The Eurasian Penduline Tit (Remiz pendulinus) was until recently considered to be an accidental winter visitor to Morocco. Regular wintering was suspected in the north-west of the country but had been poorly documented.
The ringing data collected in the Smir marshes during the period 2004–2008 indicate that Eurasian Penduline Tits regularly winter in Morocco. During the study period, 50 birds were caught on 68 occasions. The intra-seasonal recapture data, i.e. autumn to the following spring, and winter observations showed that some individuals over-wintered locally at this site. The inter-annual recapture data indicate that wintering birds return regularly to the Smir marshes.
The wintering of the Penduline Tit in Morocco is described in the following paper published recently in the Ostrich journal:
Amezian M., Thompson I., Bensusan K., Cortes J., Louah A. & Qninba A. 2011. On regular wintering of Eurasian Penduline Tits Remiz pendulinus in northern Morocco. Ostrich 82: 39-42.
