| Summary: | [EN]: The progressive loss of natural wetlands throughout Europe has led to the use of human infrastructures such as gravel pits, irrigation ponds and reservoirs by waterbirds as an alternative habitat. In Central Spain, the presence of man-made wetlands is essential for waterfowl conservation. The temporal dynamics of the wintering waterbird community was studied in an artificial wetland located in Madrid, Central Spain (Laguna de Meco). We carried out fortnightly censuses between October 2011 and February 2012 (total of 10) to describe variations in patterns of abundance and of species and taxonomic group richness. A total of 27 aquatic species and 2,901 birds were recorded. Diversity, number of birds and species richness varied between months. The highest numbers of birds occurred in October and February, while the greatest diversity and species richness were recorded during the postnuptial migration in October and November due to the large number of shorebirds occurring in those months. The most abundant species over the study period was the Common Coot Fulica atra, with 38% of the total birds counted, the only exception being the last half of February when the Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus was commonest. Despite only having been created in 2008, this lagoon hosts one of the most important waterfowl communities in Madrid and plays a crucial role in shorebird migration and waterbird conservation in the area. The information provided here could be useful for management strategies in this artificial wetland, which include protecting the lagoon and discarding the idea of moving it to a nearby area. [CA]: La pèrdua progressiva de zones humides naturals fa que les aus aquàtiques facin servir cada cop més, com a hàbitats alternatius, infraestructures humanes, com graveres, basses de reg o embassaments. Al centre d’Espanya, la presència de zones humides d’origen humà és fonamental per a la conservació de les aus aquàtiques. Es va estudiar la dinàmica temporal de la comunitat d’aus aquàtiques ...
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