Bird Diversity Across Farmland, Wetland, and Forest Environments of the Moulouya High Plain, Morocco

Abstract

A survey of avian diversity in a specific environment is the first step in comprehensing and categorizing the importance of this area, followed by the implementation of suitable conservation policies. Monthly surveys from the beginning of January 2015 to the end of December 2020 in Moulouya High plain, Morocco, resulted in the documentation of 136 avian species, belonging to 44 families and 21 orders. In addition, five birds of conservation preoccupation namely the endangered Neophron percnopterus (migrant); the Near Threatened Aythya nyroca (wintering) and Gypaetus barbatus (resident summering); the Vulnerable Streptopelia turtur (migrant breeder), and Chersophilus duponti (resident breeder), were observed in the Moulouya High plain. On the other hand, the comparison of diversity indexes (Margalef, Simpson, and Shannon-Wiener indexes) and compositional parameters (Taxa and abundance) displayed the maximum avian richness in forest and wetland habitats, while farmlands were the least diverse habitats. Finally, our study provides the first and only profound information on the richness of the avian species in the Moulouya High plain. Results harvested from this investigation will provide valuable data for future monitoring and conservation actions of at least the most threatened species and habitats.