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Morocco for Birders

Latest update: 4 December 2011

Alouette de Clotbey, Tilemsoun, 3 mars 2008

Morocco is situated in the northwest corner of Africa, between c 21° and 36° N, and is basically an African country with a large Mediterranean region. Except for the extreme south that is part of the Sahara, rains fall mainly during the cool season (October - April), and the summers are hot and dry; drought prevails in the Saharan region throughout the year. Friendly people, great scenery and bird specialities, Morocco is becoming one of the favourite destination for birders in search of endangered or rare species such as Bald Ibis (now the only population in the world), Dark Chanting Goshawk, Tawny Eagle, Eleonora's Falcon, and African Marsh Owl, as well as other species such as Dupont's Lark, Moussier's Redstart, Desert Warbler, Black-crowned Tchagra, and Desert Sparrow.

The Country divides into a number of geo-physical regions, and this influences the birds that are found there [see map of regions].

Mountains: 5 ranges are aligned along a NE - SW axis, and these include the Rif along the Mediterranean coast (2456m, Jbel Tidighine), the Central Plateau (1627m, Jbel Mtouzgane), the Middle Atlas (3340m, Jbel Bou-Naceur), the High Atlas (4167m, Jbel Toubkal) and the Anti-Atlas (3304m, Jbel Siroua). Despite high human and animal pressure, forests of broad-leaved and coniferous trees are still widespread.

Atlantic Morocco includes rich agricultural plains and more barren and dry plateaux. Most of the original forest has been turned into matorral - or shrub-type vegetation after intensive cutting and grazing, but some has been well preserved (eg “Forêt de la Mamora” with Cork Oak in the Rharb) however, large tracts of eucalyptus have been planted. The Souss valley, with its unique Argan woodland, lies between the High and Anti-Atlas.

Eastern Morocco, except for the area adjacent to the Mediterranean coast, is dry with especially hot summers and cold winters; the High Plateaux rise to over 1000m and are covered with a steppe type vegetation dominated by Artemisia herba-alba and Stipa tenacissima.

Saharan Morocco lies to the south of the High and Anti-Atlas. In the Eastern part, palm oases stretch along the rivers (Oueds) but the region is mainly large stony “regs” (pebble desert) covered with Hammada scoparia; acacias thickets grow along the wadi bottoms. The drought is attenuated in a 15-200 km wide strip along the Atlantic coast, which receives moisture from the ocean; the coast is mainly rocky.

Lagune de Khnifiss, 24 février 2008

The Birds

454 species have been recorded in Morocco - see complete list and 209 regularly breed there. Most (c 85%) breed north of the Atlas Mountains, because of the moister climate and more diversified habitat, so only about 35% breed in the Saharan region.

Every year, millions of West European migrants go to and pass through Morocco, mainly from late July to early November in the autumn, and from March to May in the spring. Most, especially passerines, migrate by night or over-fly too high to be seen during the day; others, like waders and gulls, often stop at wetlands to refuel, and provide unforgettable sights. The Straits of Gibraltar is famous for concentrating soaring birds, especially storks and raptors.

120 species are regular winter visitors, including 34 that are at the southern limit of their wintering range. 115 other species have been recorded as accidental visitors, either from Europe and Asia (e.g. Great Knot and Pectoral Sandpiper), from Tropical Africa (e.g. Brown Booby and Lesser Flamingo), or from Northern America (e.g. Blue-winged Teal and Laughing Gull).

Birding hotspots

Several wetlands spread along the Atlantic coast that are rightly famous for their migrant and wintering waders and gulls. These include Merja Zerga, Lac de Sidi Bou-Rhaba, Sidi-Moussa-Oualidia lagoons, and the Souss and Massa estuaries along the North coast, Khnifiss lagoon and Dakhla and Cintra Bays along the Saharan coast. The islets off Essaouira shelter a colony of Eleonora's Falcons. The Mediterranean coast includes two major wetlands: Sebkha Bou-Areg and the Moulouya estuary.

