MOROCCO TOUR REPORT 2025

23 April - 4 May 2025

Sjoerd Radstaak

With Morocco holding several North-African endemic (sub)species and range-restricted bird species, this country is amongst the most popular birding destinations in the Western Palearctic. Add to this the beautiful landscapes, the excellent food and mostly pleasant weather around this time of the year, everyone enjoys this tour – this year being no different! Visiting several habitats throughout the country, we enjoyed many highlights including Crimson-winged Finch, Maghreb Owl, ‘Atlas’ Horned Lark, Atlas Wheatear, Levaillant’s Woodpecker, Atlas Pied Flycatcher, Dupont’s Lark, Crowned and Spotted Sandgrouse, Egyptian Nightjar, African Desert Warbler, Streaked Scrub Warbler, Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, Maghreb Wheatear, Tristram’s Warbler, Northern Bald Ibis, Moussier’s Redstart and much more. This was a tour with some surprises as well, including African Houbara, Red-throated Pipit, European Nightjar, Ring Ouzel and Great Spotted Cuckoo! A long staying Lesser Moorhen, Morocco’s first, was a tour write-in. All together this resulted in the highest trip list ever: 204, including 48 diamonds birds (including three subspecies diamond birds).

The tour started with an early morning departure from the old town of Marrakech as we set off for the High Atlas. Enroute, we tried for Barbary Partridge as this can be a tricky species to connect with and we were fortunate to have good views of a pair, while also picking up our first Western Black-eared Wheatear, Woodchat Shrike, Cirl Bunting, Little Swift and Corn Bunting, while a nearby location resulted in our first Levaillant’s Woodpecker, African Blue Tit and African Chaffinch. Nearing Oukaimeden we made a quick stop in a coniferous forest where we found more of the latter two species, plus Common Firecrest, Mistle Thrush and Rock Bunting. Once in Oukaimeden we headed straight for the ski station, finding our first Crimson-winged Finch, Atlas Wheatear, ‘Atlas’ Horned Lark, Rock Sparrow and our only Common Rock Thrush of the tour. As some showers came in, we decided to bird lower down near the village; this turned out to be an excellent decision as we quickly located a nice pair of Crimson-winged Finch, now seen by everyone. Other good birds here included a pair of Black Wheatear, many Rock Sparrows, a White-throated Dipper for some and a superb male Moussier’s Redstart. After dinner we tried for Maghreb Owl lower down but couldn’t find any due to the wind, however, back in Oukaimeden, some of us decided to give it another try (where Sjoerd knew a spot) and immediately had a very tape-responsive pair in the bins – a nice way to end the day!

The next morning, two clients (who skipped last night) together with Sjoerd, tried for the Maghreb Owl just before breakfast. Despite it being fairly light already, we were all surprised the owl showed itself extremely well and we captured some amazing pictures.  We birded just outside the village again, and this turned out to be an excellent move as over the next few hours we had superb close-by views of both Red-billed and Alpine Choughs, Atlas Wheatear, ‘Atlas’ Horned Lark and Rock Sparrow. On the way out, we spotted a pair of White-throated Dipper which were now enjoyed by all of us. The rest of the day was spent driving towards Ifrane in the Middle Atlas, adding our first Booted Eagle, Yellow-legged Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Kite and Glossy Ibis before checking-in to our lovely hotel.

Dawn birding here proved to be extremely productive, and in just over an hour after breakfast we recorded a nice pair of Atlas Pied Flytcatcher (the main target here), better views of Levaillant’s Woodpecker, several Hawfinches, a singing Melodious Warbler, a singing male Cirl Bunting, some Spotless Starlings, a pair of Common Redstart and more African Blue Tits – all showing very well! One of us even recorded another Maghreb Owl earlier that morning, being mobbed by several Common Blackbirds. It was time to visit a forest patch just outside the village and as soon as we stepped out of the van, birds were simply everywhere. Among the common birds not seen (well) before, there were Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Short-toed Treecreepers, Eurasian Nuthatches, and Coal and Great Tits. We were surprised to find a European Roller in the forest, plus more Atlas Pied Flycatchers and we heard our only Red Crossbill and Western Bonelli’s Warbler of the tour. After this we went to look for Lesser Kestrel, finding several near Ifrane. In the late morning we visited some lakes in and around Ifrane, resulting in our only Black-crowned Night Herons, close-up views of Red-knobbed Coots, a European Honey Buzzard flying over and several new trip species in the form of Little Grebe, Common Pochard, Gadwall and more.

