GEoGRAPHIC VARIATIoN oF THE dIET oF THE CoMMoN KESTREL Falco tinnunculus LINNé, 1758 (AVES, FALCoNIdAE) IN ALGERIA

The diet of the Common Kestrel was analyzed in different area of Algeria. The diet was determined by analyzing 713 pellets. Our data showed that the diet changes from one station to another. In a suburban environment in El Harrach, birds (25.9 %) were the dominant prey group. Similarly in urban area in El Anasser (49.0 %) and farmland area in Meftah (32.0 %), the birds dominate. The orthoptera prey is consumed in large numbers in farmland area in Meziraâ (60 %), El Kantara (53.1 %) and Dergana (37.8 %) and in suburban environment in Beni Messous (26.9%). In suburban area in Bab Ezzouar, beetles (34.6 %) dominate. In steppe area in El Mesrane, beetles (29.7 %) and birds (28.1 %) were the prey most eaten by this predator. In terms of prey species, the trophic behavior of this falcon shows that Passer domesticus x P. hispaniolensis was the most numerous prey species in a suburban environment in El Harrach (20.5 %), in an urban environment in El Anasser (26.0 %) and in an agricultural environment in Meftah (22.1 %). Moreover, in an agricultural environment in Dergana, the bat Pipistrellus kuhlii (12.0 %) made up the dominant prey. In El Mesrane, Meriones shawii (14.6 %) was the prey mainly eaten. However in a Saharan environment in Biskra, the diet of the Kestrel in an agroecosystem in Meziraâ was dominated by Schistocerca gregaria (52.5 %).