Sighting of a Pied Crow on the northern edge of the Sahara in Algeria.
Observation d’un Corbeau pie dans la limite nord du Sahara en Algérie.
In early April 2023, Nedjla Adamou and Assem Zerouala found the Pied Crow in Laghoaut, located on the northern edge of the Algerian Sahara. After its discovery was shared, Mohamed Missoum and Khaled Ayyach managed to observe the bird again on 7 April (photo above).
This is likely the first observation of the species in Algeria for a very long time. Isenmann & Moali (2000) wrote in the ‘Birds of Algeria’ that “the species occasionally reaches the southernmost part of Algeria: 1 record in 1961 and another in December 1964 near In Azaoua (Dupuy 1969)”. And added that it “has been reported from the Algerian part of the Adrar des Iforas close to Mali (F. Malher)”.
In northwest Africa, there have been a few long stayers of Pied Crows in Morocco and also in Libya during the last few years. Probably the most known of them is the bird that stayed in southeast Morocco at Mhamid between 2015 and 2020 (at least), and was twitched by tens and tens of birders.
Reference:
Isenmann, P. & Moali, A. 2000. Oiseaux d’Algérie / Birds of Algeria. SEOF, Paris.
