September 9-23, 2025 with Jay VanderGaast
This trip got off to a rocky start when shortly before my flight to Morocco, we were informed that the first hotel we were scheduled to stay in had closed for renovations and cancelled our reservations! By the time I touched down in Casablanca we still had no reservation in place for our first night of the tour. Yikes! Thankfully, Sharon Mackie in the FG office, with the help of our local ground agents, found us a replacement in Rabat that turned out to be even better in some ways than our original lodgings. We had to make some adjustments to the schedule for the first couple of days of the tour, but overall, I think things turned out great considering the curveball we were thrown! And happily, once that was sorted, the rest of the tour was pretty smooth sailing! In fact, most things, birds included (maybe birds, especially!) fell into place nicely for the rest of the trip. And in regards to the birds, this might have been one of the luckiest groups I've had for a while, as nearly all of the primary targets came through for us, including all 12 possible species of lark, all 8 of the possible wheatears, and the three key warbler species here--Scrub, Tristram's, and African Desert-- all three of which can be exceptionally difficult, especially so in the fall! There really wasn't a key North African specialty that gave us the slip, though the Barbary Partridges could have been a little friendlier, admittedly!
With our new hotel as our base, we visited several different habitats in the Rabat region to kick off the tour. First we hit the Zaer Hunting Reserve, home to Morocco's isolated and highly disjunct population of Double-spurred Spurfowl, otherwise restricted to tropical West Africa. Though we struck out on our first afternoon visit, a follow-up early the next morning rewarded us with scope views of one calling from a treetop perch. Other good finds in this region included our only views of Barbary Partridge for the tour, our only Short-toed Snake-Eagle and Melodious Warbler, the elusive Black-crowned Tchagra, and Wood Larks singing cheerfully from the treetops, their long, dagger-like hind claws clearly visible! Of course we also met up with some much more widespread and common specialties that we would go on to see throughout the tour, including our first African Blue Tits and African Chaffinches.
Next up, we visited the shrinking lake at Lac Sidi Boughaba National Park. Waterbirds were on the docket here, and we quickly tallied species like White-headed and Marbled ducks, Red-knobbed Coot (another bird with a highly disjunct range), Western Swamphen, and Greater Flamingo. A pair of lovely, light morph Booted Eagles glided by overhead before perching on the opposite side of the lake, a brilliant Common Kingfisher patrolled the reed-lined margins of the lake, and the shady picnic grounds along the lakeshore yielded skulking Cetti's and Sardinian warblers among the swarms of African Blue Tits. Finally, the Mediterranean coastline featured some great shorebird activity and we got great views of Eurasian Oystercatcher, Eurasian Whimbrel (now split from North America's Hudsonian Whimbrel), Bar-tailed Godwit, Red Knot, Curlew Sandpiper, and Common Redshank, among others. A careful scan through the gulls turned up several Mediterranean Gulls among the more common species, and a dark morph Eleonora's Falcon caused considerable excitement as it sped past in front of our viewing perch!
From Rabat, we headed inland towards the Middle Atlas mountains, stopping along the way in the cedar forests of Ifrane National Park, where we quickly located Great Spotted Woodpecker, Short-toed Treecreeper, Coal Tit, and Common Firecrest, while a flock of Alpine Swifts gave great views as they whirled around overhead. We continued on to the now dry Lake District at Dayet Aoua, where we added Mistle Thrush, Hawfinch, and Cirl Bunting to our lists before checking into our hotel in the charming, Swiss-like town of Ifrane. That night, after a failed attempt to find Maghreb Owl (which has subsequently been relumped with Tawny Owl) in the nearby forest, we were thrilled to call one in from the balcony of our hotel! We continued birding the Ifrane region the following morning, picking up our only Eurasian Hobby for the tour, finding our first Atlas Wheatears and Moussier's Redstarts, and tracking down an elusive Levaillant's Woodpecker, as well as seeing more Hawfinches, European Greenfinch, and our only Corn Buntings for the trip. Barbary Macaques, the only native primates in Morocco, were another nice find here, as this region gave us our only good chance to encounter them.
