Atlantic Sahara
Where to watch birds in the Atlantic Sahara. Revision September 2011
Bergier,
P. 2011. Où voir les oiseaux dans le Sahara
Atlantique marocain – Mise à jour septembre 2011 (rév. 1.0). Go-South
Bull. 8 : numéro spécial. 98 pages.
Call for contribution
I need your help to translate this paper into English. You will find attached
the
current status of the translation: if you have a couple of minutes, you
may translate one or several chapters and forward your translation to
me at pbergier@yahoo.fr (don’t pay attention to the bird and animal
names, I will do).
Thanks a lot in advance!
Atlantic Sahara birds list and additional information
Bergier,
P. ; Thévenot, M. & Qninba, A. 2010. Liste
des oiseaux du Sahara Atlantique marocain. Mise à jour février 2010
(rév. 1.0). Go-South Bull. 7 : 109-120.-
Aythya affinis - Lesser Scaup - Fuligule
à tête noire
A male photographed at Mijk, Dakhla, present from mid-April through mid-May 2011 at least (F. Chevalier). First record for the Atlantic Sahara (accepted by MRBC, file #11/39).
Mergus serrator - Red-breasted
Merganser - Harle huppé
A female (or 2nd-year male) photographed at Khnifiss on 18 February
2011 (K.S. Olsen et al.). First record for the
Atlantic
Sahara (accepted by MRBC, file #11/20).
Pterodroma madeira - Zino's
Petrel - Pétrel de Madère
Geolocators have been fitted to several birds and data show that this
species occurs in the Moroccan South Atlantic waters mainly during
their breeding season, from April to late September (Zino,
F. ; Phillips, R. & Biscoito, M. 2011. Zino's Petrel
movements at sea – a preliminary analysis of dattalogger results. Birding
World 24: 216-219).
Aquila pomarina - Aigle pomarin
- Lesser Spotted Eagle
Onrubia et al. 2011 (Onrubia, A. ; Muñoz, A.-R. ;
Arroyo, G.M. ; Ramírez, J. ; De La Cruz, A. ; Barrios, L. ; Meyburg,
B.-U. ; Meyburg, C. & Langgemach, T. 2011. Autumn migration of
Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina in the Strait
of Gibraltar: accidental or regular? Ardea 99:
113-116) have detected a regular although small passage of birds
through the Straits of Gibraltar, and some of them reach Western
Africa. The status in Atlantic Sahara is 'AV'
Le passage régulier d'un petit nombre d'individus vient d'être mis en
évidence au niveau du détroit de Gibraltar et une partie d'entre eux
atteint l'Afrique de l'Ouest (Onrubia et al. 2011).
Le statut de l'espèce est 'AV'
Porphyrio alleni - Talève
d'Allen - Allen's Gallinule
A bird was found dead on the island in Dakhla Bay mid March
2012 (M. Duckham et al.).
First record for the
Atlantic
Sahara.
Charadrius morinellus - Dotterel
- Pluvier guignard
A bird photographed at Mijk, 29 November 2009. First record for the
Atlantic Sahara (Chevalier & Bergier 2011).
Actitis macularia - Spotted Sandpiper
- Chevalier grivelé
A bird in summer plumage in the Oued Noun at Fort Bou Jérif on 26 April 2012 (P. Parodi & M. Roost fide E. Albegger). First record for the Atlantic Sahara.
Stercorarius maccormicki - South
Polar Skua - Labbe de McCormick
Le Labbe de McCormick a récemment été séparé du Grand Labbe
Stercorarius skua (Crochet et
al. 2011, Sangster et
al. 2011). Kopp et
al. (2011) ont suivi plusieurs oiseaux de la
colonie de l’Ile du Roi George, Antarctique : ‘Overall, 27 birds (69%)
migrated to the northern Atlantic (3 regions including one off
Mauritania i.e.,
south of Georges Bank Cape Verde Plateau), 10 birds (26%) to the
northern Pacific Ocean (2 regions), and 2 birds wintered in the
southern hemisphere’.
Comme le montre la figure présentée dans l'article, ceux qui hivernent
au large de la Mauritanie sont suceptibles de passer près des côtes
du Sahara Atlantique : nous recommandons de bien observer les ‘Grands
Labbes’ lors de sorties en mer, voire même lors de séances de
sea-watching depuis la côte.
