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Home , Imsouane, Mohammed ben Abdallah, Nador, Taghazout

Waders wintering in : national population estimates, trends and site-assessments

MOHAMEDDAKKI *•, ABDELJEBBARQNINBA 2, MOHAMMED-AZIZEL AGBANI• , ABDELAZIZ BENHOIJSSA 3 & PIERRE-CHRISTIAN BEAUBRUN 4

•Centred'Etude des Migrationsd'Oiseaux, Institut Scientifique, B.P. 703, -Agdal,Morocco, e-maihdakki @israbat. ac. ma; 2D•pt Biologie,Facult• des Sciences,B.P. 133,K•nitra, Morocco; 3D•ptBiologie, Facult• des Sciences, B.P. 1014,Rabat-Agdal, Morocco; 4Biog. & Ecol.Vertebras, EPHE, Place E. Bataillon, 34 095 Montpellier Cedex 5,

Dakki, M., Qninba,A., E1Agbani,M.A., Benhoussa,A. & Beaubrun,P.C. 2001. Waderswintering in Morocco: nationalpopulation estimates, trends and site-assessments.Wader StudyGroup Bull. 96: 47-59.

Populationsizes of winteringwaders are estimatedfor Moroccobased on mid-wintercounts during 1991- 95. For somespecies, these are comparedwith datafor 1983-87 to indicatetrends. Comparisons made with total biogeographicpopulations show that a high proportionof severalwinter in Morocco. Analysisof datafor individualsites using Ramsar criteria identified seven internationally important sites andfour otherwetlands as potential Ramsar sites. Application of nationalcriteria showed 41 sitesas nation- ally importantfor waders.These criteria were alsoused to identify a networkof key sitesfor the winter moni- toringof waders,classified in threepriority levels.

INTRODUCTION atically. The Anatidae were the main target of the counts. Thereforewaders, when counted, were not alwaysidentified Moroccois locatedat the crossroadsof severalbird migra- up to the specieslevel. Since1991, when a researchteam was tion routesbetween Europe and . With its numerous constitutedand a databasecreated in order to managethese wetlands and its 3,500 kilometres of coast, 90% of which censuses,efforts were increasedin order to obtain compre- belongto the East-Atlanticflyway, thiscountry plays a major hensivegood quality data. After thattime all siteswere cov- role in the migrationof waterfowl. Of these,waders are the ered and more effort was put into identificationof species. mostimportant both in numbersand diversity. This is mainly In additionto theseorganised censuses, the Centred'Etude due to the presenceof severallarge coastalwetlands, which desMigrations d'Oiseauxreceives several reports on occa- are importantstopover sites for speciesthat winter southof sionalobservations including winter counts.From these,it the Sahara.By reasonof its positionin theextreme southwest is often possibleto extractmore informationon waders. of the Palearcticregion, Morocco also provides a favourable The main objectivesof the presentwork were to estimate winteringarea for severalimportant European wader popu- and analysethe nationalpopulation sizes of regularwinter- lations. ing wadersin Morocco and to identify the most important The coastalmargin is particularlysuitable for wadersdue winteringsites, particularly those meeting the RamsarCon- to the presenceof four lagooncomplexes, thirty large estu- vention criteria relative to waterfowl. aries,several vast bays and hundreds of kilometresof sandy beachesand/or tidal rocky coasts. METHODS Studiesof winteringof wadersin Morocco are numerous and the first censusesorganised within the context of the This analysisis basedmainly on the IWC results.However, International Waterbird Census (IWC) date back to the a literaturesearch was necessary in orderto make an exhaus- 1960s-1970s(Blondel & Blondel1964, Thrivenot & Magnin tive inventoryof the rarewintering waders in view of the fact 1971, Hovette & Kowalski 1972, Zwarts 1972, Johnson & that mostof them are not often observedduring regular cen- Biber 1974, Juana1974, Hope-Jones& Wilson 1975, Van- suses. denbulcke 1976, Kersten & Peerenboom1978). However, A total of 144 siteswere visited at least once during the theseearly studies were sporadic and often only coveredlim- period 1991-95. This correspondsto 83% of the national ited numbersof importantwetlands. network of IWC sitesidentified up to January1995 (Fig- Regular censusesbegan in 1983 (Beaubrun& Th•venot ure 1) andincludes all the main wadersites. A high propor- 1983, 1984, 1988, Beaubrun et al. 1986, 1988a,c, Dakki & tionof thosenot visited are either not used by wadersor were E1 Agbani 1993, Dakki et al. 1989, 1991, 1995, E1 Agbani dry duringthis period. & Dakki 1992, 1994, E1 Agbani et al. 1990), thanks to a The field methodologywas relatively standardisedafter networkof observersco-ordinated by theInstitut Scientifique 1991, allowing somecomparison of numbersbetween sites of Rabat.However, not all bird groupswere countedsystem- andbetween years. Most countstook place during January,

* Correspondingauthor

47 Bulletin 96 December2001 48 Wader Study Group Bulletin

Region 1 (North- WesO Region 2 (North-EasO

1010 Plan d'eau de l'wad Mlalah 2010 SebkhaBou Areg 1020 Merja Sidl Qacem 2020 Salinesde Qaryat Arkmane 1025 C6te Sidi Qacem-Rouadi 2030 Embouchurede l'wadMalwiya 1030 Marais de l'wad Smir 2040 BarrageBen AbdelknmA1Khattabi 1031 Barragede Smir 2050 Sebkha Fida Ameziane 1040 Daya Sghira 2060 BarrageMechra • Hommadi 1050 Barragelbn Battota 2070Barrage Mohammed V 1060 Merja Hawwara 1o25ß ß1o4o ß 2071 Barragede 'A•n T]jja 1065 BasWad A1Malah (N. Martil) lO6Olß lO5O 2080 Msotm 1070 Embouchure de l'wad Martil 2081 Wad Inawen fi Wad Amlil 1080 Embouchure de l'wad Tahaddart 2090 Daya Chiker 1081 Mlalah du Bas Tahaddart 2100 Barragede 'AYnBni Mathar 1090 SaddAI Ajras 2110 Guelta Tamda 1100 Merja desWlad Khallouf 2120 Oglat Mengoub 1105 C6te Asilah-Wad Gharifa 1110 Sadd An-Nakhla / TANGER• • SEBTA1030 I 1120 BarrageAli Thalat(Talembote) / I .•031•1065 MEDITERRANEANS EA 1130 Embouchure de l'wad Loukkos 1130ß I &g •1 ß',•1o7o I / ß 114o I •r 11090'½•I;•E'•OUAN • / 1140 Marais dubas Loukkos I H5Oß I ASI• I/:' I •lll0• ALHOCEI• •OlO 1150 Merja desWlad Sicher / 11• • • _L• a030 1160 DayasZarafa et Mhibess 1170 Merja Bargha 1240• 1210 1•0 • • • • I • •20• •,• I 1180 La'nacer 1190 Merja de 'AYnSoltane / .... ' :ooß :oo Region3 (Centre-Atlantique) 1200 Merja AI Halloufa 1280•290 •1270 2081 1210 Daya de QsarA1 Kabir 3010 Plan d'eau de Dar As-Salam 1220 BarrageWad A1Makhazine 3020 Embouchurede l'wad Bou Regreg 1230 Barragede Wazzane O 3035• 30•0 3030 Bge Sidi MohammedBen Abdallah 1240 Merja Zerga 3031 Embouchurede l'wadYquem 1250 Merja Dawra •J•DA •3090 ß 3050 3H0 ß /- e* / 3032 Plagede Skhirate 1260 Merja Bridiya 3035 Embouchure de l'Wad Cherrat 1270 Merja Boukka 3160•g.0•315 ...... /•g•/ 5010ß 3040 BarrageRwidate 1280 Embouchure de l'wad Sebou 3050 DomaineRoyal la Gazelle / 32• 31• /s • -/ 1290 Merja de l'wad Fouwarate 3215•/ • 3220 3060 Dayasde Mohammadia 1300 Merja de Sidi BouGhaba 3070 Dayasde Sidl Bettache 1310 BarrageIdriss Premier )O 3• ß 3230/ - • / 3080 Dayasde Benslimane 1320 Plansd'eau de Dwiyate •(j,• •250 / a* / 3090 Dayade Tamarls-plage 1330 Plan d'eau de l'wad F6s 44• 327O 3100 Barragede l'wad A1 Mellah 1340 Barragede Khawlane ßER-RACHIDIA 3110 BarrageA1 Hatrid • • 32• 1350 Barraged'A1Qansera 3340MARRAKECH• ß3290 3120 Baie d'-A1Jadida 1360 Dayet Ar-Roumi ?' 5020 3130 Dayad'A1 Jadida 3350-- 332Oßßß3300 3140 C6te A1Jadida-JorfLasfar ß4430 ß • 333O 3150 BarrageSidi Sa'idM'achou 44•03360 WARZAZATE 5050 5080 030 3160 Baie de Jorf Lasfar 3345i ß 5070ß 5O40 3170 DayetA1 Fahs 5105•,•5110 • 4030ßß ß ß4050 5075 5100ß /4040ß ß4080ß4070/ 3180 Daya desWlad Abbou ß ß ß41oo 3190 Barragede l'wad Zemrane ¾•5120 / 4120ß4110400 3200 Barragede Dawrate 51307 3210 Lagunesde Sldl Moussa-Walidia ß5150 5140ß /41%441;740/ 3215 Plagede Beddouza / 41805ß41,0 / / 4200ßß4210 / 3220 Barragedqmfout / 4230.4220ß ß4240 / 3221 Barragede l'wad Takhezrit / 4270 ß 4250 / 3230 BarrageQasbat Tadla 5151/ / 428,0,,4200 3240 BarrageAI Massira 5155 4290• 4300 ß 3250 Plan d'eau de Sail 5170/ß5160•/• 1• ß•153 ß4350 %4310 4320 3260 SehbE1Mejnoun 4360ß ß4340 3270 Sebkha Zima 5190ßßo:: ,TAN TAN 521o,.• 5180 Region4 (Middle& HighAtlas) 3290 BarrageSidi Dnss 523oßß * 5200 526o 525o •-• 522o 3300 BarrageHassan Premier / 3o.8o 4400ßß4390 3320 BarrageTimiffOutlne TARFAYy;ß•ß'5240 40204010 PlanDayet d'eau'Awa de Sidi Mimoun 3330 BarrageMoulay Youssef 3340 Bassins de Marrakech 4040 Plan d'eau de 'Ain Mersa 3345 C6te et Archipeld'Essawira •527 4030DayetMasker 3350 BarrageLalla Takerkoust 4045Barrage Amane Syemine 3360 Lac Anghomer / •'&YOUNE 40604050 AgoulmameAgueImam Afourgagh(La'nocer)

