Most of the mentions concern birds found weakened or dead, most of them during the winter period (Haas, 2017); this was confirmed during the two observations in Algeria. In Morocco, too, only two observations have been recorded in Western Sahara (Bergier et al., 2011; Qninba et al., 2020). In Tunisia, there have been no reports on the presence of this rail, as evidenced by Isenmann et al., (2005) and Azafzaf et al. (2015). Desert areas with water and food sources are considered essential stopover sites for migratory birds and important places for wintering and breeding (Chedad et al., 2020b, 2022), where in Illizi (Algerian Sahara), this region is considered important in terms of avifaunistic diversity, because three new species have already been recorded there and added to birds list of Algeria: Striated Heron Butorides striata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Durand et al., 2010), Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hadouchi et al., 2022) and Dunn's Lark 543 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Bederrar et al. Eremalauda dunni (Shelley, 1904) (Harzallah et al., 2021). In the same area of southeastern Algeria, we must also add two other interesting species confirmed by Algerian amateur ornithologists: Moltoni's Warbler Curruca subalpina (Temminck, 1820) El Borma, region of Ouargla (Haddad and Viechec, 2019), Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla Pallas, 1776 in Touggourt (Adamou, 2021), and Rüppell's Warbler Curruca ruppeli (Temminck, 1823) in Djanet, region of Illizi (Haddad and Afoutni, 2019). An important area that needs to be reminded of and that contains many surprises in the future is the extreme south of Algeria. We have already seen several species of birds added to the list of birds discovered in Algeria, especially in this area, which has remained unexplored for a long time. Until 2019 ornithological trips were started by Algerian amateur ornithologists, especially members of the ecoCirta association, the National Network of Algerian Ornithologist Watchers (R.N.O.O.A.), and the Algerian Wildlife Watchers Association. Among the species added to the list are: Jacobin Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus (Boddaert, 1783) in region of Tamanrasset (Haddad and Afoutni, 2020), Blue-naped Mousebird Urocolius macrourus (Linnaeus, 1766), Black Scrub Robin Cercotrichas podobe (Müller, PLS, 1776) in region of Tamanrasset before but now In-Guezzam (Haddad and Bekkouche, 2021), African grey woodpecker Dendropicos Goertae (Müller, PLS, 1776) in region of Tinzaouatine and Timiaouine (Haddad and Afoutni, 2022), White-throated Bee- eater Merops albicollis, Cut-throat Finch Amadina fasciata (Gmelin, JF, 1789) and Village Indigobird Vidua chalybeata (Müller, PLS, 1776) in Tamanrasset at In-Guezzam (Boulaouad et al., 2022). It is also worth noting that the desert areas have experienced an expansion in the nesting of many birds, including the Little Egret Egretta garzette (Linnaeus, 1766), Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides (Scopoli, 1769), and Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax (Linnaeus, 1758) in Ghardaïa (Chedad et al., 2022, 2023; Bouzid et al., 2023), and Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758 in Biskra (Farhi et al., 2022). Plate (1): African Crake Crecopsis egregia in Illizi, Algeria (Abdelkarim Lachichi, December.6. 2022). 544 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Second observation of African Map (1): Observation sites for African Crake Crecopsis egregia in Algeria: in red, the first observation by Haddad et al. (2020) and, yellow, the second observation in this present study. CONCLUSIONS Recent discoveries in the Algerian avifaunistic world should motivate more local naturalists (amateurs and professionals) to continue research. However, the list of birds mentioned is certainly not yet completed, and it is likely that in the future, more new species will be discovered. We strongly believe that new surprises are always present, but the vastness of the country's space and the lack of staff on the ground in some regions leave them unknown. 