Célébration de la Journée Mondiale des Oiseaux Migrateurs à Marrakech: 25-26 mai

Unité Régional du GREPOM Marrakech Haut-Atlas

Haut Commissariat aux Eaux et Forêts et à la Lutte Contre la Désertification (DREF - Marrakech)

Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Dynamique des Ecosystèmes (BIODECOS)

Célèbrent la:

Journée mondiale des oiseaux migrateurs, sous le thème:

Travailler en réseaux pour les oiseaux migrateurs

Samedi 25 mai (Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Marrakech (Amphi X)

9h00 – 9h30 : Mots de bienvenus

9h15 – 10h00 : intervention du Professeur Mohamed Znari : "Classification des oiseaux : systématique vs. comportement - écologie".

10h15 – 11h00 : intervention du Professeur Mohamed Radi : "Les oiseaux d’eaux migrateurs au Maroc, méthodes d’études et conservation".

11h00 : visite de l’exposition des photos des oiseaux migrateurs.

Dimanche 26 mai

Visite de la lagune de Sidi Moussa Walidia

Cette activité sera l'occasion aussi de célébrer la 20^ème anniversaire du GREPOM (1993-2013).

Lanius elegans or ‘dodsoni’ ?

This Desert Grey Shrike was photographed in the region of Taza on 4 May 2013. Can be considered a typical Desert Grey Shrike Lanius elegans elegans or is it ‘dodsoni', the formerly recognized intermediate form between elegans and algeriensis? In the region there were many typical algeriensis birds. Your comments are very welcome, thanks.

Lanius elegans elegans or ‘dodsoni’ (R. EL Khamlichi)

Rachid El Khamlichi & Jaume Prat

Monk Parakeet colonisation of Melilla

Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) began to proliferate and colonise Melilla as feared. One year only after the species was first recorded in Melilla (three pairs constructing a colony nest on Eucalyptus trees observed by Diego Jerez). The species has apparently established itself in the city where 8 individuals in 3 new colonial nests have been observed by Diego Jerez last month.

Here is what Diego Jerez reported in his blog “Aves y Natura Norteafricanas”:

Today, 23 April 2013 in Melilla, I saw something which I feared, and is this. Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) 8 individuals in 3 new colonial nests, 2 located in Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), and 1 in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera). These new colonies demonstrate the proliferation of this alien species, after the first observation of 3 pairs building a nest on 13 August 2012, this time the new nests are located 1km from the first.

The original text:

Hoy, 23-04-2013 en Melilla, he visto algo que ya me temia, y es lo siguiente. Cotorra argentina (Myopsitta monachus) 8 individuos en 3 nuevos nidos coloniales situados en, 2 en Palmera canaria (Phoenix canariensis), y 1 en Palmera datilera (Phoenix dactylifera). Estos nuevos asentamientos demuestran la proliferación de esta especie alóctona, despues de la primera observación de 3 parejas construyendo un nido el 13-08-2012, en esta ocasión los nuevos nidos están situados a 1km del primero.

Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus, Melilla, 23-04-2013 (© Diego Jerez). Note the nest at the bottom centre of the picture.

Nest of Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus, Melilla, 23-04-2013 (© Diego Jerez) 

Thanks Diego!
A. Elbanak

New multi-species heronry found at Dayet Erroumi

A new multi-species heron colony (heronry) was found at Dayet Erroumi this season.

This new heronry was installed in about two hundred Eucalyptus trees at the western edge of the lake.

The heronry is composed of the following three species:  Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) and Little Egret (Egretta garzetta). Nests of the Cattle Egret are the most abundant (454), followed by those of the Black-crowned Night Heron (54) while those of the Little Egret are less numerous (8 nests). Some birds are still building their nests, so these numbers may change during the course of the season. The high level of the lake this year offers perfect protection against predators and human disturbance.

Some nest are really small and funny (please see the pictures).

For those who don’t know the site. Dayet Erroumi (= Dayet Roumi = Dayet Ait Ouribel) is a small lake that covers an area of ​​90 ha situated a few kilometers to the west of Khemisset in the Zemmour region, it is classified as a SIBE of priority 1 (site d'intérêt biologique et écologique, site of Biological and Ecological Interest) .

I will pay more visits to the site during the coming weeks to collect more data and take more photos as well.

A short note is being prepared about this observation:

Elbanak A. (in preparation). A new multi-species heronry at Dayet Roumi, Zemmour, Morocco

Nests of Cattle Egret and Black-crowned Night Heron

View of the Dayet Erroumi heronry

Close view of the Dayet Erroumi heronry

Association Algérienne d'Ornithologie

“Association Algérienne d'Ornithologie” is a new ornithological society in the Maghreb region, it was created in Algeria during the 2nd International Symposium on "Algerian Ornithology at the Dawn of the 3rd Millennium", which was held between 17 and 19 November 2012 at the Larbi Ben M'hidi University, Oum El-Bouagh, Algeria. We would like to welcome the new NGO in the Maghreb and Mediterranean space. We wish them good luck in studying and conserving the birds of the region and their habitats.