Region5(South) 40804070 PlanDayet d'eauIffer de Mou'Ali 5010DayetAr-Rachia 4090Dayet Hachlaf 5030Daya Tamezguidat (Merzouga) 4110Plan d'eau deZerrouqa 5040Barrage A1Mansour Ad-Dahbi 4120Plan d'eau d'lfrane 5050Imsouane 4130Dayas de Michlifen 5060Embouchure del'wad 4140Aguelmam N'Tghalwine 5070Barrage deTamallakout 4150Plans d'eau d'Amghass 50205075BarrageRadier ded'Aoulouzl'wad Ziz 41604100AguelmamDayet lfrah Afennourir 5080Barrage Abdelmoumene 4170Aguelmam MersTisliwine 5090Barrage Ad-Dkhila 4180AgueImam BouIcherwiden 5100Barrage Taghdout 4190AgueImams N'Tidwit-Agourar 5105Plage d'I•aroud 4200IghboulaLa'chour 5110Plage deTaghazout 4210Aguelmam Nad'Adim 5120Embouchure del'wad Souss 4220Aguelmam N'Tifounasslne 5130Embouchure del'wad Massa 4230Aguelmam Wlwane 5140Lac Iriki 4240AgueImams Sidi Ali-Ta'nzoult 5150Barrage Youssef BenTachafine 4250Aguelmam Azougagh 5151Embouchure del'wad Assaka 4260Aguelmam Ticharat 5153Embouchure del'wad Bou Issaf6ne 4270Aguelmam Azegza 5155Plage Blanche 4280Adar Oujdir 5157Embouchure del'wad Awrewra 4290Aguelmam Mi'Ammi 5160Embouchure del'wad Dr'a 4300Tigalmamine 51805170DayapresTantan-plage deTantan 43204310BarrageLac Noir dedesZayda AYt Mahi 5190C6te 15-20 km au sud de Tantan 4340Aguelmam AItIchou N'Difrou 5200Embouchure del'wad Chbeyka 4350Aguelmam Abekhane 5210Wad La'guig 4360Aguelmam Boutouna 5220Embouchure del'wad A1 Wa'er 4370Aguelmam Boutherra 5230Embouchure del'wad Oumma Fatma 4380Aguelmam Moulay Yaqoub 5240Daya La'wma (KhnlfiSS) 4390Lac d'Isly 5250Lagune deKhnifiss 4400Lac de Tislite 5260Port et plage deTarfaya 4410Barrage BinA1 Widane 5270Wad As-Saqia A1Hamra • La'youn 4420Barrage Hassan Ad-Dakhil 5280Bale d'Ad-Dakhla 4430Plan d'eau de l'Oukaymeden 5290Baie de Cintra 4440Lac d'Ifni

Figure 1. The Moroccannetwork of sites for the winter censusof waterfowl (regionsare not delimited,but indicatedby the first character of the site codes).

