Morocco Birding Trip Report (24th February - 2nd March 2019) - Species List and Locations

Day 1 – Marrakech & Oukaimeden (24^th February 2019)

House Bunting – 24^th February – Marrakech (First seen on the window ledge of our Riad. Abundant in the city with a group of 30+ seen feeding on split grain at close quarters.)

Maghreb Magpie – 24^th February – R203 Marrakech to Tahnaout (Seen foraging next to the road. Abundant and seen well throughout the trip. Recently split.)

Common Bulbul – 24^th February – Ourika (First seen in the trees near the pottery shops driving up to the Atlas Mountains. Relatively common throughout Morocco.)

African Crimson-winged Finch – 24^th February – Oukaimeden (Seen feeding in the car parks and around the ski lift at close quarters. Around 40 birds. Endemic.)

Other birds: (Marrakech) – Little Swift, Pallid Swift, Black Kite (Atlas Mountains) – African Blue Tit, African Chaffinch, Crag Martin, House Bunting 

(Oukaimeden) – Atlas Horned Lark, African Chaffinch, African Blue Tit

Day 2 – Igunane, Oukaimeden, Ourika (25th February 2019)

Levaillant's Woodpecker – 25^th February – Igunane (Single bird heard calling and then seen perched in a dead tree next to the road. Only bird of the trip.)

Other birds: (Igunane) – African Blue Tit, African Chaffinch (Oukaimeden) – Crimson-winged Finch, Alpine Chough, African Chaffinch, Barbary Partridge, Maghreb Magpie, Rock Sparrow, Rock Bunting, Black Wheatear, Atlas Horned Lark 

(Atlas Mountains) – Crag Martin, Iberian Chiffchaff, African Blue Tit, Moroccan Wagtail, Red-rumped Swallow, Common Bulbul

(Ourika) – Barbary Partridge, Woodchat Shrike, Serin, Common Bulbul

Day 3 – Oukaimeden to Marrakech (26th February 2019)

Moussier’s Redstart – 26^th February – R203 Thanaout to Marrakech (First seen in a scrubby field next to the R203. Seen in good numbers around Agadir on the west coast, particularly in rocky ares with trees. Showed extremely well on occasion and one of my favourite birds.)

Other birds: (Oukaimeden) – Crimson-winged Finch, Atlas Horned Lark, Rock Sparrow, Alpine Chough, Black Wheatear, African Blue Tit, Rock Bunting, Crested Lark, African Chaffinch, Serin

(Marrakech) – Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Crested Lark, Maghreb Magpie, African Chaffinch, House Bunting, White Stork

Day 4 – Marrakech to Agadir (27th February 2019)

Brown-throated Martin – 27^th February – Oued Massa (first northern bridge) (A small handful of birds seen with Swallows and Sand Martins over the first northern bridge over the Oued Massa. Plain throat visible compared with the band of the Sand Martins.)

Northern Bald Ibis – 27^th February – Sidi Wassay (First seen on the beach when four birds flew in to feed on the sand. Seen again the next day at close quarters with 2 perched and preening on a low rooftop.)

Other birds: (Oued Massa) – Moroccan Wagtail, Zitting Cisticola, Serin, Subalpine Warbler, Crested Lark, Sardinian Warbler 

(Sidi Wassay) – Moussier’s Redstart, Moroccan Wagtail, Spotless Starling, Yellow-legged Gull 

(Souss Massa) – Little Owl (Desert), Crested Lark, Maghreb Magpie, Moussier’s Redstart, Great spotted Cuckoo, Little Swift, Great Grey Shrike

Day 5 – Souss Massa National Park (Oued Massa), Oued Massa & Sidi Wassay (28th February 2019)

Black-crowned Tchagra – 28th February – Marrakech (First seen on the window ledge of our Riad. Abundant in the city with a group of 30+ seen feeding on split grain at close quarters.)

Other birds: (Souss Massa NP – Oued Massa) – Moussier’s Redstart, Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Crested Lark, Blue Rock Thrush, African Chaffinch, Spotless Starling, Spanish Sparrow, Wryneck, House Bunting, Yellow-legged Gull, Laughing Dove, Common Bulbul, Hoopoe, Serin, Cirl Bunting 

(Oued Massa) – Brown-throated Martin, Cirl Bunting, Little Owl (Desert), Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler, Great-spotted Cuckoo, House Bunting, Moussier’s Redstart, Crested Lark, Quail (heard only) 

(Sidi Wassay) – Northern Bald Ibis, Crested Lark, Maghreb Magpie, Moussier’s Redstart, Spotless Starling, House Bunting

 Day 6 – Taroudant & Paradise Valley (1st March 2019)

Fulvous Babbler – 1st March – Taroudant (Several found perched in shrubs inside the Aéroport de Taroudant compound as viewed from outside the fence. 7 in total and the only birds of the trip.)

Tristram’s Warbler – 1st March – Paradise Valley (Singing male seen observed in one of the large car parks heading up the valley. Possible wintering or breeding grounds. Territorial. Only bird of the trip.)

Other birds: (Taroudant) – Laughing Dove, Crested Lark, Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Pallid Swift, Zitting Cisticola, Spanish Sparrow, Maghreb Magpie, House Bunting, Common Bulbul

(Paradise Valley) – Sardinian Warbler, Black Wheatear, Moussier’s Redstart, Pallid Swift, Bonelli’s Eagle, Common Bulbul, House Bunting

Day 7 – Oued Sous & Paradise Valley (2nd March 2019)

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Other birds: (Oued Sous) – Greater Flamingo, Laughing Dove, Maghreb Magpie, Moroccan Wagtail, Subalpine Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler 

(Paradise Valley) – Bonelli’s Eagle, Moussier’s Redstart, Maghreb Magpie, Crested Lark, Sardinian Warbler, African Chaffinch, Subalpine Warbler