We spent the rest of the day around Dayet (Lake) Aoua, and although the lake was dry, we still had a good time with our first Eurasian Hoopoe, a heard-only Common Cuckoo, an intriguing Thekla’s Lark and more of the same as before. As we were doing so well with the target species, we decided to try for Eurasian Scops Owl nearby. This species sometimes calls during the middle of the day here, so we tried to lure it in. In the meantime, we enjoyed a group of probably well over 120(!) Hawfinches, several Mistle Thrushes and a Levaillant’s Woodpecker at eye-level. Suddenly, we heard a calling Eurasian Scops Owl. Walking towards where the calls came from, it was the quickly located by David. We had prolonged views before we decided to visit another forest near Ifrane, however, showers soon came in and it rained for the rest of the afternoon. Having seen more than we expected to see, we spent the rest of the (late) afternoon in or around the hotel.

The next day, after breakfast, we slowly made our way south to Midelt with our first stop aiming to find Barbary Macaque in the cedar forest near Azrou, which we saw with ease. A walk through this half-open habitat also resulted in more Moussier’s Redstarts and our only Western Subalpine Warbler and Western Orphean Warbler – both males showing very well! Some of us also enjoyed the smart Spanish Fritillaries. Back on the road we saw tens of Northern Ravens and our first Long-legged Buzzard and a short stop near some water produced Black-necked Grebes, while a little further we picked up on a Tawny Pipit from the car. Continuing on our way to the famous Zaida Plains, we decided to drive further in than necessary for our main target (Dupont’s Lark) which resulted in a nice pair of Cream-coloured Courser. When driving back things became even better when Sjoerd suddenly spotted an African Houbara standing next to the car! While the origin of this bird is debatable with many captive-bred birds now free-flying around for hunting, it still is a very hard bird to find! A search for Dupont’s Lark resulted in good views of Mediterranean Short-toed Lark, Desert Wheatear, Red-rumped Wheatear and a Spur-thighed Tortoise for some.

Next morning we started really early, as Dupont’s Larks are known to sing before sunrise! After driving for half an hour, we parked somewhere out on the plains and listened for its characteristic song. We picked up on a singing bird, but too far, so we decided walking in its direction, playing its song every now and then. This tactic worked out perfectly, as we soon enjoyed good views of a singing Dupont’s Lark right in front of us! Having already seen the bustard and courser yesterday, we decided to go for breakfast and move on south towards the Sahara Desert. A try for Tristram’s Warbler resulted in a surprise Ring Ouzel for Steve – a write-in for this tour. Another stop in a green orchard resulted in our first European Pied Flycatchers, Whinchats and a Wood Warbler. After lunch, we continued towards Rissani where we successfully tried for Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (ssp. reiseri) and Maghreb Lark late afternoon. From there, it was only a short drive to our hotel in Erg Chebbi where we would spend the following three nights.

The next morning, we had three SUV’s pick us up from our hotel to take us to our first birding spot. Our first stop was a water hole on the outskirts of the settlements where we soon enjoyed large groups of Spotted and Crowned Sandgrouse, coming in to have a quick drink and then fly off again. A surprise Pin-tailed Sandgrouse was much appreciated too as this is probably the best looking sandgrouse in the area. After most sandgrouse had gone, we went for another desert specialty: Desert Sparrow. En route, we picked up on our first Greater Hoopoe-Lark just meters away – what a bird! Shortly after, we arrived at a nomadic Berber camp and quickly noted two juveniles Desert Sparrows – together with some House Sparrows. After a while a nice male flew in and we had fantastic views at eye-level at close range. In some places, it now seems the sparrows have been pushed away by House Sparrows, but here they still occur together. A neat bonus already here was a flock of very showy Fulvous Babblers. Via the desert we drove to a good spot for African Desert Warbler, enjoying views of White-crowned Wheatear and Brown-necked Raven along the way. On arrival it was already very hot and there was not a sniff of the warbler. It took some time before our local guide and Sjoerd saw “something flying somewhere”, but shortly after we enjoyed superb views of a very obliging African Desert Warbler! Before lunch, we had only one more target to see: Egyptian Nightjar. Over the last couple of years, a local Berber (‘Uncle Nightjar’) has specialised in finding these very well camouflaged birds early morning at dawn or by looking for them under the bushes in the Sahara Desert during the day. We were pleased to hear he found not only one today, but an adult with two juveniles! After only a short walk in the desert, we soon enjoyed excellent views of all three birds hiding in the shade of a bush, though even a few meters away, some of us had a hard time finding the birds!