Heading further south, we aimed for the town of Midelt, in the high plains between the Middle and High Atlas ranges. Stops along the way brought us a smattering of new species: Black Wheatear and Eurasian Linnet at the Gorge du Oued Gigou, and Ruddy Shelduck, Red-crested Pochard, and our first Thekla's Larks at the Lac Aguelmame Sidi Ali. We ended the day with a tromp through the low desert scrub in the Zaida Plains, finding Red-rumped and Desert wheatears, Greater Short-toed Lark, and a family of Temminck's Larks with a lone Horned Lark tagging along, but striking out on the very difficult Dupont's Lark, our main quarry here. A return visit to Zaida the next morning netted us a handful of Mediterranean Short-toed Larks, but after a couple of hours of trudging across the scrubby desert, we admitted defeat and loaded up to go. As we neared the highway, a Cream-colored Courser strolled onto the track ahead of us, and while enjoying some incredible views of this lovely bird, a flicker of movement off to my right caught my attention--a very cooperative Dupont's Lark! A last-minute save that sort of characterized this group's good fortune with the birds!
The next big challenge was to try to stick to a tight time schedule for the remainder of the day, not an easy task as there was a lot of ground to cover before we got to Merzouga that evening. With a limited time budget, we made a quick stop in the High Atlas scrub to search for another North African specialty--Tristram's Warbler. With little time to spare, we successfully tracked down a small family party that offered up some great looks, allowing us to get back on the road on schedule! We made one more brief roadside stop for some low-flying Little Swifts and nice views of the River Ziz Gorge before stopping for a delicious lunch (rabbit tajine for some!) in Errachidia. We then made a detour to the west, where we alotted ourselves an hour to explore a dry wadi in search of sneaky Scrub Warblers. Despite it being the heat of the day, we managed some excellent looks at a pair of these warblers, with a flock of Fulvous Chatterers and a Great Gray Shrike as added bonuses, and we were back on the road with a minute to spare! From here it was mostly just travel as we worked our way south to Merzouga, though we made quick stops at the spectacular Ziz River Gorge overlook and for our first Brown-necked Ravens in the shadow of the spectacular Erg Chebbi sand dunes, and still arrived at our hotel at a very reasonable 7pm!
The next morning found us loading up into several 4-wheel drive vehicles and striking off into the Sahara Desert. Our first destination was an artesian well, far out into the desert, where large numbers of sandgrouse often gather for an early morning drink. As we approached the well, we could already see sandgrouse flying in, and soon we had great looks at swarms of them on the ground, mainly Crowned Sandgrouse, but also with small numbers of Spotted Sandgrouse mixed in. As we enjoyed the sights and sounds of the sandgrouse, we also noted our first of several striking Greater Hoopoe-Larks strolling around nearby. As things died down, we moved on in search of the local Desert Sparrow, finding a flock of them in a densely-foliaged, isolated tree. Several Bar-tailed Larks fed on the pebbly ground nearby, and a White-crowned Wheatear sang from atop a modest brick home. We finished our morning with a visit to the gardens of a local landowner who had an Egyptian Nightjar staked out on a day roost to show us, after which we were treated to some refreshing mint tea, a Moroccan tradition, outside his humble home. Then it was back to the hotel for lunch and a much-needed siesta to escape the fierce midday heat. Our afternoon mission was to try and track down the elusive African Desert Warbler in a nearby wadi, a known site for these birds. But despite covering a significant section of the wadi, we had not a whiff of our quarry. With the day's end quickly approaching, we hustled to check one final area of sandy, shrub-covered dunes, where Jeff promptly spotted a warbler from the vehicle. We hurriedly got everyone out of the vehicles, and soon had a pair of these lovely, pale warblers in our sights! Mission accomplished!
We were on the move again the next morning, but before leaving the Merzouga area, we took a stroll through a lovely, shaded community garden. With plenty of vegetation, and water flowing through its irrigation ditches, the gardens were like a magnet for birds. A trio of "Western" warblers--Olivaceous, Orphean, and Subalpine--were ferreted out from the swarms of House Sparrows, plenty of European Bee-eaters winged by overhead, and European Turtle-Doves and our first Common Hoopoe scratched around in the sandy margins near the garden wall. But then it was time to hit the road for the long drive to Boumalne Dades. A couple of short stops were made in scrubby areas to search for migrants, with a couple of tail-wagging Eastern Olivaceous Warblers our only new addition. We also made a stop for lunch, and at the fascinating khettaras, ingenious ancient underground irrigation canals, built to transport water from the distant mountains to the parched desert. As we approached Boumalne Dades in the late afternoon, we met up with a local guide who led us down into a rocky canyon to show us a pair of roosting Pharoah Eagle-Owls. Cloudy conditions and a sprinkle of rain kept the temperatures confortable, making for a pleasant walk, and a few bonus birds in the form of Desert Larks, Trumpeter Finch, and the Maghreb race of Mourning Wheatear made it even more so!