Crochet, P.-A. ; Barthel, P.H. ; Bauer, H.-G. ; van den Berg, A.B. ; Bezzel, E. ; Collinson, J.M. ; Dietzen, C. ; Dubois, P.J. ; Fromholtz, J. ; Helbig, A.J. ; Jiguet, F. ; Jirle, E. ; Knox, A.G. ; Krüger, T. ; Le Maréchal, P. ; van Loon, A.J. ; Päckert, M. ; Parkin, D.T. ; Pons, J.-M. ; Raty, L. ; Roselaar, C.S. ; Sangster, G. ; Steinheimer, F.D. ; Svensson, L. ; Tyrberg, T. ; Votier, S.C. & Yésou, P. 2011. AERC TAC's taxonomic recommendations: 2011 report. Available online at http://www.aerc.eu/tac.html.
Kopp, M. ; Peter, H.U. ; Mustafa, O. ; Lisovski, S. ; Ritz, M.S. ; Phillips, R.A. & Hahn, S. 2011. South polar skuas from a single breeding population overwinter in different oceans though show similar migration patterns. Marine Ecology Progress Series 435: 263-267.
Sangster, G. ; Collinson, J.M. ; Crochet, P.-A. ; Knox, A.G. ; Parkin, D.T. ; Svensson, L. & Votier, S.C. 2011. Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: seventh report. Ibis 153: 883-892.
Larus hyperboreus - Glaucous
Gull -
Goéland bourgmestre
A first-winter was at Khnifiss on 15-16 January 2012 (A.B. van den
Berg & C. Bosman). First record for the Moroccan Atlantic
Sahara
Larus dominicanus - Cape Gull -
Goéland dominicain et Larus marinus
- Great Black-backed Gull - Goéland marin
It appears that most of records and all breeding large dark gulls at
Khnifiss are of GBBGs. There are only a few proved records of Cape
Gulls in Morocco and the Western Palearctic (Jönsson, O. 2011. Great
Black-backed Gulls breeding at Knifiss lagoon, Morocco and the status
of Cape Gull in the Western Palearctic. Birding World 24: 68-76). The
status of Cape Gull is amended to AV and the status
of Great Black-backed Gull to WV, OB.
Re-analysis of records following Jönsson's paper available here .
Apus
unicolor - Plain Swift - Martinet unicolore
First authenticated record: a bird photographed at Layoune on 17
February 2011 (T.A. Olsen. Accepted by MRBC, file #11/12)
Riparia paludicola - Plain
Martin -
Hirondelle paludicole
A bird photographed at Khnifiss on 15 January 2012 (A.B. van den
Berg & C. Bosman). First record for the Moroccan Atlantic
Sahara
Troglodytes troglodytes
- Wren - Troglodyte mignon
One heard at Tighmert oases near Goulimine on 22 February 2011 (N.
Delelis et al.). First
record for the Moroccan Atlantic Sahara.
Acrocephalus
melanopogon - Moustached Warbler - Lusciniole à moustaches
One recorded at Lamsied on 11 February 2011 (W. Soar). First
record for the Moroccan Atlantic Sahara.
Hippolais
pallida - Saharan Olivaceous Warbler - Hypolaïs pâle
Several
records, see e.g. Bergier, P. ; Qninba, A. & Thévenot, M. 2011.
Notes naturalistes au Sahara Atlantique marocain - 3. Go-South Bull. 8 :
67-103, and Bergier et al. in prep.
Sylvia undata -
Dartford Warbler - Fauvette pitchou
One recorded between Dakhla and Boujdour (333 km South of Layoune)
early January 2011, in a wadi with acacias and green annuals (F.
Verdonckt)
Regulus ignicapilla -
Firecrest - Roitelet à triple bandeau
One recorded at Smara, 5 April 1973 (Congost-Tor 1976).
Ficedula albicollis -
Collared Flycatcher - Gobemouche à collier
One photographed at Café Chtoukane on 11 April 2011 (Miguel
Demeulemeester, Wouter Faveyts, Joost Mertens and Piet Opstaele). First
record for the Moroccan ÒAtlantic Sahara (accepted by MRBC,
file
#11/52).
Ornithological references
The ornithological references of Atlantic Sahara have been listed in: Bergier,
P. & Thévenot, M. 2009. Bibliographie
ornithologique du Sahara Atlantique marocain. Go-South Bull.
6 : 92-100. Bergier,
P. & Thévenot, M. 2011. Bibliographie
ornithologique du Sahara Atlantique marocain - 2. Go-South
Bull. 8 : 53-60.A synthesis is available here
Selection of recent papers:
-
Moores, R. ; Brown, D. & Martin, R. 2012. New data on the terrestrial mammals of the Oued Ad-Dehab region of Western Sahara. Go-South Bulletin 9 : 133-135.
