Abstract The Cattle Egret is considered an important auxiliary in agro-ecosystems, known by its dietary plasticity and habitat versatility. In this context, the present study focuses on the temporal variation of Bubulcus ibis preys, through the analysis of excrements of a colony located in the city of Chlef, in Northwest Algeria. To this aim, 10 randomly collected fecal pellets were analyzed each month over a period of 4 years. The results showed a highly variable diet, related on the one hand, to the dietary requirements, according to the predator's growth stage, and, on the other hand, to the availability of prey, depending on their life cycle, seasons, ecological conditions and feeding environments. Among all the identified preys, only insects and especially Coleoptera and Orthoptera were consumed throughout the year at high quantities, with a clear decrease during winter compared to the remaining seasons. Insect's deficiency during winter was overcome by other preys such as small mammals, amphibians, reptiles or mollusks.

中文翻译：

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阿尔及利亚北部半干旱地中海地区 Bubulcus ibis L. 饮食的时间变化

摘要 牛背鹭因其饮食可塑性和栖息地多样性而被认为是农业生态系统中的重要辅助物。在这种情况下，本研究通过分析位于阿尔及利亚西北部 Chlef 市的一个殖民地的排泄物，重点研究 Bubulcus ibis 猎物的时间变化。为此，在 4 年的时间里，每月分析 10 个随机收集的粪便颗粒。结果表明，饮食高度可变，一方面与食肉需求有关，根据捕食者的生长阶段，另一方面，与猎物的可用性有关，取决于它们的生命周期、季节、生态条件和饲养环境。在所有确定的猎物中，只有昆虫，尤其是鞘翅目和直翅目，全年被大量食用，与其余季节相比，冬季明显减少。其他猎物，如小型哺乳动物、两栖动物、爬行动物或软体动物，克服了冬季昆虫的缺乏。