I've often heard clients say that it's not a birding tour without a visit to a dump or sewage lagoon. With that in mind, we kicked off the next morning with a visit to the dumpiest of dumps imaginable. An unsightly, smelly, smoking pit of burning trash, with broken glass strewn all around, and hordes of mangy stray dogs rooting around in the mess is not your typical tourist attraction, but for birders, it is a must-visit destination. A trio of Little Owls perched up on rock piles along the entrance road welcomed us to the "attraction", while Western Yellow Wagtails, Thekla's Larks, and a trio of wheatears--Desert, Red-rumped, and White-crowned--fed on whatever insects were drawn in to the aroma. Happily, it didn't take too long before Francois picked out our main targets, a quartet of distinctive Thick-billed Larks scratching around amidst the rubbish! Our final lark species! With that in the bag, we could move on to other, less foul, locations. First stop, a mostly dry wadi (which was a small lake in last year's rainy conditions!) which held enough dampness to draw in some Crowned and Black-bellied Sandgrouse. Then a dirt track through the stony desert, to track down Cream-colored Coursers for those that had skipped the early morning excursion to the Zaida plains. And finally, a small oasis garden, where we picked up Garden and Western Bonelli's warblers, Greater Whitethroat, and European Serin, among others. For the afternoon, we visited the spectacular, and very narrow Dades Gorge. After a walk through the canyon enjoying Blue Rock-Thrushes perched on riverside boulders and Eurasian Crag-Martins skimming the water's surface, we retreated to a cafe with fantastic views of the gorge for some mint tea, and to watch the skies in hopes of a Bonelli's Eagle. The mint tea was delicious, but no eagles were to be seen, so we readied to leave, but then decided we could devote a few more minutes to scanning above the cliffs from the parking lot. Our luck held out, and our patience was rewarded, when a lovely adult Bonelli's Eagle (with what looked like a bullet hole through one wing!) suddenly appeared from up the gorge, and gave us wonderful views as it circled effortlessly overhead!
The following day featured more travel than birding time, as we made the long drive to the coast. We did manage to squeeze in a few birds, though, spotting a handsome (and now quite scarce) Lanner Falcon on a roadside electrical tower as we drove, then making a brief stop at a large reservoir, where we added a few species like Gadwall, Pied Avocet, and Purple Heron, before continuing on to Agadir. Our fine hotel towards the southern end of this lively coastal city had us well-positioned to bird the fantastic Oued Massa early the next day. The day started off well, with a nice mix of birds along the river at our initial stop: European Golden- and Kentish plovers, Ruff, and Common Snipe on the muddy shoreline, and Cirl and House buntings, and a mix of migrant warblers in the riparian growth lining the river. But as we moved on, we found that the road was blocked by some cement trucks, effectively barring us from accesssing the river mouth, which required us to make some adjustments on the fly. We started by crossing to the south side of the river, which proved to be great decision, as we scored our final wheatear, a gorgeous Western Black-eared, plus a large number of Eurasian Thick-knees, our only Hen Harrier for the trip, as well as our only Woodchat Shrike of the trip, along with a surprising number (7 or 8) of Great Gray Shrikes. We then backtracked and took an unfamiliar road to a coastal community north of the river mouth, which again was a great decision as we finally found some much-wanted Audouin's Gulls, loafing on the beach. Some point-blank Pallid Swifts flying by in perfect light at eye level were also greatly appreciated. After lunch at a charming local restaurant, we made a foray in search of the Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis, hoping to improve on our flight views from earlier in the day. And improve we did, as we saw roughly 160 of these awesome birds, including a flock of nearly 100 sitting on the ground not far from the track! Back towards the city, we scanned through scores of shorebirds along the Oued Souss, adding Black-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Slender-billed Gull, and Little, Black, and Gull-billed Terns among the throngs of more common species. Capping off the day, we waited until just after dark to score some amazing looks at a Red-necked Nightjar sitting nearly at our feet!
Before moving on from Agadir the next day, we had one more thing to do--a pelagic trip. Conditions were wondrful for our morning at sea, with relatively calm conditions, fair temperatures, and plenty of birds! We weren't too far out when our first seabirds, Cory's Shearwaters, appeared. They were soon joined by a few Manx Shearwaters, European and Wilsons Storm-Petrels, and eventually, a handsome Great Shearwater loafing on the water amidst a large group of gulls and shearwaters as we did some chumming in the deep waters well offshore. On the way back to the harbor, while enjoying a delicious seafood lunch prepared onboard the vessel, we also picked up a Pomarine Jaeger trying to get its own lunch by harrassing a passing gull. The rest of the day was spent on the road towards our final venue, Marrakech.