Buffetin 96 December 2001 Dakki et al.: Waders wintering in Morocco 49

particularly at the large sites. Sometimes,however, when We consider that Ramsar criterion 3b is fulfilled for a Januarycounts were missed, it wasnecessary to usecensuses wetlandwhen a relativelyhigh number of species(at least10 obtainedat the end of Decemberor, exceptionally,at the in the caseof waders) reach the 1% Ramsar level and/or the beginningof February. 1% national level (see below). In rare cases, the same site was visited more than once A sitewhere a speciesirregularly exceeds the 1% level of duringthe samewinter. In these,the maximumnumber of its biogeographicpopulation, but its national population eachspecies from the different countswas used.This was (averageof the 1991-95 counts)does not exceedthis level, doneon the basisthat the monthsof Decemberand January is designatedas a Site of PotentialInternational Importance are a periodof stabilityin winteringpopulations. Therefore (SPII). In suchcases, we take into accountonly the 1991- it wasassumed that the maximum number corresponds to the 95 censuses.Figures for 1983-90 are only used for sites mostexhaustive census for the speciesconcerned. wheredata are missing for 1991-95 andwhich have not been The size of the Moroccanwintering population has been destroyedand which would otherwisenot be considered. estimatedfor eachspecies based on the sumof averagenum- The main objectiveof the use of criterion 3b is to draw bersrecorded at all sitesvisited during 1991-95 (Table 2). attentionto somesites with very irregularhydrology (partly Occasionalwintering species are alsoinventoried (Table 3). or totallyexposed to frequentdroughts), which are relatively Theseare not often recordedduring the regularcounts and abundantin theSouthern Mediterranean region. Every time the main sourceof dataon them is bird-watchingreports. they are flooded,some species may reachthe 1% level of Populationsize has also been calculatedfor the period theirbiogeographic population. Similar situations are known 1983-90. This has beenused to showpopulation trends in in other arid regions,such as Australia (Watkins 1993 in somespecies and alsoto illustratethe effect of major envi- Rose & Scott 1997). Therefore this criterion allows us to ronmentalchanges that have affected certain wetlands. Some considerthe internationalsignificance of someimportant siteswere dry duringthe wintersof 1991-95 althoughthey siteswhich are only floodedinfrequently. did supportwaders before then. The populationestimate at A wetlandis consideredas a Site of NationalImportance such sites for 1983-90 is not included in the calculation of (SNI) for a species,if averagenumbers wintering during thesize of thenational populations for 1991-95, thoughthey 1991-95 reached1% of the nationalpopulation. However, are considered in the discussion of the sites concerned. we also show for each speciesat each site the number of The identification of Sites of InternationalImportance winters when the 1% level was reached(Table 5). (SII) was basedon the three bird criteria of the RamsarCon- Thisnational criterion, already applied to theAnatidae (El vention.These are: (3a) sitesregularly supporting20,000 Agbaniet al. 1996), facilitatesthe identificationof the most waterfowl(applied here only to totalwaders), (3b) sitesregu- importantsites for monitoringcertain wintering species. It larly supportingsubstantial numbers of individualsfrom also allows the assessment of some sites that do not meet the particulargroups of waterfowl(waders, in thepresent case), Ramsarcriteria, but to which couldbe assignedsome edu- indicativeof wetlandvalue, productivity or diversityand (3c) cationalor recreationalvalue through the presenceof water- sitesregularly supporting 1% of the individualsin a popu- fowl concentrations.Species considered rare in Moroccobut lation of one speciesor subspecies.We consider,as sug- whosebiogeographic populations are high arenot takeninto gestedby Monval & Pirot (1989) andRose & Scott(1997), account in this assessment. that the regularityneeded for the applicationof the numeri- One of the main objectivesof the assessmentparameters cal criteria, 3a and 3c, ariseswhen the criteria level is reached definedabove is to identify a networkof priority sites(or by the five-year average.However, in addition to these key-sites)for the wintermonitoring of waders.This allows averages,we alsogive the numberof winterswhen the cri- optimisationof countingeffort aswell asproviding compre- teria levels were reached(Table 4). hensivedata on wintering waders.This network will there- The applicationof criterion3c wasbased on the "biogeo- fore includeall the sitesidentified by the applicationof the graphicpopulation" estimates published by Rose & Scott assessment criteria described above. A classification of these (1997) for each, largely discrete,wader population.These sitesinto prioritylevels (Table 6) is possiblebased on inter- werebased mainly on theestimates made by Smit& Piersma nationaland national importance, the numberof speciesveri- (1989), whichare very similarto thosecompiled from the fying this importance,and the globalnumber of wadersat 1983-87 censusesby Beaubrunet al. (1988). The biogeo- each site. graphicpopulation estimates therefore predate, but are nev- erthelessclose to our surveyperiod. NATIONAL WINTERING POPULATIONS: SIZE ESTI- For two species,Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit, birds MATES AND TRENDS winteringin Moroccocould belong to morethan one recog- nisedpopulation. In these,the 1% level for eachspecies is The nationalinventory of winteringwaders in Moroccoin- taken as the sum of 1% of each populationinvolved. This cludes49 species,of which31 areregular (Table 2). The other sumwas appliedto all the sitesin the caseof the Dunlin. (For 18 species(Table 3) are occasionalor veryrare (mainlyone scientific names of the speciesmentioned in this paper, or two individuals,exceptionally eight in thecase of theMarsh pleaserefer to Tables 1-5). Sandpiper).An analysisof theMoroccan distribution of these On thebasis of ringingrecoveries, Smit & Piersma(1989) speciesis publishedelsewhere (Qninba, 1999). Four of the consideredthat the entire wintering populationof Black- regularwintering species are eitherterrestrial or not particu- tailed Godwits in Morocco belongsto race islandica for larly wetlandspecies (Stone-curlew, Cream-coloured Courser, whichthe 1% level correspondsto 700 birds.This is the cri- EurasianDotterel and Woodcock). The estimatesin thispaper terionwe haveused for this species.However, Beaubrun et are thereforerestricted to the other27 regularspecies. al. (1988b) reportringing recoveriesin Morocco from Hol- The total numberof waderswintering in the Moroccan land,Belgium and Sweden. It is thereforepossible that some wetlandsis estimatedat 143,108 (Table 1), with a maximum winteringflocks belong to the nominatepopulation. of 208,837 birdsrecorded in 1995. This averagenumber for

Bulletin 96 December 2001 50 WaderStudy Group Bulletin

Table1. Waderswintering inMorocco: average mid-winter counts during 1991-1995 (see Table 3 foroccasional species not included here).

