Allen’s Gallinule found dead in Tahaddart estuary

On 16 January 2011, I joined a team from the “Institut Scientifique de Rabat” to participate in the annual midwinter count of waterbirds in the Tahaddart estuary (south of Tangier).

While surveying the area and counting birds present on the field west of the radio station, I noticed a dead bird by the road (that was before meeting the Rabat team).

Initially, the observation didn’t surprise me because I though I was looking at a dead juvenile Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio, keeping in mind that Porphyrio is of tropical origin and breeding year-round (although this is generally not the case in our region). Even so, I didn’t resist taking some quick pictures, which I didn’t regret later on.

At home, I found out that the pictures didn’t much exactly those of juveniles Purple Swamphen, but there wasn’t any real alternative for me. The possibility of Allen’s Gallinule Porphyrio alleni didn’t cross my mind at all. Fortunately, I asked about the age of “this juvenile Purple Swamphen” in birdforum.net, and then some members kindly identified the bird as a juvenile Allen’s Gallinule Porphyrio alleni.

So, this is the 7^th record for Morocco and the 1^st one for Tangier peninsula. The first 5 Moroccan records were compiled by Thévenot et al. 2003 (The Birds of Morocco, BOU Checklist 20) and all were observed between Marja Zerga and Massa estuary and the 6^th was observed in Melilla in November 2008 by Diego Jerez Abad et al.

Beside the unfortunate Allen’s Gallinule, the birding/counting was good with lots of ducks, wading birds and wonderful flocks of Cranes Grus grus.  

Allen’s Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni) foud dead at Tahaddart estuary, 16 January 2011, the 7^th record for Morocco (photo: Mohamed Amezian).

Allen’s Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni) at Melilla, 21 November 2008, the 6^th record for Morocco (photo: Diego Jerez Abad et al.). This image was copied from "Bergier et al. 2010. Les oiseaux rares au Maroc. Rapport de la Commission d’Homologation Marocaine Numéro 15 (2009). Go-South Bull. 7: 1-14".

by Mohamed Amezian

The return of the White-headed Duck

The globally endangered White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala - Erismature à tête blanche) went extinct as a breeding species in Morocco in the early 20^th century, since then it has been a mere accidental visitor. The Spanish population has also decreased dramatically between the 1950s and 1970s, but has since recovered and increased to over 2500 birds thanks to the conservation measures (habitat protection, protection from hunting and captive breeding...) undertaken on the northern shore of the Straight of Gibraltar. This recovery of the Spanish White-headed Ducks has impacted positively on the occurrence of the species in Morocco. (conservation actions in the Iberian Peninsula and especially in Doñana has impacted also the Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus)

Since mid-1990s, the species has become more regular at Douiet near Fes; and it has been more or less regularly sighted at various wetlands recently (e.g. Sebkha Fida Ameziane, Sebkha Bou Areg, Embouchure Oued Moulouya, Merja Bargha and Sidi BouRhaba).

 

Male White-headed Duck at Sidi Bou Rhaba on 12 ‎November ‎2010 (photo: Said Lahrouz).

White-headed Duck at Sidi Bou Rhaba on 12 ‎November ‎2010 (photo: Said Lahrouz).

The first recent breeding success of the species in Morocco was recorded in Douiet in spring 2003 (J. Franchimont, F. Touati Malih & B. Dahou). The second Moroccan breeding site for the species is the biological reserve of Sidi BouRhaba where 4 juveniles were photographed on 21 August 2009 (B. Maire & S. Rih).

Unfortunately the recovery of White-headed Duck as a winter visitor as well as a breeder in Morocco is accompanied by an increase of sightings of the invasive Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis. The latter species has become so regular at some sites (Douyiet, Merja Bargha and Merja Halloufa) to the point that its observations in these wetlands are no longer to be submitted to the Moroccan Rare Birds Committee. Ruddy Duck x White-headed Duck hybrids were unfortunately also recorded. Cranswich & Hall (2010) numbered 49 cases of these hybrids between 1996 and 2009. There were only 29 hybrids in Spain (which the only other country in the Western Palearctic where hybrids occur) during the same period. 

White-headed Duck and Red-knobbed Coot (Fulica cristata) at Sidi BouRhaba on 12 ‎November ‎2010 (photo: Said Lahrouz).

For more details about all records of White-headed Ducks, Ruddy Ducks and the hybrids please refer to the relevant “Rapport de la Commission d'Homologation Marocaine” (e.g. CHM 12 and 16 for breeding records).


Reference:

Cranswick, P.A. & Hall C. 2010. Eradication of the Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis in the Western Palaearctic: a review of progress and a revised Action Plan 2010–2015. WWT report to the Bern Convention. 

