Introduction to the birds of Morocco

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 side 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).