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.
Are birding optics such as telescopes banned in Morocco? Are there any new rules regarding this subject? The answer is NO. Please read until the end, share with your friends and colleagues and contribute your feedback (after your visit to the country). Morocco has been visited by several kinds of people over the years, from […]
Are birding optics banned from entry in Morocco? Read More »
A massacre of nearly 1500 Turtle Doves in one day by foreign tourist hunters in the Marrakech region sparked great outrage in Morocco. The total exceeded by three times the hunting quota set by the law, according to an official inquiry. A hunting party organized in the region of Marrakech has turned into a real
Turtle Dove slaughter in Morocco by foreign hunters (video) Read More »
The Cape Verde Shearwater (Calonectris edwardsii), as its name may suggests, is an endemic breeder to Cape Verde islands, and winters mainly in South Atlantic off South America (González-Solís et al. 2009). The species rarely ventures north of its breeding areas (or so we thought!). During the breading season, Cape Verde Shearwaters also frequently visit
Cape Verde Shearwater in the Canary Islands and Morocco Read More »
A Pallid Harrier satellite-tracked in Finland spent the winter in the Guelmim region, southern Morocco. The area is very rich in preys but also very dangerous for raptors because of electrocution. This is the first proven wintering record of the species in Morocco. Westward expansion of the Pallid Harrier Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) breeds in
Finnish Pallid Harrier wintered in Morocco in a rich, yet dangerous area Read More »
Three intact eggs of the North African Ostrich found near Bir Anzarane in Oued Dahab region. Trois œufs intacts d’autruche d’Afrique du Nord trouvés près de Bir Anzarane au sud du Maroc. In mid-May 2019, ‘Nature Initiative Association’ member Mohammed Fathi found three intact ostrich eggs at Taguerzimt near Bir Anzarane, Oued Dahab region. The
North African Ostrich eggs unearthed at Bir Anzarane, southern Morocco Read More »
First breeding records of Great Spotted Cuckoo north of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) is widespread in Southern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. The breeding of the species in North Africa is, however, far less common. The first breeding of the species in Morocco was recorded only in 1990 near
Breeding of Great Spotted Cuckoo in Morocco Read More »
Some recent rarities: Moltoni’s Warbler, Franklin’s Gull, Lesser Flamingo and Dunn’s Lark in Morocco and a Terek Sandpiper in Tunisia. Moltoni’s Warbler (Sylvia subalpina) A bird was captured and ringed at Merzouga Ringing Station, Morocco, on 18 April 2019 (Marc Illa and his co-workers). Only four records have been accepted by the Moroccan Rare Birds
Moltoni’s Warbler in Morocco, Terek Sandpiper in Tunisia Read More »
A Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus) caught and ringed at Merzouga Ringing Station yesterday by Marc Illa and his co-workers. Marc wrote in an email that “The bird had some fat, indicating probably a long flight, so perhaps coming from south of the Sahara (as it has been already documented to happen)”. [For non bird ringers,
Yellow-browed Warbler at Merzouga, Morocco Read More »
A presumed Collared x Pied Flycatcher hybrid ringed yesterday at Merzouga Ringing Station by Marc Illa, Ivan Maggini, Armando Aispuro and Georg Gruber. The bird was caught and ringed by experienced ornithologists who known what they are doing. Despite this, they added the adjective ‘presumed’, because they know that the identification of hybrid Ficedula flycatchers
Presumed Collared x Pied Flycatcher hybrid at Merzouga, Morocco Read More »
A cracking adult Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) photographed at Dayet Srij, a small temporary lake near Merzouga. It was discovered yesterday by Marc Illa, Ivan Maggini and Georg Gruber. This is the 10th record of this North American species for Morocco. It’s also the first one found far inland, all previous records were found on
Franklin’s Gull at Merzouga Lake, Morocco Read More »