After lunch and some rest, we visited nearby lush gardens to see what else we could get on migration. A small lake en route produced our first waders, including Green Sandpiper, Dunlin, Little Stint, Kentish Plover and Pied Avocet. A late afternoon stroll in the gardens didn’t get us much, but we had good views of several Wood Warblers, Western Yellow Wagtails, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Tree Pipit and a single Reed Warbler.

This morning, some of us birded the scrub around the hotel resulting in a surprise European Nightjar. A little later, we were surprised to see it chased down by a Brown-necked Raven in flight above our hotel! After breakfast, we drove to a place for Streaked Scrub Warbler (ssp. saharea) nearby. Along the way, we picked up on a showy pair of our first Desert Larks, but the Streaked Scrub Warblers turned out to be not so showy and some of us didn’t even get to see it. Therefore, we continued towards Rissani where we birded some agricultural areas for more (new) birds. It was hard work, but resulted in our first Laughing Doves, Western Marsh Harrier and a nice male Sardinian Warbler. Before lunch we visited a spot for Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, resulting in good views of three or four birds. Then we headed for lunch, which came in the form of a Moroccan Berber Pizza: a beautifully stuffed flatbread filled with spiced meat, onions, and herbs. Once we had had enough, we went to Dayet (Lake) Srij – only stopping shortly for a Little Owl, but arriving at the lake, it soon became clear it was packed with birds! By driving slowly along the shore, we had very good looks of Pied Avocet, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Sanderling, Kentish Plover and Ruddy Shelduck. Far away we picked up a Gull-billed Tern, Whiskered Tern and Ruddy Turnstone – all not guaranteed birds. In a flock of yellow wagtails, Sjoerd was keen to pick up on a Red-throated Pipit by ear. We all quickly got out and after some scanning, we found an obliging bird on the ground – yes! By now, it was time to go back to the hotel where we said goodbye to our desert guides.

This morning, we departed the beautiful Saharan Desert before making our way to the famous Tagdilt Track near Boumalne Dades. En route we made several stops for more new birds, our first near Tinejdad, where we tried for views of Streaked Scrub Warbler where we soon found a small flock of six birds here, which showed much better than the ones yesterday and most of us were even able to get some decent photos! Next was the Todgha Gorge, which is a good place for Bonelli’s Eagle and Tristram’s Warbler. As soon as we got out of the van a distant Bonelli’s Eagle flew over and after some time, we picked up the bird again (showing nicely overhead) and even found a nest with two chicks! We played the tape for Tristram’s Warbler here, but only found Barbary Ground Squirrel, Trumpeter Finch and another distant Bonelli’s Eagle.

After lunch we headed for Boumalne Dades, but as we had some time to kill, we decided to try for Pharaoh Eagle Owl, Lanner Falcon and Maghreb Wheatear. Together with our local guide ‘Hibou’ (French for owl), we were soon looking at an adult Pharaoh Eagle Owl hiding in a cave. At the other side of the canyon, three immatures were looking straight at us while bobbing their heads up and down. We tried here for Maghreb Wheatear, but it was very windy so we tried elsewhere. A walk into the other side of the canyon is where we enjoyed nice scope views of a Lanner Falcon on a nest and a Long-legged Buzzard, also on a nest, with two fledglings. After finding two juvenile wheatears at first, luckily our guide quickly located a lovely male Maghreb Wheatear which was very showy and enjoyed by all of us. With still some time left, our guide had a good place for Thick-billed Lark along the way to the hotel. We decided to give it a go and a short while later we were watching two immature Thick-billed Larks, and just as we were intending to leave, Martin found us a nice male and we all had great looks of this odd-looking lark with its massive bill, bold face pattern and intriguing wing pattern in flight. It was now almost 7pm and with still an hour to drive to our hotel, we said goodbye to our local guide and called it a day – and what a day it was!

Due to our very successful day yesterday, we had few new birds to look for today, but high on the list, however, was Tristram’s Warbler, and we were confident in finding one. Our first spot was just 700m down a gully from our hotel, and after some taping, a very confiding male Tristram’s Warbler showed very well. With the most important target bird for the day bagged, we slowly birded our way down seeing expecting species in the canyon like Blue Rock Thrush, Grey Wagtail and Black Wheatear. Once out of the canyon, we drove straight to the plains east of Boumalne Dades. A short stroll around an (almost) dried up lake resulted in another target bird: Temminck’s Lark. We all enjoyed several adult birds feeding the juveniles at close range, with Desert Wheatears alongside. We continued onwards, until some Greater Short-toed Larks flew in front of the van and landed nearby. We then birded the famous Tagdilt Track where we picked up our first Great Grey Shrikes and had lovely views of a fine male Red-rumped Wheatear too. On the way out we noted a pair of Cream-coloured Coursers. Once lunch was had in Boumalne Dades, we birded the other end of the track, but it didn’t get us much and once the expected showers came in, we called it a day.

