Currently my days are spent in 'my' mountains here in the Serrania de Ronda, days and more spent with intrepid explorers on wildlife adventures, but next up for me is a Moroccan Safari and I am already excited! I will be leading a group that is made-up of folk from Canada and New Zealand, it will be a challenge for me to ensure they share my love affair and will also fall in love with Morocco. Of course I will also be showing them Morocco's rich and diverse birds too.
It is actually very
difficult to sit down and write an article about the birds of Morocco without
also waxing lyrical regarding the scenery, people and history of this mystical
country. I guess, for the uninitiated, Morocco most probably conjures-up visions
of just sand and dust. Nothing could be further from the truth! Conditions
here, despite its close proximity to Europe, are very different with wadis,
deserts, plains, forest, mountains, coasts and islands. The diversity of these
habitats are reflected in the number of bird species found in this most exotic
of North African countries, with over 450 species it is a must visit country
for any with a passion for our feathered friends.
Morocco has both
Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, but the Atlantic side is rightly renowned
for both wintering and migrant waders and gulls. The coastal wetlands are
spread along the Atlantic coast and have such great birding sites as Larache
marshes, Merja Zerga, the Souss and Massa estuaries, in addition to the
Khnifiss lagoon and Dakhla Bay on the Saharan coast. During the summer months a
visit to Essaouira can produce spectacular views of Eleonora’s Falcon Falco
eleonorae as any number of over 600 pairs breeding on the nearby
islets can be seen close to shore. Along the cliffs between El-Jadida and
Essaouira Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus, Barbary Falcon Falco
pelegrinoides as well as Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus can
be seen playing in the up-draughts on the high bluffs that protect the
headlands from the ravages of the ocean. Of course other notable and sought
after species on this coastal stretch include Marsh Owl Asio capensis,
Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegala and Bald Ibis Geronticus
eremita. The reasons are many and varied for visiting the Atlantic coast
and that is why we journey to this region with tours every September (see
our autumn tour here).
Forming the backbone
of Morocco is her mountain ranges. The mountains are a dominant feature that
forms an almost ever presence on the visual landscape, starting in the
northeast with the High Plateau bordering the Mediterranean coast, the
mountains rise to form the impressive Rif range (2,456m) and further south are
softened by the Central Plateau (1,627m). Dramatically the mountains climb
majestically from the Central Plateau and to the south they create the High
Atlas (4,167m) where the snow lingers into the summer months. As the mountains
march towards the Atlantic coast another range, the Anti-Atlas (3,304m),
reaches into the cold ocean waters north of Agadir. Throughout the mountain
ranges, from the northeast to the southwest, many large forests survive the
pressures of man and their animals. Both the forests and surrounding steppe
type habitats create niches for several interesting bird species. Throughout
the entire range, cliff-loving species such as Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus
fasciatus and Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos occur,
whilst the highly prized Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti can
be very local in the Central Plateau. We can find many specialities in the
forested areas and Levaillant’s Woodpecker Picus vaillantii is
probably the most notable of these. Scrubby slopes are always worth exploring
and can produce Tristram’s Warbler Sylvia deserticola, whilst the
common Moussier’s Redstart Phoenicurus moussieri always reward
the patient explorer. There are a number of areas in higher elevations that are
accessible and a visit to the ski resort of Oukaimeden can produce good views
for Atlas Shore (Horned) Lark Eremophila alpestris, Alpine
Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus and the very local Crimson-winged
Finch Rhodopechys sanguinea. We always include visits to the
mountain areas during our main tours and during our spring safari tours we pass over the High Atlas using the
spectacular Tizi-n-Tichka pass.
South of the High
and Anti-Atlas Mountain ranges lies the area of Saharan Morocco. The landscape
here is varied and beautiful, not at all what one might expect whilst imagining
an endless desert plain! The desert areas are largely pebble, but are
interspersed by river courses whose green palms and gardens contrast with their
surroundings. The sand deserts, more in keeping with our own imaginings of
desert, are found in the areas of Mhamid in the extreme south of the Draa
Valley and to the east close to Merzouga (Erg Chebbi). The desert areas also
have their share of mountains and the Jbel Sarhro (2,712m) range captures the
area surrounding the Vallee du Dades, separating it from the more southerly desert
region. Most notable from a bird perspective in the Dades area is the famous
Tagdilt Track. Larks, wheatears, sandgrouse and many desert loving species are
widespread throughout the deserts of Morocco. Birds can be hard to find on
occasion, but those that are found can reward the effort with such species as
Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor, Hoopoe Lark Alaemon
alaudipes, Blue-cheeked Bee Eater Merops persicus, Fulvous
Babbler Turdoides fulvus, Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis
undulata and Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius all
good examples of what makes these deserts worthwhile for the visiting
birdwatcher. Spring migration through the desert areas can be spectacular
especially where wadis provide food and shelter for many species such as Rufous
Bush Robin Cercotrichas galactotes, both eastern and western
Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida/opaca (the former breeds
in the desert areas), Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans and
Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus. Searching the deserts and scrub
can also produce real Moroccan specialities such as Brown-necked Raven Corvus
ruficollis, Desert Sparrow Passer simplex, Desert Warbler Sylvia
nana and Scrub Warbler Scotocerca inquieta, whilst the
ever present Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti provides the
constant reminder that the wheatear family is represented here by no less than
8 of their number. To add to the feeling of wonder you can also witness the
somewhat bizarre sight of the desert lake at Merzouga, although temporary the
lake has appeared in recent years. Here it is strange to see large numbers
of waders and ducks with Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber also
appearing as if summoned by some unheard whisper of water.
To present all the
birds and their habitats in Morocco would require several pages and although
there are so many not included in my brief introduction, I hope you will at
least be tempted to visit this wonderful destination at least once in your
lifetime. For as the famous American author Paul Bowles said, when describing
the Sahara in Morocco:
“Why go? The answer is that when man has been there
and undergone the baptism of solitude he can’t help himself. Once he has been
under the spell of the vast, luminous, silent country, no other place is quite
strong enough for him, no other surroundings can provide the supremely
satisfying sensation of existing in the midst of something that is absolute. He
will go back, whatever the cost in comfort or money, for the absolute has no
price.” Paul Bowles
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