With just a few remaining target birds that we could potentially track down, we made our final birding outing the next morning, heading high into the Atlas Mountains to the Oukaimeden ski area. A Levaillant's Woodpecker flew into a roadside tree beside the van as we headed up, just our second sighting of this uncommon species. Our main target in the alpine area was Crimson-winged Finch, which can be very hit-or-miss here. Happily, it was hit on this day, and we had fine looks at a group of 30+ birds searching for seeds in a graveled parking area. Huge flocks of Red-billed and Yellow-billed Choughs strutted along the lower slopes of the valley, and big numbers of Eurasian Linnets and Rock Sparrows foraged along the edges of the reservoir. We also had a nice comparison of Common and Iberian Chiffchaffs, with one of each giving their distinctive calls in a tree out front of a cafe in the village. We finished of our birding along a small stream, where White-throated Dipper, Eurasian Wren, and finally, a trio of Rock Buntings were the last additions to our lists. Heading back into Marrakech after lunch, most of us went into the city for a great tour of the main square, the Koutoubia Tower, and the maze of souks (marketplaces) with a dazzling array of goods for sale. What a fun way to finish up the trip!
I hope this summary brings back some great memories of the tour, as it did for me in writing it. It was such a pleasure to travel with all of you, and I want to thank you all for coming along for the ride. Also, many thanks to our awesome driver, Oussama, who got us everywhere we needed to go in safety and comfort, as well as to the various local guides who helped make my job easier. And finally, to Sharon in the FG office and our in-country contacts at Complete Tours for ensuring that all the arrangements were in place.
Here is a list of some of the other critters we saw along the way:
Mammals:
Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus): plenty in the Ifrane region.
European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus): one in the Zaer hunting area.
Barbary Ground Squirrel (Atlantoxerus getulus): Seen at several sites, including the Guigou and Dades gorges.
Fat Sand Rat (Psammomys obesus): a few of these chunky rodents were in the Boumalne Dades region.
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin (Leucopleurus acutus): a pod rode the bow wave during the pelagic trip.
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes): One at the Pharoah Eagle Owl roost site.
Shaw's Jird (Meriones shawii): a couple of jirds at the Boumalne Dades dump were likely this species.
Riggenbach's Gerbil (Gerbillus tarabuli): good numbers after dark behind our Merzouga hotel.
Lesser Egyptian Jerboa (Jaculus jaculus): a speedy one behind our Merzouga hotel was probably this species.
Herps:
African Green Toad (Bufotes boulengeri): a couple of these fancy toads were out after dark at our Merzouga hotel.
Bibron's Agama (Agama bibronii): one on a rock at the oasis garden near Boumalne Dades.
Moroccan Spiny-tailed Lizard (Oromastyx nigriventris): a couple of these large lizards were in the desert near Dades.
Bosc's Fringe-toed Lizard (Acanthodactylus boskianus): several in the wadi at the Scrub Warbler site.
Algerian Fan-fingered Gecko (Ptyodactylus oudrii): one of these cool geckos was on the wall of our Merzouga hotel.
Moroccan Rock Lizard (Scelarcis perspiciallata): a couple on the balcony of our hotel in Ifrane.
Mediterranean Turtle (Mauremys leprosa): several in the lake at Sidi Boughaba NP.
Dragonflies:
Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope): the large blue and green dragonfly perched on a dry shrub at Oued Ikkem.
Orange-winged Dropwing (Trithemis kirbyi): the small, bright red dragonfly that was quite common around Merzouga.
Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata): small pinkish dragonfly along a canal en route to Boumalne Dades.
Desert Darter (Sympetrum sinaiticum): dark reddish dragonfly at oasis garden near Dades.
Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma): large bluish dragonfly photographed by Kathleen at the oasis garden.
Top 5 birds:
1 African Desert Warbler
2 Cream-colored Courser
3 Little Owl
4 Northern Bald Ibis
5 Tawny (Maghreb) Owl
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/444022
You can download a combined PDF of this page and the eBird report at this link: https://fieldguides.com/triplists/mor25TRIPLIST.pdf
-- Jay