The next day was mostly a travelling day, driving all the way down to the coast from Boumalne Dades. Some carefully selected stops en route resulted in a few unexpected additions to our ever-growing list. A stop for Common Quail resulted in a fantastic (singing!) first-summer Great Spotted Cuckoo that showed itself extremely well – mostly in flight. A group of 30+ European Bee-eaters was new too, while another stop gave us our only Little Bittern and first ‘Moroccan’ White Wagtail (ssp. supersonata). A final stop for the day was near Aoulouz, where in March the first Lesser Moorhen for Morocco was found. Though it showed itself shortly at some distance, it was – of course – another write-in for us. Lots of beautiful Copper Demoiselles provided some distraction while waiting for the moorhen. The rest of the day was spent travelling to Agadir.

This being our last full day, we were keen on an early start in the famous river deltas of Morocco: Oued Souss and Oued Massa. While driving there, we noticed many Maghreb Magpies – a species we did not see much of before. Our birding this morning started near a bridge just outside Oued Souss-Massa NP where we noted several new birds in the form of a Eurasian Spoonbill, European Stonechat, European Stone-curlew and – most importantly – the localized Brown-throated Martin. It was a birdy place, and we also enjoyed Zitting Cisticolas, Crested Larks, Western Olivaceous Warblers, Sardinian Warblers and a nice Eurasian Golden Oriole. The best bird here however was an Eleonora’s Falcon, a bird we were supposed to look for the next day. We continued to the National Park, where a walk along the river gave us many new birds: Marbled Duck, Spanish Sparrow, Purple Heron, Eurasian Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Dunlin and Common Redshank. Also new were several flocks of soaring Northern Bald Ibis, though surprisingly absent were Black-crowned Tchagras, hearing just one at the other side of the river. A welcome bonus were two Lesser Crested Terns foraging with some Sandwich Terns out on the sea, as we were picked up by our van near the beach. The rest of the day was spent looking for the tchagra (with some success) and ibises on the ground (with no success).

Our very last day started in Oued Souss, the river just south of Agadir. As we were closing in on over 200(!) species, we were all very keen to see what we could get there. Among the many groups of waders present, we soon started to pick up on new species: Black-headed Gull, Red Knot, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Eurasian Whimbrel, both Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwit, and a fly-by Caspian Tern. A fly-by immature Audouin’s Gull was also new. Also present in good numbers were Eurasian Spoonbills, Greater Flamingo’s, Common Ringed Plovers, Grey Plovers, Little Egrets and almost 100 Sandwich Terns! Maghreb Magpies showed well close by, allowing good pictures for most. We then headed up north towards Tamri.

Just north of Agadir we checked another beach hoping for Lesser Crested Tern, ending up with a first summer Mediterranean Gull and 8 Common Bottlenose Dolphins out on the sea. Near Cap Ghir we had no problem adding Cory’s Shearwater and Northern Gannet to our long list. Around midday we reached Tamri, where we were hoping for Northern Bald Ibis on the ground and although we did see two land, they flew before we were close enough to observe them. A nice flock of 15 Spanish Sparrows provided some consolation. We then drove straight to Marrakech and said goodbye to our local cultural guide Abdellah – who told us so many interesting things about Morocco – and driver Abdelkaber – who always made sure we were sound and safe by the end of the day. Hereafter, we checked in to our hotel for the night where most of us had some fantastic burgers to celebrate what an amazingly successful tour this had been. In total we recorded 204 species including almost all target birds and many nice bonuses!

BIRD OF THE TOUR 

1. Maghreb Owl 
2. Dupont’s Lark
3. Moussier’s Redstart 
4. Pharaoh Eagle Owl
5. Pin-tailed Sandgrouse

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR

Species marked with the diamond symbol (◊) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered ‘special’ birds for some other reason (e.g., it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species).

The species names and taxonomy used in the bird list follow Gill, F., Donsker, D., & Rasmussen, P.(Eds). 2025. IOC World Bird List (v15.1).

BIRDS

Ruddy Shelduck  Tadorna ferruginea

Gadwall  Mareca strepera

Mallard  Anas platyrhynchos

Marbled Duck ◊ (M Teal)  Marmaronetta angustirostris Near-threatened. Several seen in Oued Souss-Massa NP.

Common Pochard  Aythya farina Vulnerable.

Barbary Partridge ◊  Alectoris Barbara A pair showed well on day 1 at the base of the High Atlas.

European Nightjar  Caprimulgus europaeus One chased by a Brown-necked Raven(!) in Erg Chebbi.