Logo de l'Association Algérienne d'Ornithologie réalisé par Lamine Guergueb

L’Association Algérienne d'Ornithologie est une nouvelle association ornithologique au Maghreb, elle a été crée en Algérie lors du 2ème colloque international sur l'Ornithologie Algérienne à l'Aube du 3ème Millénaire qui s’est tenu entre 17 et 19 novembre 2012 à l'Université Larbi Ben M’hidi, Oum El-Bouagh, Algérie. Nous souhaitons la bienvenue à la nouvelle ONG dans l'espace maghrébin et méditerranéen. Nous leur souhaitons bonne chance dans l'étude et la conservation des oiseaux de la région et de leurs habitats.

Exposition sur les oiseaux à Tétouan

Une exposition sur les oiseaux sera organisé à Tétouan, d'abord dans "I.E.E.S. Nuestra Señora del Pilar" entre 2-24 avril 2013, et plus tard dans d'autres institutions. Plusieurs thèmes seront traités dans l’exposition : 

- Phénomène de la migration des oiseaux.

- Conservation des oiseaux et leurs habitats.

- Les menaces pesant sur les oiseaux.

- Méthodes de suivie des oiseaux (baguage, tracking par satellites).

- Les bénéfices (économiques, environnementales…) générés par les oiseaux.

…

L’exposition est préparée par :

- Luisa Conejero, professeur de biologie et géologie de l’Institut Español Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Tetuán.

- Rachid El Khamlichi, ornithologue basé à Tétouan.

Dans cette exposition, les ornithologues de renom de Bulgarie, Espagne, Grande Bretagne et du Maroc ont collaborés avec leurs photos :

- Todor Todorov
- José Antonio Gil García
- Javi Elorriaga
- Toni Peral
- Ian Thompson
- Imad Charkaoui
- Ricardo Vila
- Abdelhamid Tawfik

Interview avec Rachid lors de l'inauguration de l'Exposition:

Colour-ringed Audouin's Gulls at Martil (N Morocco)

Make your bird-watching count with colour-ring birding !

Out of 176 Audouin's Gulls (Larus audouinii) observed by Rachid El Khamlichi at Martil beach, northern Morocco on 08 March 2013, 14 were ringed (metal rings) and 10 were colour-ringed (PVC rings). 

The oldest ringed in June 1999 (13 years and 9 months) and the youngest ringed in June 2011 (1 year and 9 months). All rings are Spanish except the last one which is not yet known. The birds were ringed in the following places, from north to south (the first three locations are very close to each other and should be considered as one colony, thanks to Marc Olivé for his comment below):

Delta del Ebro, Catalonia (2 birds)

Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Catalonia (1 bird)

Punta de la Banya, Catalonia (4 birds)

Laguna de la Mata, Valencian Community (1 bird)

Chafarinas Islands, off eastern Moroccan coast (2 birds)

Thanks to Oficina de anillamiento (ringing office) of the Estación Biológica de Doñana for providing the life history of these birds and to Alfonso Sarmiento (Colectivo Ornitológico Cigüeña Negra – COCN) for the coordination.

Ringed at Sant Carles de la Ràpita, June 2011

Ringed at Delta del Ebro, June 1999

Ringed at Delta del Ebro, June 2002

BFBW ringed at Chafarinas Islands, June 2009

Ringed at Punta de la Banya, June 2009

Ringed at Chafarinas Islands, June 2009

Ringed at Punta de la Banya, June 2005

Ringed at Punta de la Banya, June 2005

Ringed at Chafarinas Islands, June 2009

AZDZ: most likely ringed in Punta de la Banya

Places of ringing and recovery (Martil) 

Great Snipe at Oued Massa

A Great Snipe (Gallinago media, Bécassine double) seen yesterday (1 March 2013) at Oued Massa by Peter J. Dunn and Stuart Elsom. If submitted and accepted by the ‘Moroccan Rare Birds Committee’ (MRBC), this would be the second record of the species since 1999, and only the third since the creation of the MRBC in 1995.

Here is Peter's email:

I have been leading a birding group through Southern Morocco and yesterday afternoon we flushed a Great Snipe from the side of the bridge over the river on the south side of Massa. It flew up without calling, typical snipe coloration and flashed huge white outer tail feathers as it did. It then flew over some tamarisk and dropped back into the 'marsh' which appears to have been burnt recently. The map reference is 29.962N  9.658W.

We tried to locate it but without success. Both myself and the co-leader Stuart Elsom know Great Snipe well having seen them regularly on trips to Poland and seen on migration in the UK.

Best wishes,

Peter Dunn

Thanks Peter.