<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">During the past two centuries, few studies have been conducted on biometrics of North African Blackbirds. Several of these studies were carried out during the latter part of the 19th and in the early 20th centuries. As a result, two subspecies were recognized namely <italic>Turdus merula algira</italic> inhabiting northern regions of North Africa and some localities in southwestern continental Europe and <italic>T. m. mauritanicus</italic> inhabiting central western Morocco and southern Algeria and Tunisia (to the end of arid climatic regions). In this study we provide morphological data from the northeastern Algerian population of Blackbird. Results reveal no differences between sexes in any of the measurements (small sample size). Comparison of morphological data of specimens collected in the northern region of North Africa and from the southern region of Maghreb countries (Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco) show morphometric differences only in wing length. These results are consistent with the existence of multiple subspecies in North African populations of Blackbird. Our findings support the assumptions of previous researchers in considering <italic>T. m. algira</italic> as typical of northern areas of Maghreb countries and <italic>T. m. mauritanicus</italic> typical of southern areas of the region.</abstract>

During the past two centuries, few studies have been conducted on biometrics of North African Blackbirds. Several of these studies were carried out during the latter part of the 19th and in the early 20th centuries. As a result, two subspecies were recognized namely Turdus merula algira inhabiting northern regions of North Africa and some localities in southwestern continental Europe and T. m. mauritanicus inhabiting central western Morocco and southern Algeria and Tunisia (to the end of arid climatic regions). In this study we provide morphological data from the northeastern Algerian population of Blackbird. Results reveal no differences between sexes in any of the measurements (small sample size). Comparison of morphological data of specimens collected in the northern region of North Africa and from the southern region of Maghreb countries (Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco) show morphometric differences only in wing length. These results are consistent with the existence of multiple subspecies in North African populations of Blackbird. Our findings support the assumptions of previous researchers in considering T. m. algira as typical of northern areas of Maghreb countries and T. m. mauritanicus typical of southern areas of the region.

Biometric data of North African Blackbird <italic>Turdus merula</italic>: are there many subspecies?

1st cycle department, Food Science and Agri-Food Industries College

Ecology of Terrestrial and Aquatic System Laboratory

Science and Technology Bab Ezzouar University

Laboratory Ecobiology of Marine and Coastal Environments

Ornis Hungarica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Biometric data of North African Blackbird : are there many subspecies?

During the past two centuries, few studies have been conducted on biometrics of North African Blackbirds. Several of these studies were carried out during the...

Biometric data of North African Blackbird Turdus merula: are there many subspecies?

Published Online: Dec 16, 2019

Page range: 67 - 76

Received: Apr 08, 2019

Accepted: Nov 01, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2019-0016

Keywords
North African Blackbird, morphological characteristics, subspecies,

© 2019 Imed Djemadi et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Biometric data of North African Blackbird Turdus merula: are there many subspecies?

Published Online: Dec 16, 2019

Page range: 67 - 76

Received: Apr 08, 2019

Accepted: Nov 01, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2019-0016

KeywordsNorth African Blackbird, morphological characteristics, subspecies,

© 2019 Imed Djemadi et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
North African Blackbird, morphological characteristics, subspecies,