Egyptian Nightjar ◊  Caprimulgus aegyptius An adult bird with two juveniles gave excellent views in Erg Chebbi.

Alpine Swift  Tachymarptis melba One bird in the Todra Gorge.

Common Swift  Apus apus

Pallid Swift  Apus pallidus

Little Swift  Apus affinis Several birds seen well in Marrakech.

African Houbara ◊  Chlamydotis undulata Vulnerable. One bird on the Zaida Plains

Great Spotted Cuckoo  Clamator glandarius A singing(!) first-summer bird was a surprise found near Ouarzazate.

Common Cuckoo  Cuculus canorus Heard-only

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse  Pterocles alchata One bird came in with the other sandgrouses.

Spotted Sandgrouse ◊  Pterocles senegallus About 120 birds came in to drink in Erg Chebbi.

Black-bellied Sandgrouse  Pterocles orientalis

Crowned Sandgrouse ◊  Pterocles coronatus About 80 birds came in to drink in Erg Chebbi.

Rock Dove  Columba livia

Rock Dove (introduced) (Feral Pigeon)  Columba [livia] var_domestica

Common Wood Pigeon  Columba palumbus

European Turtle Dove  Streptopelia turtur Vulnerable. Pleasantly common by sight and ear throughout the tour.

Eurasian Collared Dove  Streptopelia decaocto

Laughing Dove  Spilopelia senegalensis A few birds seen in the southeast.

Common Moorhen  Gallinula chloropus

Lesser Moorhen Paragallinula angulata This first for Morocco was found near Aoulouz in March 2025 and still present when we were there.

Eurasian Coot  Fulica atra

Red-knobbed Coot (Crested C)  Fulica cristata Close-up views of around 30 birds near Ifrane. Later seen more.

Little Grebe  Tachybaptus ruficollis

Great Crested Grebe  Podiceps cristatus

Black-necked Grebe  Podiceps nigricollis A pair on a small lake en-route.

Greater Flamingo  Phoenicopterus roseus

Eurasian Stone-curlew  Burhinus oedicnemus

Eurasian Oystercatcher  Haematopus ostralegus Near-threatened.

Black-winged Stilt  Himantopus himantopus

Pied Avocet  Recurvirostra avosetta Several seen this year in Erg Chebbi.

Grey Plover (Black-bellied P)  Pluvialis squatarola

Common Ringed Plover  Charadrius hiaticula

Little Ringed Plover  Charadrius dubius

Kentish Plover  Anarhynchus alexandrinus

Eurasian Whimbrel  Numenius phaeopus

Eurasian Curlew  Numenius arquata

Bar-tailed Godwit  Limosa lapponica Near-threatened.

Black-tailed Godwit  Limosa limosa Near-threatened.

Common Sandpiper  Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper  Tringa ochropus

Common Redshank  Tringa totanus

Common Greenshank  Tringa nebularia

Ruddy Turnstone  Arenaria interpres Near-threatened.

Red Knot  Calidris canutus Near-threatened.

Curlew Sandpiper  Calidris ferruginea Vulnerable. Fantastic views along the shore of Lake Srij near Merzouga.

Sanderling  Calidris alba

Dunlin  Calidris alpina Near-threatened.

Little Stint  Calidris minuta Over a 100 seen along the shore of Lake Srij

Cream-colored Courser  Cursorius cursor A pair seen on the Zaida Plains and another pair with chicks along the Tagdilt Track near Boumalne Dades.

Gull-billed Tern  Gelochelidon nilotica One bird on a sand bank in Lake Srij.

Caspian Tern  Hydroprogne caspia One fly-by over the Souss River

Whiskered Tern  Chlidonias hybrida This scarce passage migrant was seen on a sand bank in Lake Srij

Sandwich Tern  Thalasseus sandvicensis

Lesser Crested Tern  Thalasseus bengalensis A couple of them feeding out on the sea in the Agadir area.

Black-headed Gull  Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Audouin’s Gull ◊  Ichthyaetus audouinii A flock of 60 birds present on the beach near Tamri.

Mediterranean Gull ◊  Ichthyaetus melanocephalus A first-summer bird on a beach north of Agadir.

Yellow-legged Gull  Larus michahellis

Lesser Black-backed Gull  Larus fuscus

Cory’s Shearwater ◊  Calonectris borealis A few of them on the sea near Cape Ghir, allowing good views.

White Stork  Ciconia ciconia

Northern Gannet  Morus bassanus

Great Cormorant  Phalacrocorax carbo

Great Cormorant ◊ (Moroccan C)  Phalacrocorax [carbo] maroccanus

Northern Bald Ibis ◊  Geronticus eremita Endangered. Several groups seen flying overhead in the Oued Souss-Massa NP and two more near Tamri.

