Birds of Morocco

Index of articles about “Moroccan birds”: ornithological studies and reports, rare birds sightings, general birding news,…etc. In short, everything about birds and birding in Morocco is filed under this category.

House Bunting finally colonised Tétouan, northern Morocco

An incubating House Bunting (note the brood patch), near the Faculty of Sciences, Tétouan, 29 March 2013 (Rachid El Khamlichi)

The House Bunting (Emberiza sahari) colonised Tangier in mid-2000. However, despite searching the species has never been recorded at Tétouan or at any other locality in northernmost Morocco outside of Tangier. The House Bunting at Tétouan was recorded thanks to Yousef El Ouahabi who had been observing them visiting his house to feed with the […]

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Little Grebe catching a newt (Pleurodeles waltl)

A Little Grebe just caught a Sharp-ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl), Sidi Bettache, Morocco (Saad Rih).

This Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) photographed while catching a sharp-ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl) at a small pond near Sidi Bettache, western Morocco (Saad Rih). The prey, also known as Iberian ribbed newt, is a near threatened Ibero-Moroccan endemic. The Little Grebe is mainly piscivorous (fish-eater), although it’s known to take bigger prey such as newts (Wilkinson

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Marsh Owl in Morocco: why it’s endangered and how to save it?

Moroccan Marsh Owl (Asio capensis tingitanus), Merja Zerga (António Gonçalves).

Marsh Owl is a critically endangered species is Morocco. This piece tries to address one of the main current problems causing its decline. Your help, as a responsible birder or guide, is much needed. Marsh Owl (Asio capensis) is a typical owl restricted to Africa and its biggest island, Madagascar. Three subspecies are recognised: Globally,

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Probable breeding of Western Reef Heron at Essaouira, Morocco

Western Reef Heron / Aigrette des récifs (Egretta gularis), Oued Ksob, Essaouira, Morocco (Franck et Océane Dupraz).

Probable hybridization between Western Reef Heron and Little Egret at Essaouira islands on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The long-staying dark morph Western Reef Heron (Egretta gularis) at Essaouira and Oued Ksob estuary (photo 1) has probably hybridised with a Little Egret (E. garzetta) at the Mogador archipelago. This probable case of hybridisation was observed

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White Stork nests and Humans

Unique and original nest! Seeing a White Stork nest built on a natural setting like this one is rare nowadays. Aguelmous, Middle Atlas, 4 Jan. 2019 (‎Abdellatif Al Ouardi‎).

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) is one of the bird species that remarkably adapted to human activities. During the last decades, they started to take advantages of the rubbish dumps which provide an extra and constant food source throughout the year. This and other factors have led some birds in southern Spain and northwest Africa (Morocco

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