11 Days Morocco Private Birding Tour

Flights will arrive today and transfer to a hotel in Marrakech, where we will all gather for dinner and meet the guides. There will be a pre-trip briefing to prepare for an early morning departure into the Atlas Mountains.

Leaving Marrakech early in the morning, we begin our birding excursion in Morocco by traveling through towns and cultivated fields to our first birding destinations. Arid country farming regions always attract birds, and in these agricultural areas we are sure to encounter jewels like the Sardinian Warbler in low vegetation and the astute Southern Grey Shrike perched on top of small trees or man-made perches. The Spotless Starling has a very limited global distribution, yet we may expect to observe this intelligent species sitting on their favorite perches or foraging in the fields alongside many of the area's commoner birds.

Many participants on this Morocco birding tour will be familiar with the Little Owl, but it is the unfamiliar that will pique our interest, and the exceedingly appealing Moussier's Redstart will do just that. We'll look for this remarkable tiny bird in its rocky, open woodland habitat, with its extremely limited range adding to its allure. House Bunting is another intelligent little bird to admire, and Maghreb Magpie is a divide that we may argue after noting the differences between it and the more common Eurasian Magpie.

The scenery will gradually change as we climb up into the High Atlas Mountains, becoming a feature of the trip in and of itself, but higher up in the scenic mountains we will be looking for a different selection of Morocco's exciting birds, perhaps most notably the regionally endemic, Levaillant's Green Woodpecker, which we can see in areas of open oak and coniferous woodland on the hillsides. We'll seek for Blue Rockthrush sitting upright on their lookout towers on rocky outcrops on the slopes, but soon our drive will take us up to the ski resort at Oukaimeden, near to the snowline.

At this elevation of 2000 meters or above, we can look for small groups of beautiful African Crimson-winged Finches feeding on the ground. This is another unique bird of this tour, restricted to the bleak landscapes of Morocco and Algeria's high Atlas Mountains. The attractive Black Wheatear, as well as groups of Alpine Choughs, African Chaffinch, Rock Sparrow, and (Atlas) Horned Lark, can be found at this altitude, fluttering between grassy tussocks and rocky perches in pursuit of insects. We'll round off the day with a tasty dinner and comfy lodging at your Ourika Hotel.

We leave the mountains behind after an early breakfast, possibly resting again en way for Levaillant's Green Woodpecker. We return uphill from Marrakech's flat plains and travel to Boumalne du Dades over the Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2260 meters), a breathtaking and long drive. We'll look for another endemic "Tristram's Warbler" on the Pass. Away from its wintering habitats, this species has very specialized habitat requirements that are not always simple to provide. As the road climbs into the hills, we may observe raptors such as the Long-legged Buzzard and Bonelli's Eagle. We'll stop in Amerzgane to seek for the rare "Maghreb Wheatear" before continuing on to Boumalne du Dades, we will conclude our day at the Boumalne Dades hotel, where you will have a superb dinner and pleasant lodging.

We'll leave early today for the Tagdilt Track in Boumalne City. We'll be able to see rare bird species like the Eagle owl, Cream-colored courser, Trumpter finch, Hoopoe lark, Thick-billed lark, Desert lark, and Black wheatears here.

As the day comes to an end, we'll return to the Boumalne Dades hotel for a restful night's sleep, a fantastic dinner, and a filling breakfast the next morning. We will leave early on day four to explore the spectacular landscapes and birdlife of the Dades Gorges. We'll see the spectacular surroundings of the gorge while looking for rare bird species such the Desert warbler, Rock bunting, Black wheatear, blue rock thrush, and others.

After a full day of birdwatching, we'll return to our hotel in the heart of the Dades Gorges for a great meal and comfortable lodging.

We'll stop at Todra Gorge to look for Rock doves, Black wheatears, scrub warblers, Crag martins, Sparrows, Blue rock-thrushes, and Bonelli's eagles, among other birds.

We'll continue on to Merzouga, where we'll get the chance to see Trumpter finch, Thick-billed lark, and Desert wheatear in their natural habitat. Finally, we'll have a fantastic dinner and spend the night in Merzouga at a lovely hotel, followed by breakfast the next morning to fuel up for another exciting day of birdwatching.