Glossy Ibis  Plegadis falcinellus

Eurasian Spoonbill  Platalea leucorodia

Little Bittern  Botaurus minutus One was seen in the Assif Iriri River en-route to Agadir.

Black-crowned Night Heron  Nycticorax nycticorax At least 7 birds in a colony with Cattle Egrets in Ifrane.

Little Egret  Egretta garzetta

Western Cattle Egret  Ardea ibis

Grey Heron  Ardea cinerea

Purple Heron  Ardea purpurea

Osprey (Western O)  Pandion [haliaetus] haliaetus Non-leader

European Honey Buzzard  Pernis apivorus One fly-by near Ifrane.

Short-toed Snake Eagle  Circaetus gallicus

Booted Eagle  Hieraaetus pennatus

Bonelli’s Eagle  Aquila fasciata Excellent views of this beautiful raptor in the Todra Gorge.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk  Accipiter nisus

Western Marsh Harrier  Circus aeruginosus

Black Kite  Milvus migrans

Long-legged Buzzard ◊ (Atlas B)  Buteo [rufinus] cirtensis

Little Owl  Athene noctua

Eurasian Scops Owl  Otus scops One heard and then seen near Lake Aoua.

Pharaoh Eagle-Owl ◊  Bubo ascalaphus An adult and three immatures were seen near Boumalne Dades.

Maghreb Owl ◊  Strix mauritanica A pair seen brilliantly in Oukaimeden

Eurasian Hoopoe  Upupa epops

European Roller  Coracias garrulus

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater  Merops persicus Good views of several birds near Rissani.

European Bee-eater  Merops apiaster

Great Spotted Woodpecker  Dendrocopos major mauritanus Endemic ssp.

Levaillant’s Woodpecker ◊ (L Green W)  Picus vaillantii Several excellent views in the High and Middle Atlas.

Lesser Kestrel  Falco naumanni Several birds around Ifrane mostly, including adult males.

Common Kestrel  Falco tinnunculus

Eleonora’s Falcon  Falco eleonorae A surprise found near Agbalou (Massa River).

Lanner Falcon  Falco biarmicus An adult on a nest near Boumalne Dades.

Peregrine Falcon  Falco peregrinus

Black-crowned Tchagra  Tchagra senegalus Heard, seen by leader-only.

Eurasian Golden Oriole  Oriolus oriolus Heard-only in Ifrane, two seen in Oued Souss-Massa NP.

Great Grey Shrike  Lanius excubitor

Woodchat Shrike  Lanius senator Near-threatened.

Eurasian Jay  Garrulus glandarius

Maghreb Magpie ◊  Pica mauritanica Most common on the last days around Agadir.

Red-billed Chough  Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax Excellent views of both this and the following species near Oukaimeden in the High Atlas.

Alpine Chough (Yellow-billed C)  Pyrrhocorax graculus

Western Jackdaw  Coloeus monedula

Brown-necked Raven  Corvus ruficollis Up to 50 birds seen together soaring in Erg Chebbi.

Northern Raven  Corvus corax

Coal Tit  Periparus ater atlas Endemic ssp.

African Blue Tit ◊ (North A B T, Ultramarine T)  Cyanistes teneriffae Seen in the High and Middle Atlas.

Great Tit  Parus major

Greater Hoopoe-Lark  Alaemon alaudipes This beautiful lark was seen several times in Erg Chebbi.

Thick-billed Lark ◊  Ramphocoris clotbey A nice male and two immatures east of Boumalne Dades.

Desert Lark  Ammomanes deserti A pair near Rissani and common in the canyons east of Boumalne Dades.

Bar-tailed Lark (B-t Desert L)  Ammomanes cincture seen a few times in the southeast.

Woodlark  Lullula arborea Heard-only

Thekla’s Lark ◊  Galerida theklae Seen several times, with good views near Ifrane and Boumalne Dades.

Crested Lark  Galerida cristata Endemic ssp. riggenbachi seen in coastal zone near Agadir.

Maghreb Lark ◊  Galerida macrorhyncha Goods views of this intriguing lark species near Rissani.

Horned Lark ◊ (Atlas H L)  Eremophila [alpestris] atlas Endemic ssp. A few seen well in Oukaimeden.

Temminck’s Lark ◊  Eremophila bilopha Excellent views of adults feeding juveniles on the Boumalne plains.

