Birds in Algeria | MaghrebOrnitho

New to Algeria: African Crake, Red-tailed Shrike and Little Bunting

31 December 2020 18 January 2021 / Birding News, Birds in Algeria

Three species new to Algeria were discovered in autumn 2020: Red-tailed Shrike, Little Bunting and African Crake. The Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides) was discovered and photographed at Skikda on 9 October by Youcef Karrit. This is also the first record for the whole Northwest Africa. Other closely related species are also very rare in the …

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Spanish Marbled Ducks tracked to Africa

20 December 2020 18 January 2021 / Bird Migration, Birds in Algeria

Movements of two satellite-tracked Marbled Ducks (Marmaronetta angustirostris) from Spain to North Africa. One of them, made a spectacular round-trip in 24 hours. As part of the ‘Marbled Duck reintroduction project’ in the Valencian Community (SE Spain), 21 birds were fitted with GPS-trackers and released into El Hondo Natural Park (Some birds are of wild …

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European Cinereous Vultures wandering across Africa

4 May 2020 18 January 2021 / Bird Migration, Birds in Algeria, Birds in Morocco, Birds in Tunisia

Two satellite-tagged Cinereous Vultures (Aegypius monachus) from France and Spain have been tracked to Africa. One has reached as far south as the Niger-Nigeria border, while the other is touring northern Africa after having first spent the winter in the Sahel area. These are the first individuals GPS-tracked in their breeding areas in Europe to …

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First record of Penduline Tit for Algeria

6 March 2020 18 January 2021 / Birds in Algeria

The first Eurasian Penduline Tits for Algeria were observed in Jijel region in autumn 2019 The Eurasian Penduline Tit (Remiz pendulinus) has a wide breeding range stretching from the Iberian Peninsula eastwards to Central Asia. The northern population winters mainly in southern Europe and the Middle East. In Northwest Africa, the species remain relatively rare. …

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First record of Jacobin Cuckoo for North Africa

5 March 2020 18 January 2021 / Birding News, Birds in Algeria

Two Jacobin Cuckoos photographed at Tamanrasset in October 2019. This is the first record for Algeria and North Africa. Jacobin or Pied Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus) is distributed in Africa south of the Sahara and in India and Sri Lanka. It’s very rare in the Western Palearctic region (WP). Members of the Association EcoCirta encountered this …

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Algerian Nuthatch habitat threatened by a controversial project

7 February 2020 18 January 2021 / Birds in Algeria, Conservation News

A project to create a “recreational forest” in the Bouafroun Forest in Djimla could jeopardise the habitat of the Algerian Nuthatch and other wildlife according to Algerian environmental activists. The project named “Bouafoune Forest for Entertainment and Recreation, Jijel” is developed by a private investor under the name “Bouafroune Services & Commerce Ltd”. It was …

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Black Scrub Robin at Tamanrasset, Algeria

20 January 2020 18 January 2021 / Birding News, Birds in Algeria

Black Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas podobe) was photographed in Tamanrasset region last year. It’s the first observation in Algeria in five decades. Un Agrobate podobé photographié dans la région de Tamanrasset au sud de l’Algérie le 3 mai 2019. C’est la deuxième ou troisième observation pour le pays. A Black Scrub Robin was photographed by Soufyane …

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Spanish Marbled Ducks migrate to Africa to escape hunters’ guns

14 January 2020 18 January 2021 / Bird Migration, Birds in Algeria

A total of 27 Marbled Ducks were satellite-tracked in south-east Spain, of these only three have survived by migrating to Algeria. Most of the birds that stayed locally were shot dead or are missing. The most threatened duck in Europe With a decreasing population, the Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) is classed globally as ‘Vulnerable’ in …

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First White-rumped Seedeater for Algeria and W. Palearctic

8 January 2020 18 January 2021 / Birding News, Birds in Algeria

White-rumped Seedeater observed at Tamanrasset, southern Algeria. This is the first record for the country and the Western Palearctic. En décembre 2019, un groupe d’ornithologues de terrain algérien a découvert le Serin à croupion blanc à Tamanrasset (les noms cités ci-dessous). Plus important encore, l’équipe a observé un adulte nourrissant un jeune (une preuve de …

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New records of Moltoni’s Warbler in Algeria

21 December 2019 18 January 2021 / Birds in Algeria

The recent split of the Moltoni’s Warbler (Sylvia subalpina) as a full species is widely adopted by different taxonomic authorities. However, until the end of the 20th century, the Moltoni’s Warbler wasn’t even considered as a valid subspecies of the “Subalpine Warbler”. For some details, read: “Moltoni’s Warbler: from an invalid ‘subspecies’ to a full …

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