Man made ecosystems of dry lands are key habitats due to their ecological characteristics to survey biodiversity. This study investigated bird diversity in three oases of the Northern Algerian Sahara (i.e., Biskra in 2006, Oued Souf in 2008 and Ouargla in 2009), by using the spot-mapping method. Bird density "D" (pairs/10 ha), species richness "S" (number species), diversity (Shannon index) "H'" (in bits), and evenness "E" varied from one oasis to another (Biskra: D = 98.5, S = 47, H' = 4.49, E = 0.81; Oued Souf: D = 96, S = 33, H' = 3.9, E = 0.77; Ouargla: D = 91.5, S = 44, H' = 4.39, E = 0.80). Differences in bird diversity between the monitored palm groves are due to the ecological characteristics of each environment. Documented literature outlined close taxonomic similarities between bird assemblages of the study area with many Northern Saharan oases. The Hybrid Sparrow Passer domesticus x Passer. hispaniolensis and some Columbidae species including Columba livia, Streptopelia turtur, Streptopelia senegalensis, and Streptopelia decaocto were the abundant species throughout surveyed oases in which they represented more than half (55.6%) of the sum of species densities (D = 286 pairs/10 ha). These synthropic species have known a huge expansion of their distribution range throughout Algerian oases. The correspondence analysis allowed the aggregation of both families and species into oasis they belong to. One-way ANOVA was tested to analyse variations of both family and species densities between studied oases. The ANOVA revealed there was no significant variation either in family densities (p = 0.937) or in bird densities (p = 0.622) between the surveyed oases because of the small size of bird populations.

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The diet of the Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus was analysed in an arid environment in Hassi El Gara located in the southeast of El Golea (Ghardaia, Algeria). The diet was determined by analysing 138 pellets. Our data showed that the diet was dominated by mammals (Chiroptera and Rodentia). Based on relative biomass, birds were the main prey species. Mammals were the second most important prey. Mammals were the major food item throughout the seasons and their contribution to the diet ranged from 50.7% in spring to 73.6% in summer. Birds were the second numerous prey with 8.1% in summer and 29.6% in spring. The dominant prey species was Myotis sp., making up 37.8%. It was followed by Gerbillus nanus (5.4%), Columba livia (4.3%) and Bufo mauritanicus (4.1%).

First record of Deudorix livia (Lepidoptera: Lycanidae) from Algeria: an important pest of pomegranate and date palm In the framework of an entomological study carried out from 2013 to 2017 aiming to identify a harmful organism in several oases of the northern Sahara of Algeria, the authors have identified the presence of Deudorix livia (Klug, 1834) (Lepidoptera: Lycanidae). This is the first record of this species in the northern Sahara of Algeria. This insect is an important pest of the fruits of two crops: the date palm and the pomegranate tree. The main criteria for determining this species are specified, as well as the host plants on which the insect was observed. The symptoms and damage that have been observed are also detailed. The authors describe the different Algerian localities where this species has been reported, and discuss the potential economic impact of this pest.