Greater Short-toed Lark  Calandrella brachydactyla

Dupont’s Lark ◊  Chersophilus duponti Vulnerable. One bird showing brilliantly on the Zaida Plains early morning.

Mediterranean Short-toed Lark ◊  Alaudala rufescens Proper views of some birds on the Zaida Plains

Common Bulbul  Pycnonotus barbatus

Brown-throated Martin (Plain M, African P M)  Riparia paludicola mauritanica Endemic ssp. Several seen near Agbalou (Massa River)

Sand Martin (Bank Swallow)  Riparia riparia

Eurasian Crag Martin  Ptyonoprogne rupestris

Barn Swallow  Hirundo rustica

Western House Martin  Delichon urbicum

European Red-rumped Swallow ◊  Cecropis rufula Seen only on day 1 en-route to the High Atlas.

Cetti’s Warbler  Cettia cetti

Streaked Scrub Warbler ◊ (Saharan S W)  Scotocerca [inquieta] saharae Reasonable views near Rissani, but excellent views of a small flock en-route to Boumalne Dades.

Wood Warbler ◊  Phylloscopus sibilatrix Multiple sightings of this attractive warbler, mostly in Erg Chebbi.

Western Bonelli’s Warbler ◊  Phylloscopus Bonelli

Willow Warbler  Phylloscopus trochilus

Common Chiffchaff  Phylloscopus collybita

Common Reed Warbler (Moroccan R W)  Acrocephalus [scirpaceus] ambiguus

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler ◊ (Saharan O W)  Iduna [pallida] reiseri Very common in the southeast of Morocco.

Western Olivaceous Warbler ◊  Iduna opaca Several seen on multiple occasions, most common around Marrakech and Agadir.

Melodious Warbler  Hippolais polyglotta

Zitting Cisticola (Fan-tailed Warbler)  Cisticola juncidis

Eurasian Blackcap  Sylvia atricapilla

Garden Warbler  Sylvia borin

Western Orphean Warbler ◊  Curruca hortensis A singing male in the Cedres Forest near Azrou.

African Desert Warbler ◊  Curruca deserti One bird showing very well in Erg Chebbi.

Tristram’s Warbler ◊  Curruca deserticola A singing male at close range in the Dadès Gorge.

Sardinian Warbler  Curruca melanocephala

Western Subalpine Warbler ◊  Curruca iberiae A singing male in the Cedres Forest near Azrou.

Fulvous Babbler ◊  Argya fulva Several seen well near a nomadic Berber camp in Erg Chebbi.

Common Firecrest ◊  Regulus ignicapilla

Eurasian Wren  Troglodytes troglodytes

Eurasian Nuthatch  Sitta europaea

Short-toed Treecreeper  Certhia brachydactyla

Spotless Starling ◊  Sturnus unicolor

Mistle Thrush  Turdus viscivorus

Common Blackbird  Turdus merula

Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus Non-leader

Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin ◊  Cercotrichas galactotes Good views on several occasions of this attractive bird.

Spotted Flycatcher  Muscicapa striata

European Robin  Erithacus rubecula

Common Nightingale  Luscinia megarhynchos

Atlas Pied Flycatcher ◊  Ficedula speculigera Excellent views of several males and females in and around Ifrane.

European Pied Flycatcher  Ficedula hypoleuca

Black Redstart  Phoenicurus ochruros

Common Redstart  Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Moussier’s Redstart ◊  Phoenicurus moussieri This attractive redstart was seen in several habitats, ranging from rocky slopes to agricultural fields.

Common Rock Thrush (Rufous-tailed R T)  Monticola saxatilis One male seen in Oukaimeden.

Blue Rock Thrush  Monticola solitarius

Whinchat  Saxicola rubetra

European Stonechat  Saxicola rubicola

Northern Wheatear  Oenanthe oenanthe

Atlas Wheatear ◊ (Seebohm’s W)  Oenanthe seebohmi Perfect views of both male and female in Oukaimeden

Desert Wheatear  Oenanthe deserti Seen several times, at close range on the Boumalne plains.

Western Black-eared Wheatear ◊  Oenanthe hispanica Seen a few times this tour, including some neat males.

Red-rumped Wheatear ◊  Oenanthe moesta A pair seen on the Zaida Plains and several more on the Boumalne plains.

Maghreb Wheatear ◊  Oenanthe halophila A pair and two immatures were seen east of Boumalne Dades.

White-crowned Wheatear ◊ (W-c Black W)  Oenanthe leucopyga The default wheatear in the southeast.

Black Wheatear ◊  Oenanthe leucura Seen multiple times, at close range in Oukaimeden.

White-throated Dipper  Cinclus cinclus A pair was seen in a rocky stream near Oukaimeden.

