Le Bulletin AVES Volume 37 - n° 1 & 2 - 2000 [Retour]

JACOB, J.-P. & MATGEN, O. - LA nidification du Guêpier d'Europe (Merops apiaster) en Wallonie et le statut de l'espèce en Belgique. - pp. 1 - 32 Résumé : Cet article rappelle les premiers cas de nidification en Hainaut (1933 et 1956) et relate les reproductions observées dans la province du Luxembourg en 1993-95 et 1999. Il analyse ensuite le statut belge, en le replaçant dans le contexte de l'évolution récente de l'espèce en Europe moyenne Breeding of European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) in Wallonia and its status in Belgium. Summary : The European Bee-eater was formerly known as an occasional visitor and breeder in Belgium. This status evolved during the last two decades and singularly in the nineties. Since 1984, Bee-eaters have become rare annual visitors (Fig.2) between April and September (Fig. 3). They nest since 1993 in the south-western half of the country (1-3 pairs per year between 1993 and 1999, distribution on Fig. 1). The paper describes recent breedings in Wallonia : 1993 in Famenne (1 pair), 1994, 1995 and 1999 in Belgian Lorraine (3, 1 and 1 pairs). Data on breeding sites, nest structure, diet, interactions with other species (notably mobbing by hirundine, in particular swallows, <M>Hirundo rustica), breeding cases and success, are given. A high proportion of pairs appear to succeed in their breeding attempts, producing good fledgling numbers, such that the establishment of extralimital populations (border between France and Belgium) might occur without continuous immigration. SCHMITZ, L. & MICHEL, J. - Identité subspécifique, distribution et habitat des Merles à plastron (Turdus torquatus) nicheurs en Belgique. - pp. 33 - 45 Résumé : La nidification du Merle à plastron, soupçonnée depuis la fin des années soixante (FONTAINE, 1971), a été établie à trois reprises entre 1973 et 1976 sur le plateau des Hautes-Fagnes (FONTAINE, 1975; SCHEUREN, 1976). A partir de 1985 (SCHMITZ, 1985), des cantonnements ont pu être décelés annuellement dans la même région, atteignant en 15 ans un total de 48 cas distribués sur 32 stations, avec un maximum de 10 couples en 1989. Les observations réalisées ont permis de déterminer la sous-espèce de ces Merles à plastron, de préciser leur distribution et certaines caractéristiques de leur habitat. Subspecies, distribution and habitat of breeding Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) in Belgium. Summary : After three breeding occurrences during the seventies, the regular presence of Ring Ouzels during the breeding period has been established for 15 successive years on the Hautes-Fagnes plateau, with an annual maximum of ten territories. Those Ring Ouzels belong to the alpestris subspecies. The Belgian data outside of this limited area are no longer considered to be sufficiently documented. Collections at the IRSNB contain two skins belonging to the alpestris subspecies, collected or acquired in Belgium. The ecological requirements of breeding ouzels have been characterised by comparison of the occupied sites with potential habitats : preference for young spruce stands, upward from an elevation of 550 m, with increasing numbers above 660 m, on weak slopes, away from southern exposures. Such requirements correspond to data from central Europe, although elevations are lower than in mountainous areas, as it is often the case in other regions of lower altitudes. In the Figures, "Territory" refers to the occurence of settled birds; therefore the same site is taken into account several times if it was occupied during several years. "Breeding station" refers to a site where a settlement was observed; therefore each one is taken into occount once only in the analysis. CENTRALE ORNITHOLOGIQUE AVES - Observations de mars à mai 1999. - pp. 47 - 52 NOTES : DUFOURNY, H. - Première mention d'un Goéland à bec cerclé (Larus delawarensis) en Wallonie. - pp. 63 - 67 First sighting of Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) in Wallonia. Summary : An adult Ring-billed Gull was seen on 06 and 08.01.1998 at Nimy (Hainaut) in a gull's dormitory. This is the first mention of the species in Wallonia and the twelfth in Belgium. SCHMITZ, L. - Légurgitation de pelotes par le Traquet tarier (Saxicola rubetra) - pp. 68 - 69 The regurgitation of pellets by the Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra). Summary : The first observation of a Whintchat rejecting a pellet occured on August 26th 2000, during a ten years study at Sourbrodt, eastern Belgium. The fact that this was checked on late summer may be related to an observed change in feeding habits presumably inducing an increase of more chitinous preys in the diet. RABOSEE, D. DE WAVRIN, H. & JANSSENS, M. - Proies peu banales du Faucon pèlerin (Falco peregrinus) en milieu urbain. - pp. 70 - 72 Uncommon preys of the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) in an urban site. Summary : Remains of preys of Peregrine Falcons were collected regularly at the foot of the Cathedral of Brussels between 06.10.1999 and 10.01.2000. Feral Pigeons and thrushes (Song Thrush, Redwing and Turdus sp.) were the more usual preys but a Snipe, a Woodcock, a Water Rail and a Red-necked Grebe were also found. Attention : note complémentaire dans la vol.37 - n°3-4