Diet of Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) in Forest Areas of Souk Ahras Region (North-Eastern Algeria): Management Implications

ABSTRACT The wood pigeon Columba palumbus is a common bird in Algerian forests. In the near past the species populations have increased significantly in Algeria. In order to better comprehend the ecology and vital needs of the wood pigeon and to help with our results in the process of conservation management of wood pigeon, a study of the diet of this pigeon was undertaken from October 2015 to April 2017 within the Souk Ahras region, in North-eastern Algeria. This work was carried out by using a combination of digestive-contents analysis (86 contents) and field observations (during the breeding season). We identified 16 plant species of which four were recorded through on-site observations and 12 species were collected from bird crops. The biomass contained in the alimentary tract showed that fruits dominated the bird diet but the proportion of food items varied among seasons reflecting their seasonal availability in the study area. The pattern of seasonal variation of the diet was similar to most studies on wood pigeon diet. During the autumn and the winter; significant amounts of fruits of mastic tree Pistacia lentiscus and cork oak Quercus suber were consumed. Spring was characterized by the consumption of fruits of olives Olea europea and Aleppo pine Pinus halepensis. The direct field observations permitted to note that the summer diet was dominated by the cereals.