We'll take a thrilling drive through Erg Chebbi's golden dunes in search of a variety of little birds and angry birds like the Brown-necked raven, Hoopoe lark, Rock sparrow, Desert sparrow, Desert warbler, spotted sandgrouse, Lanner falcon, Olivaceous warbler, Blue-cheeked bee-eater, and Egyptian nightjar, which are both possible sightings. Our journey continues to Merzouga, a seasonal lake where we may see a variety of ducks and waders.

Finally, we will spend a memorable night in the center of the desert in a luxurious tent. We will have a lovely supper under the stars here, followed by a relaxing overnight stay in our lodgings and a delicious breakfast in the morning.

We'll continue our birdwatching excursion to Tazzarine, where we'll explore the area's cliffs and hills. We'll stop along the road to see the White-crowned wheatear and Southern grey shrike. Our next stop will be the Mansour eddahbi Barrage, where we will have the opportunity to witness Ruddy shelducks, Marbled ducks, Olivacoaus warblers, Black winged stilts, Cormorants, Dekla larks, and other waders.

We will unwind and relax at our Ouarzazate hotel after a full day of birdwatching, where we will enjoy a fantastic dinner and sleep for the night. We'll eat breakfast and prepare for the next leg of our adventure the next morning.

We leave after breakfast for Agadir on the Atlantic coast. We make a stop at the famed historic Kasbah At Ben Haddou, where the birding is first-rate, and we may see local specialties such the Desert Lark, Trumpeter Finch, and Mourning Wheatear. We continued to the lush Souss Valley after lunch, passing through scrub thickets and orange orchards in search of European Roller, Black-shouldered Kite, and Western Orphean Warbler. We saw everything from a migratory Black Kite to a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater resting on roadside wires to skulking Subalpine Warblers and a Lanner in a wayside point. Several stops will yield a variety of migrant passerines, raptors, waders, and storks. Dinner and accommodation in Agadir.

The Atlantic Coast -An early start will get us to the Atlantic coast in time. The morning will be spent in the Sous Massa National Park. We will walk all along this important spot for the endangered Bald Ibis, one of the world's rarest birds with a significant bird population, and we will search the vegetation along the water's edge for skulking Squacco Heron, while the distinctive call of Black-crowned Tchagras ring out from dense cover. Marbled Duck, Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Black-shouldered Kite, Glossy Ibis, Squacco and Purple Herons, Ruddy Shelduck, Plain Martin, and potentially Tawny Eagle are among the more easily observed birds. Savi's, Western Olivaceous, and Moustached Warblers, Zitting Cisticola, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Pallid Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Common Bulbul, and Spotless Starling are all possibilities.

After lunch, we'll drive into the Souss valley's semi-arid steppes, looking for Lesser Short-toed Lark, Cream-colored Courser, Stone Curlew, or sandgrouse. Later in the afternoon, we'll visit the Oued Sous, a lovely region known for waders, terns, and enormous flocks of roosting gulls such as Slender-billed, Audouin's, and Mediterranean.

Greater Flamingo, Zitting Cisticola, and Sardinian Warbler are among the other species found here. At dusk, we'll look for Red-necked Nightjars at a nearby location. Return to Agadir and spend the night.

After breakfast at the hotel, we go to the Oued Souss, which is a great place to see Flamingos, shorebirds, and a large number of roosting gulls and terns. And the Timlalin Dunes and Tamri, where we hope to witness Audouin's Gull, Zitting Cisticola, Barbary Partridge, Moussier's Redstart, and Sardinian Warbler, as well as one of the world's largest colonies of Bald Ibis. Then we transfer from Agadir to Marrakech via the highway, arriving late in the afternoon. Free evening to explore Marrakech's old neighborhood and the majestic Jema-el-fna square, which is an unforgettable experience for any tourist - snake charmers, water sellers, spice stalls, and the allure of bargaining in the Souk (OPTIONAL).

We will have our farewell supper together in Marrakech in the evening, when we will discuss our favorite species of this birding tour and enjoy the local food.

Transportation to Marrakech's Menara International Airport based on your flight time.

Morocco Planet LLC crew wishes to thank you and warmly invites you to return to Morocco!