545 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Bederrar et al. Mainly, we encourage all people interested in nature to acquire perseverance, to have a passion for nature, and above all, to contribute to citizen science to improve knowledge and enrich the country's heritage. AKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank two reviewers for their comments and suggestions. We also would like to thank the General Directorate of Forests and the members of the National Network of Algerian Ornithologist Watchers (R.N.O.O.A.). The support of the Algerian Ministry of Higher Education is acknowledged. CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT "The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare". LITERATURE CITED Adamou, N. 2021. Première observation du Bruant nain Emberiza pusilla en Algérie [First observation of the Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla in Algeria]. Alauda, 89: 75. Bergier, P., Qninba, A. and Thévenot, M. 2011. Notes naturalistes au Sahara Atlantique marocain – 3 [Naturalistic notes in the Moroccan Atlantic Sahara - 3]. Go-South Bulletin, 8: 67-103. BirdLife International, 2016. Crex egregia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22692539A93357762. [Clich here] Boulaouad, A., Harzallah, B., Ayyach, K., Attouche, K., Soukkou, W., Hadj Aissa, D., Faidi, H. and Missoum, M. 2022. A new species for Algeria, White-throated Bee-eater (Merops albicollis), observations of probably escaped individuals of Cutthroat Finch (Amadina fasciata) and Village Indigobird (Vidua chalybeata) and a checklist of southern Sahara birds. Ornis Hungarica, 30 :195-207. [CrossRef] Bouzid, A., Chedad, A., Samraoui, F. and Samraoui, B. 2023. Range expansion of nesting Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides and Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax in the Sahara. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 31: 467-478. [CrossRef] Chedad, A., Bendjoudi, D. and Guezoul, O. 2020a. Expansion of some species of the Fringillidae family in the Algerian Northern Sahara. Current Trends in Natural Sciences, 9(18): 92–99.[CrossRef] Chedad, A., Bendjoudi, D. and Guezoul, O. 2020b. Biodiversité de l’avifaune aquatique d’une zone humide artificielle à Kef Doukhane (Ghardaïa. Sahara Algerian) [Biodiversity of waterbirds in the artificial wetland of Kef Doukhane (Ghardaïa. Algerian Sahara)]. Bulletin de La Société Zoologique de France, 145 (4) :383-400. [Click here] https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22692539/93357762 https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2022-0030 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-023-09928-1 https://doi.org/10.47068/ctns.2020.v9i18.013 https://societe-zoologique.fr/sites/default/files/revue/2021-01/SZF145%284%29CHEDAD.pdf 546 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Second observation of African Chedad, A., Bouzid, A. and Samraoui, B. 2022. First successful nesting of the Little Egret Egretta garzetta in Ghardaïa (Algerian Sahara). Zoology and Ecology, 32(1):68-73. [CrossRef] Chedad, A., Bouzid, A., Bendjoudi, D. and Guezoul, O. Avifauna of M’Zab region (Ghardaïa, Algerian Sahara): checklist and overview of the current status. Zoology and Ecology, 33(1):22-35. [CrossRef] Durand, E., Durand, G. and Allegrini, B. 2010. Première observation du Héron strié (Butorides striata) en Algérie [First observation of the Striated Heron (Butorides striatus) in Algeria]. Poiretia, 2: 12-16. [Research Gate] Farhi, Y., Aouissi, H.A., Saifi, M., Fadlaoui, H. and Merzouki, Y. 2022. First breeding data of the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) in the northern Algerian Sahara (Biskra region). African Journal of Ecology, 60: 1283- 1286. [CrossRef] Haas, M. 2017. Extremely rare birds in the Western Palearctic: update 2009-16. Dutch Birding, 39(3): 145- 182. [ResearchGate] Haddad, K. and Afoutni, L. 2019. Première observation d’une Fauvette de Rüppell Sylvia ruppeli en Algérie [First documented record of Rüppel’s Warbler Sylvia ruppeli in Algeria]. Alauda, 87(2): 165. [ResearchGate] Haddad, K. and Afoutni, L. 2020. Première observation du Coucou jacobin Clamator jacobinus en Afrique du Nord [First record of Jacobin cuckoo Clamator acobinus in Algeria]. Alauda, 88(1):71-72. [ResearchGate] Haddad, K. and Afoutni, L. 2022. Premier signalement du Pic goertan Dendropicos goertae en Afrique du Nord. [First record of African grey woodpecker Dendropicos Goertae in North Africa]. Alauda, 90(3):73-76. [ResearchGate] Haddad, K. and Bekkouche, S. 2021. Blue-naped Mousebird and Black Scrub Robin at Tamanrasset, Algeria, in 2018-19. Dutch Birding, 43(2):147-149. [Click here] Haddad, K., Zaïdi, H. and Achrini, M. 2020. African crake at Kerzaz, Algeria, in November 2020. Dutch Birding, 43(4): 39-40. [Click here] Hadouchi, N., Arab-Said, A., Demouche, M., Kahoul, M., Belghit, A. and