• Site names

1240 McrJaZcrga 5 25704 8423 8158 5957 7155 1948 85 2337 0 35 4407 1176 21 439 88 8 42 11 0 0 38 52 0 10 7 8 0 I 0 1 0 0 124 66235 5280 Baied'Ad-Dakhla 2 7923 3744 6 1018 294 62547 1547 6416 5142 12 0 980 533 I 238 129 0 295 6 2 5 49 80 78 6 0 I5 2 0 1 1 0 31076 3210Lag•lnesdeSidiMoussa-Walidia 5 1555 165 405 69 6093915 21 924 67 30 395 38 14 278 651 174308 48 70 I 4 49 37 2 3 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 128 9961 5250LaguncdeKlmifiss 5 3166 290 64 244 170 0 114 246 361 383 0 0 369 271 0 60 56 15 95 5 0 0 37 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 276 6227 5155 PlageBlanche 1 0 0 0 58 0 02704 12 0 0 0 0 366 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 215 3355 1140MaraisdubasLoukkos 5 27 12 790 20 0 666 I 122 0 I 8 733 0 29 89 0 8 2 2 7 53 41 0 6 4 0 I 5 0 I 0 0 72 2700 3140 C3teA1Jadida-JorfLasfax 3 249 391 0 120 111 49 198 335 6 2 0 0 29 37 0 461 42 0 0 0 0 0 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 106 2160 3120 Baied'Azemmour-A1Jadida 5 46 179 0 69 151 344 357 217 10 11 0 48 268 6 0 176 3 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 45 1937 5120 Embouchuredel'wadSouss 5 123 183 58 171 92 0 138 235 0 48 6 I 78 169 87 0 11 116 0 26 2 8 0 10 5 2 I 0 0 0 0 0 100 1670 1350 Barraged•A1Qansera 4 63 8 407 84 116 47 0 0 0 0 151 147 0 8 I 0 0 34 23 75 13 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 251 1438 5290 Baie de Cintra 2 148 154 0 53 13 0 415 22 3 25 0 I 35 6 0 152 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1033 3031 Embouchurede l'wad YQuem 4 28 50 2 46 4 553 54 70 I 0 0 0 14 17 0 61 7 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 913 5153 Embouchuredel'wadBoulssafene 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 300 3 48 0 0 0 44 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 460 867 3170 DayetAIFahs 5 105 2 379 9 7 32 0 11 0 0 6 83 0 8 54 0 0 0 0 0 I 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 163 864 1130Embouchuredel'wadLoukkos 5 110 3 69 2 6 10 51 103 0 2 156 44 7 47 79 0 5 3 0 16 0 9 0 0 0 0 I 0 2 0 0 0 129 854 5160Embouchuredel'wadDr'a 3 97 32 14 30 0 0 65 14 6 I 0 0 114 92 0 0 46 0 0 I 0 0 I 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 338 852 1100Mer•adesWiadKhallouf 5 390 0 9 101 6 60 10 12 0 0 72 12 0 0 5 0 0 60 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 90 828 2010 SebkhaBouAreg 4 258 19 5 88 67 20 14 31 0 3 2 3 3 34 I 6 42 5 0 8 4 0 0 2 1 25 I 0 0 0 0 0 127 769 1270 Mex•aBotlkka 4 0 0 21 0 0 0 0 25 2 0 2 33 0 3 18 0 0 112 0 6 13 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 491 727 1280 Embouchurcde l'wad Sebou 3 26 71 0 14 0 94 5 179 0 28 0 67 22 33 I 0 8 0 0 80 0 0 2 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 37 668 5270WadAs-Sa•liaAIHamra•La•youn 2 35 I 5 330 55 0 19 0 0 0 0 I 0 23 57 0 0 58 0 0 2 13 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 2 0 0 602 1081 MlalahduBasTahaddart 4 11 0 1 255 0 0 50 45 0 15 11 10 0 8 5 0 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 48 480 5157 Embouchurcde rwad Awrcwra I 0 0 0 40 0 0 420 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 460 1070Embouchuredel'wadMartil 4 16 40 1 25 7 0 10 10 0 0 115 0 2 39 3 0 0 73 0 2 0 0 0 2 I 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 366 1025 C3te $idi Qaccm-Rouadi I 65 15 0 7 23 33 166 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 365 1010 Pland'eaudel•wad Mlalah 4 22 55 0 21 91 3 37 36 2 0 8 0 0 8 10 0 0 1 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 333 5200 Embouchurede l'wad Chbeyka 5 5 18 0 6 6 0 32 32 3 2 0 0 96 9 0 0 42 1 0 2 0 0 6 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 51 312 3035 Embouchurede l'Wad Chefrat I 10 10 0 15 0 150 16 20 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 60 6 0 0 I 0 0 5 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 303 1030 Maraisde l'wad $mir 5 0 14 68 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 109 0 26 19 0 19 2 0 I 7 0 I 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 291 3032 Plagede Skhi•ate 4 59 11 0 18 2 25 14 21 4 5 0 0 12 20 0 49 9 10 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 264 1150 Metra desWlad Skhcr 5 0 0 152 0 0 20 0 0 0 0 I 13 0 0 19 0 I 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 258 3215 Plagede Beddouza I 0 0 0 0 0 0 77 98 0 0 0 0 10 I 0 6 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 229 5240 Daya La'wina (Klmif•ss) 4 148 5 0 10 25 0 8 2 3 0 0 0 0 I I 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 205 1020 Metra SidiQacem 4 33 2 0 3 2 84 0 4 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 38 201 1170 Meria Bargha 5 0 0 90 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 73 0 0 31 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 201 2030 Embouchuredel'wadMalwiya 5 63 2 11 4 2 0 23 1 0 0 5 0 0 8 I 0 30 10 0 10 4 1 0 I 6 4 I 0 0 0 0 0 10 197 2020 Salinesde QatyatArlanane 4 16 38 5 15 20 0 I 0 1 0 12 3 0 22 10 0 2 13 0 14 0 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5220 Embouchurc de l'wad A1Wa'er 5 71 2 4 7 4 0 42 1 0 0 0 0 2 13 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 176 1060 Metra Hawwara 5 48 0 5 8 1 7 2 96 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 175 5130 Embouchuredel'wadMassa 5 6 16 9 6 4 0 0 8 0 2 0 12 4 10 31 0 5 12 0 6 4 0 2 4 0 1 0 I 0 0 0 0 20 163 1320 Plan d'eaude Dwiyate 4 0 0 0 5 18 75 0 0 0 0 0 42 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 6 0 0 I 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 3270 SebkhaZima 4 34 0 I 52 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3130 Daya d'A1Jadida 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 78 0 0 13 49 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 141 2040 BarrageBenAbdelkrimA1Khattabi3 0 33 2 70 0 0 0 7 0 0 I 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 140 1065 Bas Wad AI Malah CN.Martil) I 0 50 49 14 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 139 1310 Barrageld•ias Premier 5 0 0 8 24 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 62 117 3100 Barragede l'wad A1Mellah 4 22 3 24 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 9 0 8 2 0 0 0 0 7 12 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 117 1200 Meria A1Halloufa 5 0 0 36 0 0 0 0 6 0 3 0 23 0 1 12 0 2 I 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 101 5260 Po•tetl•lagedeTarfaya I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 1105 C_3teAsilah-Wad Gharlfa 3 0 I 0 4 0 0 26 56 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 98 1300 Meria de Sidi Bou Ghaba 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 72 0 3 3 0 0 I 0 2 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 89 3240 Barrag• A1 Massira 5 2 0 2 43 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 5 I 0 • 0 4 0 2 0 0 0 I I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 79 3090 Daya de Tamaris-i•lage I 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 8 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 78 3250 Plan d'eau de Sail 3 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 24 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 57 1080 Embouchurcde l'wad Tahaddart 5 16 0 I 6 2 0 16 2 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 4 4 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 1 I 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 56 3020 Embouchurede l•wadBou Reg•eg 4 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 26 2 0 0 0 5 14 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 I 56 3290 Ba•age $idi Driss I 0 0 0 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 54 5110 Plagede 2 0 40 0 I 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1160 DayasZarafa et Mh•ess 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 36 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 40 4150 Plansd'eau d'Amghass 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 36 3030 Bge $idi MohammedBen Abdallah 4 0 2 0 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 34 5105 Plaged'lghroud I 0 0 0 18 0 0 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33 1290 Merja de rwad Fouwarate 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 0 0 2 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 4160 A•uelmam Afennourir 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 5040 Ba•age A1 MansourAd-Dahbi 4 9 0 0 3 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1050 Barrage!bn Batlota 5 3 I 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 1190 Metra de 'AIn Solame 2 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 3221 Ba•age de l'wad Takhezrit 2 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 2 I 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 3200 Barragede Dawrate I 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 1360 Dayet Ar-Roumi 4 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 4010 Dayet 'Awa 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 2081 Wad !nawen i Wad Amlil I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 5075 Barrage d'Aoulouz I 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 1210 Daya de Qsar A1 Kabir 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 I I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 3070 Dayas de $idi Bertache 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 5230 Embouchurede rwad Oumma Famu 5 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 2070 Barrage Mohammed V 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 1220 BarrageWad A1 Makhazine 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 8 1330 Pland'eaudel'wadFbs 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3, 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4100 Dayet lfxah 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0•' 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5030 Daya Tamez•uidat(Merzouga) I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1031 Ba•age de Stair 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1040 Daya $ghira 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1090 SaddA1Ajras 5 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3345 C_3teet Archil•cl d'Essawi•a 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3350 BarrageLalla Takerkoust 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4110 Plan d'eaude Zerrou•la 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5150 BarrageYoussefBen Tachaline 5 0 0 I 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2071 Barragede 'AIn Tiija 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3050 DomalneR•¾al la Gazelle 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3080 Dayas de Ben•limane I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3230 BarrageQasbat Tadla 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4120 Plan d'eau d'!frane 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4350 AgueImam Abekhane 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4410 BarrageBin A1 Widane 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5151 Embouchurede l'wad Assaka 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Total 40712 14090 10883 9279 9088 8153 8072 7045 6952 5739 5462 2893 2495 2287 1526 1467 858 614 518 303 230 206 198 135 131 100 27 24 8 6 3 I 3603 143108

Bulletin 96 December 2001 Dakki et al.: Waders wintering in Morocco 51

Table 2. Waders winteringin Morocco:national population estimates in respectof the regularspecies, trends and comparisonwith total biogeographicpopulations as determinedby Rose & Scott (1997).

Species Biogeographicpopulation Nationalpopulations • 1970s-1980sestimates 1991-95estimates **

Population .

Nationalpopulation > 1% Nationaltotal waders DunlinCalidrisalpina Greenl./Isl./Eur./N.Siberia/W. Aft. 2209 20,000 50000 40000 32000 32000 4868 4071a 184 400 28.45 28.45 RingedPlover Charadrius hiaticula Eur./ N. Aft. (win) 47.5 500 10000 9000 4500 4300 1500 14090 29.66 140 9.85 38.29 >>> Black-tailedGodwitLirnosalimosa IsL(bre.) (+?W.Eur./•/.Aft.)* 65(415) 700(4200) 30000 15000 18500 18500 6564 10883 2.62 100 7.60 45.90 <<< Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus E. Atl. 67 700 1500 3000 4000 3600 2256 9279 13.85 90 6.48 52.38 Little StintCalidris minuta Eur./ W. Aft. (win) 211 2,100 1500 1000 2000 2000 500 9088 4.31 90 6.35 58.73 EurasianGolden Plover Pluvialis apricaria NW. Eur. (bre.) 1800 18,000 18101 8153 0.45 80 5.70 64.43 SanderlingCalidris alba E. Atl. / W/S. Aft. 123 1,000 3000 1500 2500 2100 1940 8072 6.56 80 5.64 70.07 >>> Grey PloverPluvialis squatarola E. AtE (win.) 168 1,500 10000 6000 4000 4000 2093 7045 4.19 70 4.92 74.99 RedKnot Calidriscanutus W/S. Aft. (win.) 516 5,000 5000 5000 2500 2500 748 6952 1.35 70 4.86 79.85•>>> Bar-tailedGodwit Limosa lapponica W/S.Aft. (win.) 7oo 7,0005000 3o00 3000 3000 431 57390.82 6o 4.0183.861 >>> AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta W. Eur. / W. M6d. (bre.) 67 700 4000 3000 3000 2900 2420 5462 8.15 55 3.82 87.68 NorthernLapwing Vanellus vanellus Eur. (bre.) 7000 20,000 7500 4904 2893 0.04 30 2.02 89.70 <<< EurasianOystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus Eur./NfW. Aft. (win.) 874 9,000 1500 1500 1500 1400 1272 2495 0.29 25 1.74 91.44 >>> RedshankTringa totant• E. Atl. (win.) 177 1,500 10000 7000 7000 6600 1133 2287 1.29 25 1.60 93.04 <<< Black-wingedStilt Himantopus himantopus W. M6d. Core.) 4o 400 800 1000 900 1269 1526 3.82 15 1.07 94.11 RuddyTurnstone Arenaria interpres W/S.Aft.* 32 300 400 400 1000 600 532 1467 4.58 15 1.03 95.13 Nationalpopulation < 1% Nationaltotal waders EurasianCurlew Nurnenius arquata Eur. Core.) 348 3,500 3500 1500 1000 1000 384 858 0.25 0.60 0.60 LittleRinged Plover Charadrius dubius Eur./ W. Aft. (win.) 100-1000 500 121 614 0.06 0.43 1.03 ? CurlewSandpiper Calidrisferruginea SW. Eur./ W. Aft. 436 4,500 200 200 165 518 0.12 0.36 1.39 EommonSandpiperActitis hypoleucos Eur. Core.) >lOOO 500 300 93 303 0.06 0.21 1.60 - •ommonSnipe Gallinago gallinago Eur. Core.) >2000 20,000 234 230 0.03 0.16 1.76 ? RuffPhilomachuspugnax W. Aft. (win.) >1000 500 450 254 206 0.03 0.14 1.91 <<< WhimbrelNumeniusphaeopus Eur./W. Aft. (win.) 600-700 6,500 600 600 93 198 0.03 0.14 2.05 <<< GreenshankTringa nebularia Eur./ W. Aft. 100-1000 100 400 400 85 135 0.02 0.09 2.14 <<< SpottedRedshank Tringa erythropus Eur./ W. Aft. 75-150 1,200 400 300 300 160 131 0.13 0.09 2.23 <<< $reen SandpiperTringa ochropu$ Eur. / W. Aft. >100 24 27 0.03 0.02 2.25 ? •VoodSandpiper Tringa glareola Eur. Core.) >1000 >2 24 0.00 0.02 2.27 ?

Non-wetlandspecies (national population not estimated) Stone-curlewBurhinu• oedicnemus, Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor, Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola and Eurasian Dotterel Eudromias morinellus .

* Forthis species, the 1% level corresponds to 700 individuals on the basis that only the islandica race winters in Morocco(see Smit & Pierstoa,1989). However,there is some evidence that birds from the West-European population (1% level = 3600birds) may also occur (see text).

** Trends:<<<: decreasing;>>>: increasing;-- stable; ? unknown.

1991-95 is nearly threetimes higher than the 1983-90 av- [] coastalspecies, habitually present in non-estuarinehabi- erageof 50,017. The differenceis duemainly to the increase tats (beachesand rocky coasts),which are not totally in countingeffort since1991, though it is possiblethat there coveredby the censuses:Sanderling, Eurasian Oyster- have beenreal changesin somepopulations. catcher and Turnstone; [] pelagicspecies, rare in wetlands:Red-necked and Grey National population estimates Phalaropes; [] unidentifiedwaders (often as a consequenceof bad vis- The averagenumber of wintering birds is given for each ibility); their cumulatednumbers are consideredin the regular species(Table 2) along with a comparisonto the calculationsof the total number of waders(Table 1) of correspondingbiogeographic population (according to Rose whichthey representabout 2.5%; Charadriusand Tringa & Scott 1997) and to the national total number of waders.In speciesare the main onesinvolved. mostcases, these average numbers are probablyfairly close to the real size of the populations.For the following, how- The speciesconsidered as occasionalvisitors (Table 3), ever, they shouldbe consideredas likely underestimates: unobservedin severalrapid censuses,are certainlyunder- estimated.The frequency of occurrenceof some of them [] speciesoften hidden in aquaticvegetation: Snipe; (Grey Phalarope,Slender-billed Curlew, Jack Snipe and [] speciesthat sometimes feed away from wetlands,particu- Marsh Sandpiper)is sufficientlyhigh for them to be consid- larly in agriculturalland: Black-tailedGodwit, Curlew ered as regular winter visitors,though in the 1990s their and Eurasian Golden Plover; nationalpopulations were negligible. [] speciesoften found at smallinland wetlands not moni- For sixteenspecies, the national population exceeds 1,400 tored by the winter counts:Little Ringed Plover, Wood (Table 2), correspondingto 1% of the total waderswinter- Sandpiper,Green Sandpiperand Common Sandpiper; ing in Morocco.These populations together comprise 95.1%

Bulletin 96 December 2001 52 Wader Study Group Bulletin

Table 3. Waders winteringin Morocco:number of occurrencesper site of occasionalspecies (i.e. the numberof times each specieswas recorded, not the number of individuals).

Site names

1240 Merja Zerga 4 13 6 7 4 2 36 3210 Lagunesde Sidi Moussa-Walidia 7 3 3 8 3 2 1 27 1140 Marais du bas Loukkos 3 1 6 10 5130 Embouchure de l'wad Massa 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 11 1130 Embouchure de ?wad Loukkos 1 1 4 1 7 1300 Merja de Sidi Bou Ghaba 4 1 1 1 7 1320 Plan d'eaude Dwiyate 3 4 7 3020 Embouchurede l'wad Bou Regreg 5 5 5O3O Daya Tamezguidat(Merzouga) 1 1 1 2 5 5120 Embouchure de l'wad Souss 1 1 1 1 1 5 2010 SebkhaBou Areg 2 1 1 4 3035 Embouchure de l'Wad Cherrat 2 1 1 4 1100 Merja desWlad Khallouf 2 1 3 1250 Merja Dawra 3 3 3032 Plagede Skhirate 2 1 3 5280 Baie d'Ad-Dakhla 1 1 1030 Marais de l'wad Smir 1 1 2 1170 Merja Bargha 1 1 2 2030 Embouchurede l'wadMalwiya 1 1 2 3260 SehbE1 Mejnoun 2 2 3270 Sebkha Zima 1 1 2 5250 Lagunede Khnifiss 1 1 2 5270 Wad As-SaqiaA1 Hamra/t La'youn 1 1 2 1080 Embouchure de l'wad Tahaddart 1 1 1270 MerjaBoukka 1 1 1280 Embouchure de l'wad Sebou 1 1 2070 BarrageMohammed V 1 1 3100 Barragede l'wadA1 Mellah 1 1 3120 Baie d'Azemmour-A1 Jadida 1 1 3140 C6te AI Jadida-Jorf Lasfar 1 1 3170 DayetAI Fahs 1 1 3215 Plagede Beddouza 1 1 4090 DayetHachlaf 1 1 4100 DayetIfrah 1 1 4160 AguelmamAfennourir 1 1 5040 BarrageAI MansourAd-Dahbi 1 1 5100 BarrageTaghdout 1 1 5200 Embouchurede l'wadChbeyka 1 1 5220 Embouchure de l'wad A1 Wa'er 1 1 5230 Embouchure de l'wad Oumma Fatma 1 1 5240 DayaLaøwina (Khnifiss) 1 1 no code Sablesd'or (plage)/Harhoura 2 1 3 no code Palmeraie de Marrakech 1 1 2 no code Tang6rois 3 3 no code Gharb 1 1 no code Plagedes Nations 1 1 no code Dayadu MoyenAtlas 1 1 no code Rabat 1 1 Numberof occurrencesperspecies-> 51 39 28 27 12 5 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 182

Bulletin 96 December2001 Dakki et al.: Waders wintering in Morocco 53

of that figure. Dunlin is the mostabundant species, with an ASSESSMENT OF THE WINTERING SITES averagenational population of 40,712 birds(28% of the total number of waders) and with a maximum of 57,600 birds Spatial distribution of waders (recordedin 1995).Ten otherspecies represent 4-10% of the nationalpopulation and the remainder1-2%. In winter, most waders in Morocco are found along the The number of national populationsexceeding the 1% Atlantic coast(Figure 2). The Mediterraneanmargin, where level of their biogeographicpopulation is thirteen.Among estuarineand coastal habitats are often narrow, contains only these,the Moroccan populationsof four speciesare con- two lagoonsites (Sebkha Bou Areg andMarais de l'wad Smir) siderablyhigher: Ringed Plover (29.7%), Kentish Plover supportingsubstantial numbers. Some inland wetlands are (14.0 %), Avocet (8.2 %) and Sanderling(6.6 %). In Turn- also used irregularly. This is particularly the case at the stone,Little Stint, Grey Plover and Black-wingedStilt, this SebkhaZima, the temporarysite of SehbE1 Mejnoun (dry proportionis 4-4.5 %. during 1991-95, but when floodedin 1985, 1987 and 1988 Dunlin is the mostnumerous wader in the country,but its thousandsof waders- mainly Kentish Plovers- wintered estimatedpopulation represents only 1.8% of all biogeo- there) and the old dam of A1 Qanserawhere there is a vast graphicpopulations of which representativesare supposed mudflat. This distributionshows a clearpreference of waders to winter in Morocco. This proportioncould be higher if for lagoons,bays, estuaries, rocky shoresand sandybeaches. ringing data prove that the Moroccanwintering population At ten sites,the averagenumber of winteringwaders ex- has a more restrictedorigin than is consideredat present. ceeded 1,400 or 1% of the national population (Table 1). These togethersupported 89% of all wadersin Morocco. National population trends Among them are four largelagoon sites - Merja Zerga, Baie d'Ad-Dakhla, Lagunesde Sidi Moussa-Walidiaand Lagune Before the 1990s, there had been four successiveestimates de Khnifiss- which support79.3 % of this total, with 68% of the Moroccan wintering wader population (Table 2): at the first two alone. This showsthe great importanceof Prater (1976), Kersten & Smit (1984), Beaubrun et al. these four wetlands. Moreover their latitudinal succession (1988b) and Smit & Piersma(1989). However, thesewere makesthem an importantnetwork along the East-Atlantic basedon only partial censusesand somemajor sites,espe- flyway. The othersites are also located on thiscoast, except cially alongthe southerncoast, were not coveredat all. Fur- for the artificial lake of A1 Qansera. thermore, some speciesmigrating along the East Atlantic Comparisonof the averagenumbers during 1983-90 and flyway (particularlyEurasian Golden Plover) were omitted 1991-95 showsa decreaseat severalsites, particularly seven. altogether. For the Saharansite of Daya La'wina, this decreaseis due In addition to these estimates,the national censusesmade to the shortnessof the flooding periodsand a total drought during 1983-90 includeda high proportionof unidentified during1991-95. In five othercases (Sehb E1 Mejnoun, Merja flocks (more than 20% of all waders counted). Therefore Dawra, Merja Boukka,Daya d'A1 Jadidaand Merjas Zarafa someof the averagenumbers calculated for thisperiod are not & Mhibess), there was a near-total loss of wader-habitat as very accurate.Nevertheless they do give a generalindication a resultof pumpingand drainage.At the seventhsite (Port of approximatenumbers and some are quite useful in relation & plagede Tarfaya),the lower numbers during 1991-95 may to decreasingpopulations and sites that have been destroyed. be the result of poorer coveragecompared with 1985-86 In orderto showtrends in Moroccanwader populations, (Beaubrun et al. 1988b). the 1991-95 estimateshave usually been comparedwith thoseof Beaubrunet al. (1988b) and Smit & Piersma(1989), Sites of international importance which were both based on the 1983-87 counts. Three species- Black-tailedGodwit, Lapwing and Red- The applicationof the Ramsar waterfowl criteria identified shank- appearto havedecreased. Four others show declines, sevenSites of InternationalImportance (SIIs) for wintering but the low size of their populationsdoes not permitinter- waders (Table 4). pretation.It is also importantto note the completelack of Two largecoastal wetlands (Merja Zerga and Baie d'Ad- recentobservations (since the winter 1995) of Slender-billed Dakhla) meet the Ramsarcriterion 3a, even for wadersalone. Curlew, a globallythreatened species that usedto be a regu- They alsomeet criterion 3c for sevenand five speciesrespec- lar visitor to Morocco. tively. The four other SIIs that meet criterion 3c only do so An increasewas recordedin thirteen species.For most for one species. (Oystercatcher,Knot, Sanderling,Curlew Sandpiper,Dunlin, Two coastalwetlands (Lagunes de Sidi Moussa-Walidia Bar-tailed Godwit and Turnstone),this was mainly due to and Lagunede Khnifiss) may be consideredas easily meet- better coverageduring the recentcensuses, particularly the ing criterion3b, in spite of the relative subjectivityof this inclusionof severalmajor sitesin the south.However, for criterion,in view of the fact that they are rankedthird both KentishPlover, Little Stint, Grey Plover and Ringed Plover, for their total numbers of waders (6,000 and 10,000 birds it is likely that therehas been a real increasein the numbers respectively)and their speciesrichness (11 regularwinter- wintering.Moreover, therehave certainlybeen increases in ing species,represented by more than 1% of their national the populationsof Black-wingedStilts and Avocets. populations).The first sitealso meets criterion 3c for at least The most spectacularincrease is recordedfor Kentish one species.At Lagunede Khnifiss,counts were sometimes Plover,mainly because of the highnumber counted in Merja partial, which leadsto underestimation(e.g. the count for Zergain January1995. This may be explainedby the severe January1993). Bettercounts show that this lagoon qualifies droughtthat affected most of theinland wetlands during that as a SII, at least for Ringed Plover. winter (droughtsnormally lead to high concentrationsof Finally, it is worth noting that of the sixteen SIIs identi- Kentish Plovers at artificial lakes and the coastalwetlands). fied in Morocco for wintering Anatidae (El Agbani et al.

Bulletin 96 December2001 54 Wader Study Group Bulletin

1olo.• lo3o MEDITERRANEAN S E A 1020-'•-• 0 1025.•a 1•'• .... elO7O

1170•' 1140

1280ff 3031 01350 '1320 309•/•3032

'325Oß 327O

q, o o

o

•- 5130•

5155•5•1•3

5280

Sitesof International Importance (priority la) 5290 Sitesof Potential International Importance (priority lb)

Sitesof NationalImportance for 2 speciesor more (priority 2) I I Sitesof NationalImportance for 1 species(priority 3) I I

Figure2. Relativeimportance of sitesfor waders wintering in Morocco(see Tables 1, 4, 5 & 6 for moredetailed information).