Kayser, Y. 2012. Régime alimentaire du Grand-Duc d’Afrique du Nord Bubo ascalaphus au Cap Tafarit, Parc National du Banc d’Arguin, Mauritanie. Go-South Bulletin 9 : 131-132.
Moores, R. ; Brown, D. ; Martin, R. & Lees, A.C. 2012. Status and identification of hares Lepus sp. in Western Sahara and Southern Morocco. Go-South Bulletin 9 : 126-130.
Bergier,
P. Thévenot, M. & Qninba, A. 2012. Notes
naturalistes au Sahara Atlantique marocain - 4. Go-South
Bull. 9 : 46-125.
Bergier,
P. ; Maire, B. & Mathurin, A.
2012. Records of doves Streptopelia at Awserd, Oued
Ad-Deheb. Go-South Bull. 9 : 7-12.
Chevalier,
F. ; Thévenot, M. & Bergier, P. 2012. Notes
sur
quelques mammifères terrestres observés près de Dakhla, Oued
Ad-Deheb. Go-South Bull. 9 : 1-6.
Chevalier,
F. & Bergier, P. 2011. Notes sur quelques
oiseaux observés près de Dakhla, Oued Ad-Deheb. Go-South
Bull. 8 : 114-124.
- Castell,
P. ; Castell, R. ; Jackson, A. & Pleasance, B.
2011. The nest of Cricket Longtail Spiloptila clamans
at Oued Jenaa, Awserd. Go-South Bull. 8 : 113.
-
Bergier, P. ; Qninba, A. & Thévenot, M.
2011. Notes naturalistes au Sahara Atlantique marocain - 3. Go-South
Bull. 8 : 67-103.
-
Charlton, T.D. 2011. First record of
Cricket Warblers in South Atlantic Morocco, September 2007. Go-South
Bull. 8 : 38-40.
-
Cuzin, F. ; Bergier, P. & Thévenot, M.
2011. Les observations de Sangliers Sus scrofa dans
le Sahara Atlantique marocain). Go-South Bull. 8
: 35-37.
- Qninba,
A. ; Radi, M. ; Amezian, M. ; Ibn Tattou, M. ; Khayya, M.L. ; Samlali,
M.L. ; Khalil, M.L & Hammia, A. 2011.
Nidifications automnales d'oiseaux sahariens dans la région d'Oued
Ad-Dahab - Lagouira (Maroc méridional). Go-South Bull.
8 : 21-34.
- Bergier,
P. ; Qninba, A. ; El Agbani, M.A. & Dakki, M.
2010. Notes naturalistes au Sahara Atlantique marocain - 2. Go-South
Bull. 7 : 56-88.
- Radi,
M. ; Bergier, P. ; El Idrissi, A. ; Qninba, A. ; Zadane, Y. &
Dakki, M. 2009. Hivernage de la Bernache cravant Branta
bernicla à Khnifiss. Go-South Bull. 6 :
72-75.
- Qninba,
A. ; El Idrissi Essougrati, A. ; Bensouiba, H. ; Irizi, M. &
Bergier, P. 2009. Nidification de l'Aigrette
garzette Egretta garzetta dans la retenue de
barrage d'Al Massira-Layoune en 2009. Go-South Bull.
6 : 104-106.
- Zadane,
Y. ; Qninba, A. ; Ibn Tattou, M. & Bergier, P.
2009. La daya de Ténouchad, un site de reproduction des Anatidés dans
le Parc National de Khnifiss. Go-South Bull. 6 :
107-112.
- Bergier,
P. & Thévenot, M. 2008. Notes naturalistes
au Sahara Atlantique marocain, février-mars 2008. Go-South
Bull. 5 : 78-97.
- Thévenot,
M. & Bergier, P. 2008. Considérations sur
les récentes découvertes avifaunistiques dans les environs d’Awserd
(région d’Oued Ad-Deheb, Sahara Atlantique marocain). Go-South
Bull. 5 : 98-103.
- Rguibi
Idrissi, H. ; Qninba, A. ; El Agbani, M.A. & Benhoussa, A.
2005. Cas d'hivernage du Pipit à gorge rousse Anthus cervinus
à Khnifiss (Tarfaya, Maroc). Go-Souh Bull. 2 :
17-18.
- Bergier,
P. 2004. Quelques observation d'automne dans le
Sahara Atlantique et la région du Bani. Go-South Bull.
1 : 1-6.
Other references
Selection
of books and other publications
Hébergement - Accomodation in Moroccan Atlantic Sahara
Where
to sleep. Hotels, B&Bs and other good address
Index des sites - Gazetteer
Index
of Atlantic Sahara sites, with their coordinates