Mountains shelter a rich avifauna; this can be seen best on the Plateau des Lacs in the Middle Atlas (Crested Coot, Levaillant's Woodpecker, etc.) and at Oukaimeden in the High Atlas (Atlas Shore Lark, Alpine Accentor, Rock Sparrow, & Crimson-winged Finch).

Many desert-living species, including larks, wheatears and sandgrouses, are widespread in desert Morocco; others are more restricted in range, and birding hotspots include the temporary lake of Merzouga near Erfoud (waders and ducks in the desert!) bordered by the only large Moroccan sand dunes, the so-called Erg Chebbi (Desert Warbler, Brown-necked Raven, Desert Sparrow et al), and the Barrage Mansour-Eddahbi near Ouarzazate.

The Souss valley is famous for Dark Chanting Goshawk and Tawny Eagle, and the Straits of Gibraltar for the impressive raptor migration.

There are, of course, hundreds of other sites worth exploring for Ruddy Shelduck, Marbled Teal, Black-winged Kite, Booted and Bonelli's Eagles, Lanner and Barbary Falcons, Double-spurred Francolin, Purple Gallinule, Houbara and Great Bustards, Cream-coloured Courser, Desert Eagle Owl, Plain Swift, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Scrub and Tristram's Warblers, Fulvous Babbler or Black-crowned Tchagra... so, when you visit, explore for yourselves.


Contacts

Foreign Researchers have frequently asked us where and how to get the necassary permits to do their field work in Morocco: they have to contact the Centre d'Etude des Migrations d'Oiseaux (CEMO, c/o Pr. M. Dakki and A. Qninba)

Departement de Zoologie et Ecologie Animale
Institut Scientifique
BP 703, Rabat-Agdal
Maroc
Phone +212 (0) 37 77 45 48 or 49
Fax +212 (0) 37 77 45 40]
with all the details of their project.


Car rentals

Agadir : Lahcen, le frère du patron de l'Hôtel Petite Suède, dispose d'une agence de location de véhicules : AMOUDOU Cars, située dans l'immeuble Abdou à l'angle des Avenues Hassan II et el Moquaouama (amoudou.car@laposte.net ; Tél. +212 (0)5.28.82.50.10 / (0)5.28.84.07.79 ; GSM +212 (0)6.61.15.83.21), pas plus chère qu'une autre. Nous lui avons loué une Logan essence en excellent état à 300 DH/jour tout compris, avec assurances, pour 8 jours. Lahcen s'organise pour venir vous attendre à l'aéroport d'Agadir le jour de votre arrivée et de vous y ramener lors de votre départ, gratuitement. Notre meilleure adresse dans la région d'Agadir.

Omnitours. Mohamed Boulam, www.omni-tours.com They've sent their adv but we've never been with them yet...


Guides

Brahim Bakass is a professional Birding and Nature Guide based in Marrakech and specialises in taking tours to different areas in the Atlas Mountains and the Saharan desert. Brahim is also active in different associations, for instance he currently serves as the Secretary of the “Groupe d'ornithologie du Maroc” known as GOMAC. Some of his destinations include the High Atlas Mountains, the Anti-Atlas (Tagdilt track, the rest of Jbel Saghro…), the National Parks and lakes of the Middle Atlas, desert areas (Merzouga, Iriki, M'hamid El Ghizlan…), and the oases of Draa and Tafilalt. He also leads “cultural tours” to discover the rich Berber culture in the High Atlas and desert areas (transhumance and pastoral life, Berber Kasbahs, different archaeological sites with rock carvings…). He can be contacted through his new (and still under construction) website http://www.atlas-sahara-biodiversity.com/ or through his Facebook profile.

Massa Tafilalt, Erg Chebbi Merja Zerga: 'El guia ornitologico Hassan Dalil nos ofrecio por 300 DH (30 Euros), ver la Lechuza mora...' (OG, December 2006)

Marrakech, High Atlas

Birding excursions at sea

Patricia and Claude Crouzet, from Maroc Sport Fishing at Agadir, welcome birdwatchers on board their boat (6 places available) and can organise special birdwatching trips with chum. Contact at (+212) 028-823952 or at sportfishingmar@menara.ma



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