Mohamed & Abdelhak

Rare birds in Morocco: 2010 report

The Moroccan Rare Birds Committee (Commission d’Homologation Marocaine) has just published the 16^th report of “Rare birds in Morocco” that covers the year 2010. According to the report, the last year was an excellent one with a record for both submitted (110) and accepted (73) records.

The report included two additions to the Moroccan avifauna with first records of African Crake Crecopsis egregia and Abyssinian Roller Coracias abyssinicus. It included also the second confirmed Moroccan Plain Swift Apus unicolor, after the first record submitted by Rae Vernon back in 1998, all other records since then have been either accepted as “cf. Plain Swift” Apus cf. unicolor or not accepted. 

Other interesting records include the 2^nd records of Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler Locustella certhiola and Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita gr. tristis/fulvescens.

It should be noted that since the discovery of Kelp Gulls (Larus dominicanus) at Khnifiss lagoon, nearly all birders that have visited the area have assumed that they have seen Kelp Gulls. However, recently some birders raised concerns about the true identity of the “large gulls of Khnifiss”, and concluded that not all these “large gulls” were Kelp Gulls but there were Great Black-backed Gulls (Larus marinus) among them as well, the latter species being the majority according to a recent trip report by Richard Bonser. I really liked a comment by one of the birders who wrote: “…let's hope it spurs the considerable number of WP listers who have been to this site and seen large black-backed gulls (and ticked Cape Gull without really paying much attention) to revisit and see them 'properly'…”. Probably for this reason that not all “Kelp Gulls” submitted to the MRBC were accepted this time.

Systematic list of the accepted records:

Oie rieuse – White-fronted Goose – Anser albifrons

Fuligule milouinan – Greater Scaup – Aythya marila

Fuligule à tête noire – Lesser Scaup – Aythya affinis

Erismature à tête blanche – White-headed Duck – Oxyura leucocephala

Océanite culblanc – Leach's Storm-petrel – Oceanodroma leucorhoa

Océanite de Castro – Madeiran Storm-petrel – Oceanodroma castro 

Aigrette des récifs – Western Reef Heron – Egretta gularis

Grande Aigrette – Great White Egret – Casmerodius albus  

Gypaète barbu – Lammergeier – Gypaetus barbatus

Busard pâle – Pallid Harrier – Circus macrourus

Faucon sacre – Saker Falcon – Falco cherrug

Faucon de Barbarie – Barbary Falcon – Falco pelegrinoides

F. de Barbarie & F. pèlerin 'atlantis' – Barbary & ‘atlantis’ Falcons – Falco pelegrinoides & brookei 'atlantis'

Turnix mugissant – Small Buttonquail – Turnix sylvaticus

Râle des prés – African Crake – Crecopsis egregia

Marouette de Baillon – Baillon’s Crake – Porzana pusilla

Outarde houbara – Houbara – Chlamydotis undulata

Goéland à bec cerclé – Ring-billed Gull – Larus delawarensis

Goéland dominicain – Kelp Gull – Larus dominicanus

Perruche à collier – Ring-necked Parakeet – Psittacula krameri

Hibou des marais – Short-eared Owl – Asio flammeus

Martinet unicolore – Plain Swift – Apus unicolor

Rollier d’Abyssinie – Abyssinian Roller – Coracias abyssinicus

Moinelette à front blanc – Black-crowned Finch Lark – Eremopterix nigriceps

Alouette de Dunn – Dunn’s Lark – Eremalauda dunni

Hirondelle isabelline – African Rock Martin – Ptyonoprogne fuligula

Traquet isabelle – Isabelline Wheatear – Oenanthe isabellina

Prinia à front écailleux – Cricket Warbler – Spiloptila clamans

Locustelle de Pallas – Pallas's Grasshopper – Warbler Locustella certhiola

Hypolaïs pâle – Eastern Olivaceous Warbler – Hippolais pallida

Pouillot véloce sibérien – Siberian Chiffchaff – Phylloscopus collybita gr. tristis/fulvescens

Gobemouche nain – Red-breasted Flycatcher – Ficedula parva

Gobemouche (noir) ibérique – Iberian (Pied) Flycatcher – Ficedula (hypoleuca) iberiae

Pie-grièche à tête rousse – Balearic Shrike – Lanius senator badius

Corbeau pie – Pied crow – Corvus albus

For more details please refer to the report: 

Bergier P., Franchimont J. Thévenot M. et CHM. 2011. Les oiseaux rares au Maroc. Rapport de la Commission d'Homologation Marocaine numéro 16. Go-South Bull. 8 : 1-20.

 

Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) caught and ringed at Smir marshes (northern Morocco) on 25 May 2005. (Photo: Ian Thompson).