Rock Sparrow  Petronia petronia A quite shy species enjoyed mostly in Oukaimeden.

Spanish Sparrow  Passer hispaniolensis Seen a couple of times, including 13 males near Tamri.

House Sparrow  Passer domesticus

Desert Sparrow ◊  Passer simplex A pair and several juveniles were seen near a nomadic Berber camp in Erg Chebbi.

Western Yellow Wagtail (form unidentified)  Motacilla flava

Western Yellow Wagtail (Spanish W)  Motacilla [flava] iberiae

Western Yellow Wagtail (Italian W)  Motacilla [flava] cinereocapilla One along the shore of Lake Srij.

Western Yellow Wagtail (Grey-headed W)  Motacilla [flava] thunbergia The most common ssp in groups.

Western Yellow Wagtail (Blue-headed W)  Motacilla [flava] flava

Grey Wagtail  Motacilla cinerea

White Wagtail  Motacilla [alba] alba

White Wagtail ◊ (Moroccan W)  Motacilla [alba] subpersonata Endemic ssp. Seen a couple of times at the end of the tour.

Tawny Pipit  Anthus campestris

Tree Pipit  Anthus trivialis

Red-throated Pipit  Anthus cervinus This scarce passage migrant was found in a flock of wagtails along the shore of Lake Srij near Merzouga.

African Chaffinch ◊  Fringilla spodiogenys Seen in wooded areas in the High and Middle Atlas.

Hawfinch  Coccothraustes coccothraustes More than a 100 were seen around Lake Aoua near Ifrane.

Crimson-winged Finch ◊  Rhodopechys sanguineus Two pairs and a single female seen in Oukaimeden.

Trumpeter Finch  Bucanetes githagineus A pair in the Todra Gorge and a juvenile in Erg Chebbi.

European Greenfinch  Chloris chloris

Common Linnet  Linaria cannabina

Red Crossbill (Common C)  Loxia curvirostra Heard-only.

European Goldfinch  Carduelis carduelis

European Serin  Serinus serinus

Corn Bunting  Emberiza calandra

Rock Bunting  Emberiza cia Good views of two birds in Oukaimeden.

Cirl Bunting  Emberiza cirlus

House Bunting ◊  Emberiza sahari Seen multiple times, mostly around habituated places.

MAMMALS

Red Fox  Vulpes vulpes

Common Bottlenose Dolphin  Tursiops truncatus Eight seen from the beach north of Agadir

Barbary Macaque (B Ape)  Macaca sylvanus About 20 seen in the Cadar Forest near Azrou

Cape Hare  Lepus capensis One seen on the Boumalne plains

Barbary Ground Squirrel (North African G S)  Atlantoxerus getulus Two seen in Todra Gorge

Fat Sand Rat  Psammomys obesus A few seen near Rissani

REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS

Moroccan eyed Lizzard Timon tangitanus Near-endemic to Morocco. One seen in Oukaimeden.

Mediterranean Turtle Mauremys leprosa

Spur-thighed Tortoise Testudo graeca Vulnarable. One seen on the Zaida Plains.

BUTTERFLIES

Old World Swallowtail Papilio machaon

Southern Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides feisthamelii

Large White Pieris brassicae

Small White Pieris rapae

Bath White Pontia daplidice The default white.

Desert Bath White Pontia glauconome One seen in the southeast.

Greenish Black Tip Euchloe charlonia A common butterfly in dry places.

Moroccan Orange Tip Anthocharis belia Only in NW Africa and SW Europe. A few seen this tour.

Clouded Yellow Colias crocea

Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas

Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus

Lang’s Short-toed Blue Leptotes pirithous

African Bebel Blue Azanus jesous Non-leader

African Grass Blue Zizeeria Knysna Non-leader

Austaut’s Blue Polyommatus celina Split from Common Blue. Seen in the Cedar Forest nearAzrou.

Lorquin’s Blue Cupido lorquinii A male seen of this Northwest African endemic.

Southern Brown Argus Aricia cramera

Plain Tiger Danaus chrysippus A few seen of this attractive butterfly.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

Queen Of Spain Fritillary Issoria lathonia

Glanville Fritillary Melitaea cinxia

Spanish Fritillary Euphydryas desfontainii Only in NW Africa and SW Europe. A couple of them in the Cedar Forest near Azrou.

Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

Wall Brown Lasiommata megera

Rosy Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus onopordi

DRAGONFLIES

Copper Demoiselle Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis Around 25 along a stream near Azrou.

Northern/Desert Bluet Enallagma cyathigerum/ deserti

Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator

Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens

Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii