8 days Birdwatching tour to Atlas Mountains & Atlantic & Guelmim desert

Birdwatching tour to Atlas & Guelmim desert

Tour dates: Any dates from September till May, please let us know your specific dates for the trip!

Price of the tour: The price depends on the number of participants on the tour; for the price, please contact us!

Starting/ending of the Tour: Marrakech Or Agadir Airport, Morocco

Price includes:

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Detailed Itinerary For 8- Days Birdwatching tours: Atlas Mountains & Desert Guelmim

Day 1 : Marrakech Airport - High Atlas Mountains - Oukaimden:

Today we meet you at your hotel, or we pick up you from local Marrakech airport the day before the tours starts. Meet and Welcome you at Marrakech airport. Following we will drive up into the High Atlas Mountains and Visit Oukaimeden (2600m). As we drive along the cultivated Fields ,we should find a good mix of resident species such as Southern Grey Shrike ,Little Owl,Sardinian Warbler,Spotles Startling, Moroccan Magpie,Moussiers’s Redstarts and House Bunting. Slightly Higher up,among the rocky Slopes,we will search for Blue Rock Thrush and the endemic Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker.

When we reach the ski resort at Oukaimeden,we will check the snowline for the handsome African Crimson-Winged Finch.other species here include Rock Sparrow,Black Wheatear,Seebohm’s Wheatear,Alpin Chough and Atlas Horned Lark. Dinner and accommodation at the Atlas Mountains.

Day 2: High Atlas Mountains - Ouarzazate - Boumalne Dades

After an early breakfast we leave the mountains behind, perhaps pausing again en route for Levaillant’s Woodpecker. From the flat plains of Marrakech we turn back uphill, and drive to Boumalne du Dades via the Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2260 Meters), a spectacular and long drive. On the way we’ll try for yet another endemic, Tristram’s Warbler. This species has very specific habitat requirements away from its wintering grounds and not always easy to find. As the road climbs into the hills, we may start to see some raptors such as Long-legged Buzzard and Bonelli’s Eagle both possible.

Before reaching Boumalne du Dades we’ll stop in Ouarzazate to explore the barrage at Mansour Eddahbi. Here we have the chance of seeing Marbled Duck, Ruddy Shelduck, Black winged Stilts and Maghreb Lark, as well as Cormorants and Herons and a selection of waders.Dinner and accommodation in Boumalne du dades

Day 3 : Boumalne Dades – Tagdilt Track – Dades Gorge – Ouarzazate

Today we will start early, to head to the Tagdilt Track before sunrise. This is without doubt one of the top areas for birding in Southern Morocco. Excellent chances exist for seeing for Red-rumped Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Maghreb Wheatear, Trumpeter Finch, Thekla Lark, Temminck’s Lark, Short-toed Lark, Cream-coloured Courser and with luck the highly nomadic Thick-billed Lark. If the heat allows, we will dedicate most of our day to exploring this area, very good chances also exist for the Pharaoh Eagle Owl . Early in the afternoon we will visit the Dades gorges where Bonelli’s Eagle and Tristram’s Warbler breeds then we travel back to Ouarzazate.Dinner and accommodation in Ouarzazate.

Day 4: Ouarzazate – Anti Atlas Mountains – Souss Valley – Agadir

A long drive to the west will take us over the anti atlas mountains,into the Souss Valley and on to Agadir. Initially we will keep our eyes open for various larks by the roadside and for wheatears.In the Souss Valley we could see Black Crowned Tchagra, Laughing Dove, Cirl Bunting, Spanish Sparrow.Over the town of Taroudant there may be Little and Pallid Swifts. Finally after another exciting stop we arrive at our Hotel in Agadir for two nights. Dinner and accommodation in Agadir

Day 5: Oued Massa - Oued Souss - National Park

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 Dinner and accommodation in Agadir.

Day 6: Agadir – Anti Atlas mountains – Deserts of Guelmim

After breakfast, we depart for the desert south of Agadir for our two-night stop in Guelmim, a wonderful north African town dubbed the “Gateway to the Western Sahara”. Our drive south will take about five hours; en route we will stop in the rugged Anti-atlas Mountains to look for Black wheatear before descending towards Guelmim itself. Our desert exploration begins a few miles south-east, where we hope to find White-crowned Wheatear, Fulvous Babblers and Spanish Sparrow in the village.
Dinner and accommodation in Guelmim.

Day 7: Full day birwatching in Guelmim Area (Southern Desert)

After breakfast in our hotel, we will be heading south-west of Guelmim along the Tan-Tan road which leads all the way to Mauritania country. Whilst the most sought-after desert species can occur almost anywhere, we have a number of specific sites to visit and hope to find Desert and Red-rumped Wheatears, Bar-tailed Lark, Cream-coloured Courser, Greater Hoopoe and Temmincks horned Larks, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Short-toed Larks and Trumpeter Finch. If we are lucky we may find Thick billed Lark, Scrub and Spectacled Warblers in a roadside wadi.
Dinner and accommodation in Guelmim.

Day 8: Guelmim – Anti atlas mountains – Agadir

After breakfast, we leave Guelmim and back to Agadir through the Atlas mountains with some birding stops in the road. Late in the afternoon we arrive to Agadir or then transfer to the airport where the trip ends.

NOTE: This is a flexible itinerary which may be adjusted to allow for changes in arrival and departure times, weather conditions and other related

ORE INFORMATION

By reserving this tour, you can enjoy a hassle-free experience our experienced local guide will provide you with informative commentary and insight about the birds and their habitats, making it an enriching and educational experience

Some key species of this tour: Pharaoh Eagle Owl, Marbled Duck, Northern Bald Ibi , Long-legged Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, Cream-coloured Courser , Crowned Sandgrouse, Laughing Dove, Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker, Audouin’s gulls, Greater flamingos, Brown-throated Martin , Rock Bunting , Desert Lark, Bar-tailed Lark, Thick-billed Lark, Hoopoe Lark, Desert Wheatear, Red-rumped Wheatear, Maghreb Wheatear, White-crowned Wheatear, Scrub Warbler, Tristram’s Warbler, Common Bulbul, Fulvous Babbler, Alpine Chough, Brown-necked Raven, Trumpeter Finch, Crimson-winged Finch, House Bunting, Temminck’s Lark, Atlas Horned Lark, Moussier’s redstart,…etc!

Accommodation: We stay in a selection of comfortable hotel, all rooms are en-suite.

Food: All hotels provide a simple breakfast typical of Morocco, consisting of fresh bread, butter, honey and jam. Fruit juice and tea or coffee is also available. For lunch we will have picnic lunches when out in the field. Evening meals will be a mixture of local and international dishes.

Walking:The tour is not strenuous. Leisurely walking, very occasionally over moderately rough terrain, is the only physical requirement on most days. Most birding is done close to our vehicle, though we will need to walk to see mountain species, and some exertion will be required in mountain environments. There will be the option to stay close to the vehicle, should anyone wish to go back.