endemic birds

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

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: “A new subspecies of Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs in North Africa is described. It is restricted to northern Cyrenaica in north-east Libya. Differences 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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Horned Lark taxonomy: possible split into six species

Moroccan Horned Lark [Eremophila (alpestris) atlas], Atlas Mountains, Morocco, March 2014 (Ruben and Jorrit Vlot)

A recent study suggested splitting the Horned Lark into six different species: one in the Nearctic and five in the Palearctic including the Moroccan endemic taxon (atlas). The Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) is a widely distributed passerine across North America and Eurasia, with two isolated populations in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Colombia in

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Streaked Scrub Warbler in Morocco: taxonomy, distribution and identification

Streaked Scrub Warbler Scotocerca inquieta sensu lato has a large distribution area that extends from Western Asia through the Arabian Peninsula and into the Atlantic coast of North Africa. There are eight subspecies including two in southern Morocco, S. i. saharae in the east and S. i. theresae in the southwest. In a recent paper

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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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African Crimson-winged Finch: a new endemic species

African Crimson-winged Finch / Roselin à ailes roses d'Afrique (Rhodopechys alienus), Oukaïmeden, High Atlas, Morocco (Mike Haley)

The Crimson-winged Finch sensu lato consists of two distinct taxa, alienus in Northwest Africa and sanguineus in the Middle East, Turkey, Caucasus, Central Asia and north-west China. The split of this taxon into two separate species, African Crimson-winged Finch (Rhodopechys alienus) and Asian Crimson-winged Finch (R. sanguineus), was first proposed by Kirwan et al. (2006).

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Andalusian Buttonquail in Morocco and the Western Palearctic

Andalusian Buttonquail (Turnix sylvaticus sylvaticus), south of Sidi Abed, September 2007 (Benoît Maire)

The Andalusian Buttonquail (Turnix sylvaticus sylvaticus) became almost extinct throughout its Mediterranean range except in Morocco where there have been more or less regular observations until 1988. Since that date, however, the species went undetected until 2000. Since the beginning of the new millennium, new sightings (including the first-ever photograph of a living wild bird

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