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Endemic birds

Index of articles about bird species and subspecies that are endemic to the Maghreb (Northwest Africa).

Conservation of Double-spurred Francolin in Morocco

Double-spurred Francolin / Francolin ร  double รฉperon (Pternistis bicalcaratus), Central Plateau, Morocco, 31 December 2021 (Abdeljebbar Qninba).

A report on recent efforts to conserve the Double-spurred Francolin in Morocco through its reintroduction to its former historic range. Double-spurred Francolin (Pternistis bicalcaratus) occurs in two disjoint areas. The largest population is distributed mainly in West Africa eastwards to Cameroon and south-western tip of Chad in Central Africa. The second population, which is much …

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Algerian Nuthatch habitat threatened by a controversial project

Algerian Nuthatch (Sitta ledanti), Bouafroun Forest, Djimla, Algeria, July 2019 (Walid Soukkou).

A project to create a โ€œrecreational forestโ€ 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 โ€œBouafoune Forest for Entertainment and Recreation, Jijelโ€ is developed by a private investor under the name โ€œBouafroune Services & Commerce Ltdโ€.  It was …

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Rรฉpartition et รฉvaluation de la vulnรฉrabilitรฉ de la Pie du Maghreb (Pica mauritanica)

Maghreb Magpie / Pie du Maghreb (Pica mauritanica), north-east Algeria (Mourad Harzallah)

Lancement du projet Rรฉpartition et รฉvaluation de la vulnรฉrabilitรฉ de la Pie du Maghreb Pica mauritanica” (en franรงais, veuillez voir aprรจs l’illustration). Until very recently, the Maghreb Magpie (Pica mauritanica) was considered as conspecific with the Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica). However, a new study by Song and his co-authors published in 2018 found that Maghreb …

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New Algerian Nuthatch breeding site discovered in 2018

Algerian Nuthatch / Sittelle Kabyle (Sitta ledanti), Djimla forest, Wilaya of Jijel, Algeria, July 2017 (Djamel Hadj Aissa).

A new breeding site of the Algerian Nuthatch was discovered last spring, that’s almost three decades since the last similar discovery. Until now, the Algerian Nuthatch (Sitta ledanti) was known only in four sites, namely the forests of Babor, Guerrouch, Tamentout and Djimla (see map below). All sites are close to each other but separated …

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Atlas and Balearic crossbills genetic divergence

Atlas Crossbill / Bec-croisรฉ du Maghreb (Loxia curvirostra poliogyna), north-east Algeria (Mourad Harzallahโ€Ž).

North African (or Atlas Crossbill) and Balearic crossbills are the most genetically divergent among all Common (Red) Crossbill subspecies in the Western Palearctic according to a new study. This divergence is even greater than between the Common and Parrot crossbills. Parmi toutes les sous-espรจces du Bec-croisรฉ des sapins (Loxia curvirostra) dans le Palรฉarctique occidental, le …

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The Algerian Nuthatch twitch: easier than you think

The Algerian Nuthatch (Sitta ledanti) is a dream species for every Western Palearctic birder, especially so since the 1990s with the start of what they call in Algeria the “Black Decade”. However, although the security situation in the whole country has improved greatly since many years now, many WP birders still hesitating to visit Algeria …

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Algerian Nuthatch status and breeding biology at the Guerrouch forest

Algerian Nuthatch / Sittelle kabyle (Sitta ledanti), Guerrouch forest, Taza National Park (Jijel, Algeria)

The Algerian Nuthatch population has declined at one of its main breeding areas according to a study published recently. In this guest-blog, the lead author, Riadh Moulaรฏ, shares with us the main results of the study. En franรงais, voir au dessus de la vidรฉo. The Algerian Nuthatch (Sitta ledanti) is endemic to Algeria, and it’s …

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Premiรจres observations de la ‘Bergeronnette du Maroc’ en Algรฉrie

Moroccan Wagtail (Motacilla alba subpersonata), Bรฉchar, western Algeria, September 2016 (Ali Mehadji)

La Bergeronnette du Maroc (Motacilla alba supersonata) est un taxon endรฉmique ร  l’Afrique du Nord-Ouest. Avant les annรฉes 1960, ses zones de reproduction principales sont situรฉes dans la partie ouest du Maroc entre le Haut Atlas et la cรดte atlantique, ainsi que dans le nord-est du pays. Depuis les annรฉes 1960, elle a commencรฉe ร  …

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A new Common Chaffinch subspecies in North Africa

Three subspecies of Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) in North Africa: F. c. africana, F. c. spodiogenys and F. c. harterti ssp. nov.

A new subspecies of Common Chaffinch endemic to north-east Libya was described by Lars Svensson in a recent paper. Below are the summary and the main conclusion taken from the paper: โ€œA new subspecies of Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs in North Africa is described. It is restricted to northern Cyrenaica in north-east Libya. Di๏ฌ€erences from …

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Rare observations of Marsh Owl in northernmost Morocco

Marsh Owl / Hibou du Cap (Asio capensis), Lower Loukkos marshes, December 2014 (Imad Yassine).

Marsh Owl (Asio capensis) is represented by an endemic subspecies in Morocco (tingitanus) and it’s Critically Endangered. In the past, the species used to breed in the majority of the marshy areas in northwest Morocco. However, nowadays the northern limit of its breading range is Lower Loukkos, where some pairs still breed in the marshes. …

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