Birding Southern Morocco

We begin our journey with a flight to Marrakech. This old imperial capital of Morocco, surrounded by olive and palm groves, and with the towering snowy peaks of the High Atlas forming such a magnificent backdrop, has a truly wonderful atmosphere. If time permits, we will leave the Moroccan capital behind and drive into the alpine zone of the High Atlas Mountains at Oukaïmeden. Amongst beautiful mountain scenery our main target will be African Crimson-winged Finch, although we also hope to see Alpine and Red-billed Choughs, African Chaffinch, Atlas Coal Tit, Atlas Long-legged Buzzard and Atlas Horned Lark too. For those who prefer to take an afternoon flight from London, there is the option to meet at the group hotel in the evening instead.

We next take a spectacular drive south over the snowbound High Atlas mountains to Ouarzazate, a French garrison town beside a Glaoui kasbah, sandwiched between the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas mountains where we will stay for one night. From here we will drive eastwards along the Dades Valley to Boumalene Dades, where an overnight stay will enable us to explore the Dades and Todra Gorges; the former with its bizarre limestone erosions and impressive ksour (fortified villages) and kasbahs, the latter a dramatic narrow gorge whose towering pink cliffs are home to Crag Martins, Tristram's Warblers and Bonelli’s Eagles. By contrast, a wide and stony desert close to Boumalene may reward us with a variety of larks and sandgrouse.

We now continue our journey eastwards to Erfoud, through an increasingly desolate and barren landscape, broken only by the occasional oasis. A stay of two nights here, in this ‘gateway to the Sahara’, will allow us the chance to enjoy some of the best desert birding that Morocco has to offer. The palmeries and gardens of Erfoud are the haunt of large numbers of Common Bulbuls and a good variety of other passerines, but it is the sandy wadis and stony desert not far from the town, and the first great sand dunes of the Sahara at Merzouga, two hours to the south, that will warrant most attention. Here we will search for such elusive species as Desert Sparrow, Egyptian Nightjar, African Desert Warbler, Cream-coloured Courser and Fulvous Babbler, plus a variety of ‘desert’ larks, such as Bar-tailed Lark and Greater Hoopoe-lark, and even sandgrouse. The ruins of Rissani, fast being consumed by the travelling sands of the Sahara, are also worth a visit, illustrating as they do a fascinating 1,000-year period of Moroccan history.

Breaking the journey in Ouarzazate, we now return westwards to Taroudant, an attractive ochre-walled town, and 16th century imperial capital of Morocco, set at the head of the fertile Sous Valley. The long drive to Taroudant will not be without interest. Thick-billed Larks, Thekla Larks, Barbary Falcons, and other pre-Saharan species may be seen on the way, whilst fine views of the High and Anti-Atlas mountains, and the historic kasbah at Taliouine, are further ingredients of a satisfying drive.

At Taroudant, from our fine hotel that nestles in the city walls, we will visit the Argana woodland and olive and citrus groves of the nearby Sous Valley. Here we may find such species as Black-winged Kite, Spotless Starling, Spanish Sparrow, and a variety of finches and warblers. In particular we will be looking for the very local Fulvous Babbler, a sought-after inhabitant of palm groves. We complete our tour with two nights in a very comfortable hotel on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, at Agadir. From this base we are within easy striking distance of the Oued Massa lagoon and Tamri, where recent Naturetrek groups have had great success locating the endangered Northern Bald Ibis. This small wetland is one of the most rewarding birdwatching sites in Morocco, and amongst its spectacle of herons, ducks, waders, gulls, terns and raptors, we have a good chance of some less common species such as Greater Flamingo, Brown-throated Martin and Black-crowned Tchagra. Even some American and southern African vagrants regularly appear here!

Finally, at the end of our week of spring sunshine and avian activity, we will catch a convenient, direct flight home from Agadir.