1996),three are also SIIs for waders(Merja Zerga,Lagunes of them (Presquiledu Cap Blanc, locatedon the northern de Sidi Moussa-Walidiaand Lagunede Khnifiss). borderof theMauritanian wetland of Bancd'Arguin), not yet consideredin thenational network of IWC sites,could prob- Sites of potential international importance ably be addedto the SII list. This sitesupports three wader species(Ringed Plover, Sanderling and Turnstone)that The analysisof the 1991-95 data of the IWC identifiedfour reachedthe 1% Ramsatlevel (Trotignonet al. 1980,Mahd Sitesof PotentialInternational Importance (SPII), in addition 1985).The threeother sites were very disturbed or notmoni- to sevenothers already classified as SII (Table4). Fourspe- toredduring 1991-95. cies(Black-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Kentish Plover TheKhnifiss lagoon, considered by usas meeting Ramsar andRinged Plover) are responsible for thesedesignations. criterion3b in full, constitutesa SPII for at leasttwo species: In addition,data from the 1983-90censuses suggest that Ringed Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit. four othersites should be designatedas SPIIs (Table4). One Finally,the Slender-billed Curlew, a criticallyendangered

Buffetin 96 December 2001 Dakki et al.: Waders wintering in Morocco 55

Table 4. Moroccanwetlands of internationalimportance for winteringwaders: numberof wintersduring 1991-1995 when Ramsar criteria level was reached(Bold numbers mean that the 1% level was regularlyreached). Ramsat Criteria => 3a 3b

Site names

Sites of International Importance($II) 1240 MerjaZerga t 5 5 4 5 4 4 5 5280 Baie d'Ad-Dakhla 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 3210 Lagunesde Sidi Moussa-Walidia" 1 1 2 4 1 3140 C6te A1 Jadida-Jorf Lasfar 2 2 5155 PlageBlanche 1 5250 Lagunede Klmifiss t 1 1140 Marais du bas Loukkos 3 Sites of PotentialInternational Importance ($PII) 3120 Baie d'Azemmour-A1 Jadida 1350 Barraged'A1 Qansera 3170 DayetA1 Fahs 1081 Mlalah du Bas Tahaddart Sites of PotentialInternational Importance based on 1983-90 counts 1130 Embouchure de l'wad Loukkos 3270 Sebkha Zima 3260 SehbE1 Mejnoun 3 nocode Presqu'iledu Cap Blanc * 1. Wetlandsakeady Ramsat sites. 2. For R. avosetta,the Ramsat 1% levelwas only approachedtwice

species,was regularly seen at Merja Zergaand occasionally are a little distant from the East-Atlantic flyway. A third, at othersites (Table 1), althoughsome records from the latter SebkhaBou Areg, meetsthe criterionfor one widespread are probablydoubtful. This specieshas an uncertainstatus species,Redshank. Four inlandsites were alsoselected, two in Morocco,its presencebeing unproved since the winter of them solelyfor Lapwing. 1994-95. Therefore no site can now be considered to be of At thetop of thelist of SNIs, basedon thenumber of spe- internationalimportance for this species.Searches are regu- ciesmeeting the nationalcriterion, are the four largestAtlan- larly undertakento verify its presencein the country. tic lagooncomplexes, already considered as the best winter- ing SIIs for waders(Table 5). Theseeach have 11-12 spe- Sites of national importance ciesmeeting the criterion.Twenty-two other wetlands meet the criterionfor 2-8 species.The 18 remainingsites meet it Forty-onewetlands qualify as Sitesof NationalImportance only for one species. (SNI) (Table 5). Three more (Merja Boukka, Daya d'A1 Black-wingedStilt assignsa nationalimportance to 17 Jadidaand Dayas Zarafa et Mhibess)met this criterionbe- sites.Lapwing, Grey Ploverand Redshank each identify 13- fore 1996but have sincebeen partly or totally destroyed. 14 sites,whereas Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit identify only The majorityof the SNIs are locatedalong the Atlantic the two Saharanbays of Khnifissand Ad-Dakhla as nation- coast.On the Mediterraneanmargin, there are two sites- ally important. Marais de l'wad Smir and Embouchure de l'wad Martil - that

Bulletin 96 December2001 56 Wader Study Group Bulletin

Table 5. Moroccanwetlands of nationalimportance for winteringwaders. For each speciesand site, the numberof winterswhen the site supportedat least 1% of the national populationis given.

Site names

Number of sites=> 17 14 14 14 11 10 9 9 8 8 8 7 7 4 2 2 1240MerjaZerga 5 12 4 5 5 5 2 4 5 4 5 5 5 5 5280 Baie d'Ad-Dakhla 2 12 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3210 Lagunesde Sidi Moussa-Walidia 5 11 5 5 1 5 4 3 3 4 5 3 4 5250 Lagunede Khnifiss 5 11 4 4 3 5 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 3120 Baie d'Azemmour-A1 Jadida 5 8 1 4 4 5 4 2 2 3140 C6te A1 Jadida-JorfLasfar 3 8 2 3 3 1 3 1 2 5120 Embouchure de l'wad Souss 5 8 4 5 4 2 4 2 3 1140 Marais du bas Loukkos 5 6 5 2 5 1 2 3 1130 Embouchuredel'wadLoukkos 5 5 5 3 2 1 3 1280 Embouchure de l'wad Sebou 3 4 1 1 2 1 1350 Barraged'A1Qansera 4 4 3 1 3 3 3031 Embouchurede l'wadYquem 4 4 1 3 2 5290 Baie de Cintra 2 4 1 1 2 1030 Marais de l'wad Stair 5 3 3 3 3 1150 Merja desWlad Skher 5 3 2 3170 DayetA1Fahs 5 3 4 1 5270 Wad As-SaqiaA1 Hamra ii La'youn 2 3 2 1 1 1070 Embouchure de l'wad Martil 4 2 2 1 1100 Merja desWlad Khallouf 5 2 2 2 1170 Merja Bargha 5 2 4 5 1270 Merja Boukka* 4 2 2 2 3035 Embouchure de l'Wad Cherrat 1 2 1 3130 Daya d'A1Jadida* 2 2 1 5153 Embouchure de l'wad Bou IssaFene 1 2 1 1 5155 PlageBlanche 1 2 1 1 5160 Embouchure de l'wad Dr'a 3 2 3 3 1010 Plan d'eau de l'wad Mlalah 4 1 1 1020 Merja Sidi Qacem 4 1 1025 C6te Sidi Qacem-Rouadi 1 1 1 1060 Merja Hawwara 5 1 1 1081 Mlalah du Bas Tahaddart 4 1 1160 DayasZamfa et Mhibess* 4 1 2 1300 Merja de Sidi BouGhaba 5 1 1 1320 Pland'eau de Dwiyate 4 1 2 2010 SebkhaBou Areg 4 1 3 3020 Embouchurede l'wadBou Regreg 4 1 2 3032 Plagede Skhirate 4 1 4 3090 Daya de Tamaris-plage 1 1 1 3215 Plagede Beddouza 1 1 1 3250 Plan d'eau de Sail 3 1 1 3270 Sebkha Zima 4 1 3 5130 Embouchure de l'wad Massa 5 1 3 5157 Embouchure de l'wad Awrewra 1 1 1 5200Embouchure del'wad Chb?yka 5 1 2 Sitesof National importancenot monitoredin 1991-95 3260 SehbEl Mejnoun 1250Merja Dawra

*Sitespartly or totallylost

Bulletin 96 December 2001 Dakki et al.: Waders winteringin Morocco 57

Table 6. Prioritysites for monitoringwaders in Morocco in winter.

