Reintroduction of Double-spurred Francolin in Morocco

11 January 2023 / Birds of Morocco, Conservation News
Double-spurred Francolin / Francolin à double éperon (Pternistis bicalcaratus), Central Plateau, Morocco, 31 December 2021 (Abdeljebbar Qninba).

Report about the recent efforts to reintroduce the Double-spurred Francolin into its former historical range in Morocco. Double-spurred Francolin (Pternistis bicalcaratus) occurs in two disjoint areas. The largest population is distributed mainly in West Africa eastwards to Cameroon and south-western tip of Chad in Central Africa. The second population, which is much smaller and critically …

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Status of White-rumped Seedeater in southern Algeria

21 February 2022 / Birding News, Birds of Algeria
White-rumped Seedeater / Serin à croupion blanc (Crithagra leucopygia), Tamanrasset, southern Algeria, 31 Jan. 2021 (Karim Haddad).

The White-rumped Seedeater was recorded in southern Algeria for the first two years ago by a group of Algerian naturalists. Karim Haddad visited the region again with his colleague Larbi Afoutni less than a month after their previous trip (when they recorded Blue-naped Mousebirds and Black Scrub Robins in the Wilaya of In Guezzam). In …

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Moroccan Red List of birds: request for information

11 February 2022 / Birds of Morocco
Moussier's Redstart (Phoenicurus moussieri), a Maghreb endemic species (Brahim Bakass)

‘GREPOM/BirdLife Morocco’ in partnership with the Department of Water and Forests (the Government entity responsible for biodiversity conservation) are currently developing a Red List of birds of Morocco. Once finalized, this Red List will be an important tool to help inform conservation actions in the country in the years to come. To ensure the quality …

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Blue-naped Mousebirds and Black Scrub Robins in southern Algeria

27 January 2022 / Birding News, Birds of Algeria
Blue-naped Mousebird / Coliou huppé (Urocolius macrourus), Wilaya of In Guezzam, southern Algeria, 23 December 2021 (Karim Haddad).

During a recent trip to southern Algeria, members of EcoCirta found groups of Blue-naped Mousebird and two Black Scrub Robins. They are, respectively, the second and third records for Algeria. From 20 to 28 December 2021, the EcoCirta Environmental Association organized its sixth naturalist expedition to the far south of the Algerian Sahara in order …

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First White-throated Bee-eater, Village Indigobird and Cut-throat Finch for Algeria

27 January 2022 / Birding News, Birds of Algeria
White-throated Bee-eater / Guêpier à gorge blanche (Merops albicollis)

A recent birding trip to southern Algeria produced three new bird species for the country: White-throated Bee-eater, Village Indigobird and Cut-throat Finch. [See also the results of another group’s expedition: Blue-naped Mousebirds and Black Scrub Robins in southern Algeria]. A group of amateur and professional Algerian researchers organized a birding expedition in southern Algeria in …

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Two Rustic Buntings at Tademaït Plateau, Central Algeria

29 November 2021 / Birds of Algeria
Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica), Tademaït Plateau, Central Algeria, 23 Nov. 2021 (Robert Minshull).

Deux Bruants rustiques observés dans le plateau du Tademaït dans le Sahara central algérien le 23 novembre 2021 (Robert Minshull). C’est la deuxième mention de l’espèce pour l’Algérie. Two Rustic Buntings found at Tademaït Plateau in Central Algerian Sahara on 23 November 2021. Robert Minshull first heard the birds’ call before trying to get some …

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First Lapland Longspur and 2nd Yellow-billed Cuckoo for Morocco

19 November 2021 / Birding News, Birds of Morocco
Lapland Longspur / Plectrophane lapon (Calcarius lapponicus), near Dayet Dar Bouazza, Casablanca, Morocco, 13 Nov. 2021 (Benoit Maire)

Two very rare visitors from North America and the Arctic landed in Morocco recently: Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Lapland Longspur. Lapland Longspur A Lapland Longspur was found at a small pond near Dayet Dar Bouazza on 13 November 2021 by Benoit Maire. Dayet Dar Bouazza and the adjacent pond where the bird was found are small …

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African White-backed Vulture at Tarifa

10 October 2021 / Bird Migration, Birding News
African White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus), Tarifa, southern Spain, 8 Oct. 2021 (Javier Elorriaga / Birding The Strait)

An African White-backed Vulture photographed at Tarifa, southern Spain. October and November is the time of Griffon Vulture migration at the Strait of Gibraltar. Thousands of juvenile and immature birds cross the Strait at this time to winter in Africa. And their African cousins, Rüppell’s and White-backed Vultures, tend also to occur with them at …

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Sudan Golden Sparrow at Ceuta

5 October 2021 / Birding News
Sudan Golden Sparrow (Passer luteus), Ceuta, 3 Oct. 2021 (Grupo de anillamiento Chagra).

A Sudan Golden Sparrow (Passer luteus) captured at Ceuta during a ringing session. On 3 October, the Chagra Ringing Group captured an unexpected bird during a ringing session at Punta Blanca in Ceuta: a juvenile Sudan Golden Sparrow. How it arrived this far north? While the possibility of a natural arrival can’t be discarded, so …

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