Ces images montrent l’ampleur du commerce illégal des oiseaux sauvages au Maroc. C’est juste un rappel à toutes les parties concernées sur ce commerce illégal et non durable. En vertu de la loi marocaine, toutes ces espèces sont protégées. Les photos ont été prises par Daniel Bergin en Mai-Juin 2013 dans différentes villes marocaines (Rabat, Marrakech, Casablanca et Fès). Bergin est un étudiant en master à l’université d’Oxford Brookes, et son travail de terrain au Maroc a été fait dans le cadre de son étude pour obtenir un diplôme de master en conservation des primates. Il nous a contacté à au début de l’année au sujet de quelques questions concernant son travail du terrain, et nous a envoyé ces images à la fin de ses travaux du terrain. Birgin a noté dans son email qu’il n’a pas noté tous les oiseaux qu’il a rencontrés, ces images ne montrent donc que la “pointe de l’iceberg” du commerce illégal des oiseaux sauvages au Maroc.
Ces photos peuvent être subdivisées en deux ou trois catégories principales:
- Oiseaux à vendre (rapaces, Fringillidés …),
- Les oiseaux exposés pour les touristes (les rapaces diurnes et nocturnes), et
- Les oiseaux ou leurs parties utilisées dans la ‘médecine traditionnelle’ (les parties de rapaces comme dans la photo 8, les Huppes ou leurs parties comme dans les photos 10, 11 et 12)
Illegal trade in wild birds in Morocco: photo report
These images show the scale of the illegal wild bird trade in Morocco, one may say that we all know this, but it’s nice to remind all involved parties about this illegal and unsustainable trade. Under Moroccan law, all these species are protected. The photographs were taken by Daniel Bergin in May-June 2013 in different Moroccan cities (Rabat, Marrakech, Casablanca and Fes). Bergin is a Master’s student at the Oxford Brookes University, and his Moroccan fieldwork was done in the framework of his study to earn a master’s degree in Primate Conservation. He contacted us at Moroccan Birds earlier this year about some questions regarding his fieldwork, and sent us these images at the end of his surveys. Birgin noted in his email that he has not done a full survey of the birds he encountered, so these pictures show only the ‘tip of the Iceberg’ of the illegal wild bird trade in Morocco.
These photographs can be subdivided into two or three main categories:
- Birds for sale (raptors, different species of finches…),
- Birds exhibited for tourists (diurnal and nocturnal raptors), and
- Birds or their parts used for ‘traditional medicine’ (raptor’s parts as in photo 8, Hoopoes or their parts as in photos 10, 11 and 12).
Bird market at Rabat (photos 1 & 2)
Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech: birds exhibited for tourists
Birds in photos 3, 4 and 5 were exhibited for tourists and used as photo props.
Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech: birds for sale
The birds in photos 6 and 7 were being sold (1000dh for the smaller individual) and also used as
Raptor carcass
Photo 8 is of a carcass of large raptor that was drying in the sun. Because the carcass is of a large bird and has an obvious rufous under-wing coverts, we think it’s probably an Atlas Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus cirtensis) or a Booted Eagle (Aquila pennata).
Mellah spice market, Marrakesh (photos 9 & 10)
Wildlife and ‘medicine’ market, Casablanca (photos 11-13)
Bird market at Bab Guissa, Fes (photos 14 & 15)
There were no birds larger than pigeons at this market when visited on a Friday and Sunday morning.
Your ideas on the bird identification are very welcome. Thanks!
Update: The vulture in photo 3 originally identified as a Griffon but it’s actually a Rüppell’s Vulture, thanks to Alex Colorado Delgado pointing out the error. The same vulture was exhibited at Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakech for nearly a year (see more photos and a video).