Amzal, L. 2022. Première observation du Phalarope à Bec large Phalaropus fulicarius en Algérie [First observation of the Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius in Algeria]. Alauda, 90(1): 41-42. Harzallah, B., Ayyach, K., Benmokhtar, L. and Telailia, S. 2021. First observation of the Dunn's Lark Eremalauda dunni in Algeria. Alauda, 89(4): 293-294. [ResearchGate] https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2022.1.8 https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2023.1.4 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benjamin-Allegrini/publication/257381857_Premiere_observation_du_Heron_strie_Butorides_striata_en_Algerie/links/00b7d5252a779aa97d000000/Premiere-observation-du-Heron-strie-Butorides-striata-en-Algerie.pdf https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13060 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347692577_Extremely_rare_birds_in_the_Western_Palearctic_update_2009-16#fullTextFileContent https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348296814_REMIERE_OBSERVATION_D'UNE_FAUVETTE_DE_RUPPELL_Sylvia_ruppeli_EN_ALGERIE https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348607628_Premiere_observation_du_Coucou_Jacobin_Clamator_jacobinus_en_Afrique_du_Nord https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364622770_Premier_signalement_du_Pic_goertan_Dendropicos_goertae_en_Afrique_du_Nord_First_record_of_African_grey_woodpecker_Dendropicos_Goertae_in_North_Africa https://sciendo.com/pdf/10.2478/orhu-2022-0030 https://costarica.inaturalist.org/posts/55458-african-crake-at-kerzaz-algeria-in-november-2020 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354675411_First_observation_of_the_Dunn's_Lark_Eremalauda_dunni_in_Algeria 547 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Bederrar et al. Isenmann, P. and Moali, A. 2000. Oiseaux d’Algérie / Birds of Algeria. Ed. Société d’Études Ornithologiques de France, Paris, 336 pp. Isenmann, P., Gaultier, H., Hili, A., Azafzaf, H., Dlensi, H. and Smart, M. 2005. Oiseaux de Tunisie [Birds of Tunisia]. Ed. Société d’Études Ornithologiques de France, Paris, 432 pp. Qninba, A., Thévenot, M. and Bergier, P. 2020. Deuxième observation du Râle des prés Crex egregia au Sahara Atlantique Marocain [Second observation of the African Crake Crex egregia in the Moroccan Atlantic Sahara]. Go-South Bulletin, 17: 61-64. Samraoui, B. and Samraoui, F. 2008. An ornithological survey of Algerian wetlands: Important Bird Areas. Ramsar sites and threatened species. Wildfowl, 58: 71-96. Taylor, B. 2020. African Crake (Crex egregia). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. and de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. [Click here] Taylor, B. and van Perlo, B. 1998. Rails: a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules and coots of the world. Mountfield, Yale University Press, 600 pp. Viechec, A. and Haddad, K. 2019. Première observation de la Fauvette de Moltoni Sylvia subalpina en Algérie [First record of Moltoni’s Warbler Sylvia subalpina in Algeria]. Alauda, 87(4) : 346-347. Zafzaf, H., Feltrup -Azafzaf, C., Dlensi, H. and Isenmann, P. 2015. Nouvelles données sur l’avifaune de Tunisie (2005-2014) [New data on the avifauna of Tunisia (2005-2014)]. Alauda, 83(1): 7-28. [ResearchGate] https://www.hbw.com/node/53632%20on%2024%20April%202020 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274633919_NOUVELLES_DONNEES_SUR_L'AVIFAUNE_DE_TUNISIE_2005-2014 548 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Second observation of African Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. (2023) 17(4): 541-548. Crecopsis egregia(Peters, W, 1854الثانية للمرعة االفريقية ) املشاهدة (Gruiformes, Rallidae) في الجزائر فؤاد بدرار*، نورا حدوش ي**، عبد السالم عرب سعيد**، عبد الكريم لشيش ي**، أمل بلغيت**، عبد النور كتفي**، مصطفى سواهلية**، مسعود ديموش**، عبد الوهاب شديد*** يلى أمزيل**، وليلى بوغراب**، ل ، إليزي، الجزائر.33000* عالم طبيعة مستقل، إليزي، الجزائر. 33000** مديرية حماية الغابات بإليزي. ، تثمينالظ و املوارد الحيوية الصحراوية: الحف*** قسم العلوم البيولوجية، مخبر 47000ورقلة الجزائر. مديرية حماية الغابات بغرداية. 30000جامعة ورقلة. الجزائر. ،غرداية 20/12/2023، تأريخ النشر: 9/6/2023القبول: ، تأريخ 8/3/2023تأريخ االستالم: الخالصة Crecopsisملرعة االفريقيةا، تم العثور على فرد واحد من 2022ديسمبر 06في egregia (Gruiformes, Rallidae) في الصحراء الجزائرية في مدينة إليزي، وتعتبر هذه نوفمبر 27املالحظة الثانية في الجزائر، بعد األولى في منطقة كرزاز في بني عباس بتاريخ 2020.