• SiteNames Z ;• • < • • Priority 1a (SII) 1240 MerjaZerga 8 5 15803 66235 46.28 46.28 7 12 5280 Baied'Ad-Dakhla 1 2 9382 31076 21.72 68.00 5 2 12 3210 Lagunesde SidiMoussa-Walidia 8 5 3972 9961 6.96 74.96 * 1 4 11 5250 Lagunede Khnifiss 4 5 4547 6227 4.35 79.31 * 2 11 3140 C6teA1Jadida-JorfLasfar 1 3 325 2160 1.51 80.82 1 1 8 1140 Maraisdu basLoukkos • 7 5 3476 2700 1.89 82.71 1 6 5155Plage Blanche 0 1 0 3355 2.34 85.05 1 2 Priority lb (SPII) 3120 Baie d'Azemmour-A1 Jadida 6 5 259 1937 1.35 1.35 2 8 1130 Embouchure de l'wad Loukkos 4 5 474 854 0.60 1.95 1 5 1350 Barraged'A1Qansera 6 4 262 1438 1.00 2.96 1 4 3170 DayetA1Fahs 6 5 627 864 0.60 3.56 1 3 1081 Mlalah du Bas Tahaddart 0 4 0 480 0.34 3.89 1 1 Priority 2 (SNI for 2 speciesor more) 5120 Embouchuredel'wadSouss 8 5 207 1670 1.17 1.17 8 5290 Baie de Cintra 0 2 0 1033 0.72 1.89 4 3031 Embouchurede l•vad Yquem 0 4 0 913 0.64 2.53 4 1280 Embouchure de l'wad Sebou 4 3 279 668 0.47 2.99 4 5270 Wad As-SaqiaA1 Hanna •t La'youn 4 2 466 602 0.42 3.41 3 1030 Marais de l'wad Smir 8 5 234 291 0.20 3.62 3 5153 Embouchure de l'wad Bou Issaf'ene 0 1 0 867 0.61 4.22 2 5160 Embouchure de l'wad Dr'a 2 3 32 852 0.60 4.82 2 1100 Merja desWlad Khallouf 8 5 297 828 0.58 5.40 2 1070 Embouchure de l'wad Martil 0 4 0 366 0.26 5.65 2 3035 Embouchure de l'Wad Cherrat 0 1 0 303 0.21 5.86 2 1150 Merja desWlad Skher 2 5 206 258 0.18 6.05 2

1170. MerjaBar•ha 2 ,5. 1 201 0.14 6.19 2 Priority 3 (SNI for 1 species) 2010 SebkhaBouAreg 6 4 389 769 0.54 0.54 1 5157 Embouchure de l'wad Awrewra 0 1 0 460 0.32 0.86 1 1025 C6te Sidi Qacem-Rouadi 0 1 0 365 0.26 1.11 1 1010 Plan d'eau de l'wad Mlalah 2 4 184 333 0.23 1.35 1 5200 Embouchurede l'wadChbeyka 5 5 4 312 0.22 1.56 1 3032 Plagede Skhirate 0 4 0 264 0.18 1.75 1 3215 PlagedeBeddouza 0 1 0 229 0.16 1.91 1 1020 Merja SidiQacem 2 4 55 201 0.14 2.05 1 1060 Merja Hawwara 1 5 274 175 0.12 2.17 1 5130 Embouchure de l'wad Massa 8 5 102 163 0.11 2.29 1 1320 Plansd'eau de Dwiyate 8 4 322 151 0.11 2.39 1 3270 SebkhaZima 8 4 239 150 0.10 2.50 1 5260 Portet plagede Tarfaya 1 1 864 100 0.07 2.57 1 1300 Merja de Sidi Bou Ghaba 8 5 46 89 0.06 2.63 1 3090 Dayade Tamaris-plage 2 1 0 78 0.05 2.68 1 3250 Plan d'eau de Sail 2 3 38 57 0.04 2.72 1 3020Embouchure del'wad Bou Re•re• 1 4 55 56 0.04 2.76 1 Sitesof nationalor internationalimportance not monitoredin 1991-95 3260 SehbE1 Mejnoun 4 0 2285 0 0.00 0.00 1 12,50Merja, Dawr, a ,4 0 767 0, 0.00 0.00 1 Sitesof nationalimportance wholly or partly lost 1270 Merja Boukka 3 4 1440 727 0.51 0.51 2 3130 Dayad'A1Jadida 4 2 3 141 0.10 0.61 2 1,160Dayas Zarafa etMhi.bess , 1 4 412 40 0.03 0.64 1

Bulletin 96 December 2001 58 Wader Study Group Bulletin

KEY-SITES FOR THE WINTER MONITORING OF Thisstudy has confirmed the major importance of Morocco, WADERS especiallyof its Atlantic coastwetlands, for winteringwad- ers.For twelve species,the countrysupports more than 1% Forty-fourwetlands identified as being of internationaland/ of the relevantbiogeographic populations and, for seven or nationalimportance constitute the nationalsite network species,more than 4%. Three of these- Avocet, Ringed for the winter censusof waders (Table 6). They are classi- Ploverand Kentish Plover - arerepresented by 8%, 14% and fied into three priority levels: 30% respectivelyof their total number.The exceptionally high countof Kentish Ploversmay be relatedto the fact that [-I 1stpriority: Sitesof InternationalImportance with two the Moroccanbreeding population appears to be increasing. sub-levels, the first (la) being Sites of International The value of Morocco for wadersis principally due to Importanceand the second(lb) beingSites of Potential severalestuarine and coastalwetlands the importanceof InternationalImportance; whichin the East-Atlanticflyway hasnow beenestablished. [-I 2ndpriority: Sitesof NationalImportance for at leasttwo The assessmentof winteringsites identified at leastseven species; wetlands that meet one or more of the Ramsar criteria. Two [] 3rdpriority: Sitesof National Importancefor a single of theseare already listed under this convention, and the other species. five were recentlyproposed as protectedareas (A.E.F.C.S. 1996). On the other hand, this assessmentled to the selec- A completesurvey of this sitenetwork covers about 98% tion of a relatively high number of priority sitesfor future of the waderswintering in Morocco. The twelve sitesof 1st monitoringunder the InternationalWaterfowl Census. How- priority support,on average,89.0%, whereasthose of 2nd ever,the fact that95 % of the wadersare usually concentrated prioritysupport 6.2 %. We considerthat the 25 sitesof prior- in 25 wetlandsallows consideration of theseas key-sites for ities 1 and2 couldconstitute the nationalnetwork of key-sites the winter monitoringof waders.Therefore, with thesecov- for the international mid-winter census of waders. Occasion- eredthoroughly, the main specieswill be adequatelymoni- ally (in wet winters), it will be necessaryto add to this net- tored without the necessityfor an exhaustivecensus. work the temporary sites of Sehb E1 Mejnoun and Merja An aim of future monitoringis to improvethe quality of Dawra. the countsat the nationallevel. One particularreason for this Countsin the 16 sitesof 3rd priority coveronly 2.7 % of is to accumulatesufficient data to establishadequate man- the population,though they are usefulfor data on the nine agementplans for wetlandsin the nationalnetwork of pro- speciesresponsible for the nationalimportance of thesesites. tected areas. Each of these speciesuses only 1-2 sitesin this category. However, Black-winged Stilt reachesthe 1% level of its ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS nationalpopulation at five sitesof 3rd priority.Therefore the omission of such sites would lead to an underestimation of We thank all the voluntary observers,too numerousto be the nationalpopulation of that species.However, someof namedhere, who participatedto the censuses.Without their thesesites are of first priority for groupsof birds otherthan help,this synthesis could not havebeen accomplished. Many wadersso they will be coveredanyway. thanksalso to Nick Davidson,Simon Delany and Humphrey It is likely that this orderof priority will vary from year Sitterswho reviewed the Englishversion of this paper. to year, dependingon autumn-winterrain. The floodingof some temporary wetlands, for example, is not regular, REFERENCES whereasan excessof water may be unfavourableto small waders in several estuarine sites. A.E.F.C.S. 1996. Plan directeur des Aires Prot•gdes du Maroc. Vol. 1- 5. Adm. Euax & For•ts Conserv. Sols. 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