In this article I will concentrate on some of the many amazing Morocco bird watching opportunities you can enjoy on our Berber Treasures Morocco tours of northern Morocco.   In future articles  I will explore in more detail particular Morocco bird watching highlights including the incredible Moroccan Sahara Desert, the southern Morocco Atlantic coast, Morocco’s Atlas Mountain chains,  Morocco’s northern Atlantic and Mediterranean migratory and resident birding hotspots and more.  In my earlier article I provided a general overview of the diverse bird habitats in Morocco.

One of the many highlights for bird watching tours of Morocco is the biannual migratory crossing of the Straits of Gibraltar.   During the Northern Hemisphere spring huge populations of birds mass along Morocco’s Mediterranean coastline reading themselves for their journey northward into Europe and beyond, only to return in the autumn seeking the warmer northern African and Southern Hemisphere climate.   The biannual raptor migration crossing the Gibraltar Straits between Morocco and Spain is spectacular.  During favourable weather conditions in the peak migratory periods the sky over the Gibraltar Straits and Morocco’s Mediterranean coastline seem literally crowded with raptors, storks and other soaring birds as well as seabirds, waders and countless passerine species.   The rocky headland of Cape Spartel to the west of Tangier provides sheltering woodlands that serve as a respite haven for migrating birds and the thermal currents critical to the migratory crossing between Morocco and Europe.

Complementing the thrill of witnessing this natural phenomena are the marvellous interesting landscape, towns and villages, culture and cuisine of far northern Morocco.   Berber Treasures Morocco bird watching tours of Morocco can showcase the diversity of northern Morocco from the old Barbary coast pirate port of Asilah, the beautiful Rif Mountains town of Chefchaouen which became a sanctuary for Muslim and Jewish refugees during the European exodus caused by medieval Spanish Inquisition, to Tangier whose strategic Mediterranean location on the Gibraltar Straits has been recognised and sought after by seemingly every ancient and modern world power from the Phoenicians, Carthaginians Vandals and Romans to Great Britain, France, Spain and the USA.

Close to Chefchaouen in the rugged Rif Mountains is the proposed Talassemtane Natural Park.  More than 100 species of birds habitat this area which is particularly known for its raptor populations. 

Located roughly half way between Rabat, one of Morocco incredible imperial cities, and charming Asilah is wonderful Merja Zerga – one of Morocco’s many natural treasures.   This important wetland site is a crucial point on the East Atlantic Flyway connecting northern breeding grounds from northern America, the Arctic Circle and Northern Europe to wintering ground in Western Europe, Morocco and Western Africa.  In addition to providing a haven for migratory birds, Merja Zerga has over a rich diversity of resident Moroccan birds and is a vital breeding ground for the critically endangered Moroccan Mash Owl.  On our Berber Treasures Morocco tours you will witness the bio-diversity of this wonderful wetland exploring Merja Zerga by boat with local expert bird guides.  Please note in order to protect the Marsh Owl you cannot approach the Marsh Owl breeding roosts during the breeding season (February – May).

Morocco’s Merja Zerga is also the last known wintering ground for the extremely rare Slender-billed Curlew – regrettably the rarest bird in Europe and the Western Palearctic.   On our Berber Treasures Morocco bird watching tours of Morocco we encourage you to keep an eye out for this critically endangered bird and report any sightings to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds – there hasn’t had a reported confirmed sighting here since 1995 and the last verified sighting of it anywhere was in 2001 in Hungry.  Our Berber Treasures Morocco tours to Merja Zerga will provide you with the RSPB and AEWA factsheets to assist in identification.  We encourage you to visit the RSPB’s dedicated webpages at www.slenderbilledcurlew.net.

Morocco has fantastic birding opportunities. Join us on our Berber Treasures Morocco bird watching tours of Morocco and you can explore Morocco’s wonderfully diverse birding environments as well as medieval cities and souks, old pirate ports, ancient desert camel caravan oasis towns, traditional mountain and desert Berber villages, the famous Morocco kasbahs and so much more. Our Berber Treasures Morocco tours include special group bird watching tours of Morocco with different itineraries focusing of Morocco’s birding highlights.

Berber Treasures Morocco tours of Morocco including our bird watching tours of Morocco are conduct throughout the year. Our Morocco group bird watching tours focusing on migratory birds operate in February through April and August through October. If you have questions about Morocco travel at particular times or want to know more about our bird watching tours of Morocco please ask us. Contact us now for more details of all our Morocco tours.

Morocco’s diverse bird habitats range from soaring mountains, craggy coastlines, wetlands, lush plains to desert sand dunes and everything in between.  In this article on bird watching in Morocco I will provide an overview of some of the glorious variety of bird habitats in Morocco which you can include on the Morocco bird watching holiday  you choose from our Berber Treasures Morocco tours of Morocco and also focus a little more on migratory birds in Morocco.  In future articles I will explore in more detail particular Morocco birding highlights including Morocco’s Desert, the southern Morocco Atlantic coast, Morocco’s Atlas Mountain chains,  Morocco’s northern Atlantic and Mediterranean migratory and resident birding hot spots and more.

The Northern Hemisphere spring and autumn (fall) offer amazing opportunities for bird watching in Morocco on our Morocco tours as hundreds of species of birds travel in Morocco following their migratory routes.  Birds seem to be everywhere you look.  Whether you are a keen birding enthusiast or a casual birder you can’t helped but be impressed by the sight of huge populations of migrating eagles, storks, cranes, harriers, kites, vultures, buzzards, larks, thrushes, martins, finches and so many more – in fact more than 250 different bird species migrate through Morocco.   So get your binoculars and field guides ready because on our Berber Treasures Morocco bird watching tours of Morocco you will be busy spotting a wonderful array of migratory and resident birds in Morocco.

While different bird species migrate through Morocco at different times there are periods of more clustered activity which you can take advantage of on our Morocco tours geared to bird watchers.  In general the greater swell of migratory bird movement northward takes place from February through May (with lesser movements during June) reaching a crescendo of activity in March and April.  The southward bird migrations through Morocco principally occur from August through November with a concentrated peak in September and October, but some species (including some Warblers, Nightingales and Woodchat Shrikes) arrive as early as July and others (including some sea birds) as late as December.

Storks nesting atop an ancient kasbah tower - join our Berber Treasures Morocco tours for bird watching in Morocco

Morocco’s Atlantic coastline is a crucial link in the East Atlantic Flyway connecting northern breeding grounds in North America, the Arctic Circle and nearby islands and Northern Europe to wintering grounds in Western Europe, Morocco and Western Africa,  Some important Morocco birding hot spots along Morocco’s Atlantic coast include Souss Massa National Park (also known as Souss Masa and Oued Masa), Tamri, Sidi Moussa – Oualidia, Merja Zerga; and of course along Morocco’s Mediterranean coastline, most especially Cape Spartel, during the biannual migration across the Gibraltar Straits.  Berber Treasures Morocco bird watching tours of Morocco allow you to tract the Moroccan aspects of the East Atlantic Flyway.

Morocco’s majestic mountain environments include the High Atlas Mountains, Middle Atlas Mountains, Anti-Atlas Mountains, Rif Mountains and Jebel Saghro Mountains (also known as Jebel Sahro).  The oldest and highest national park in Morocco Toubkal National Park located in the western High Atlas Mountain and the proposed Ifrane National Park area in the Middle Atlas Mountains both offer landscapes or mountain peaks, forests, alpine lakes and rivers which attracts a great variety of birds.  More than 140 different species have been recorded in the Middle Atlas Mountain area around Ifrane with most breeding here and you can also find many migratory Palearctic birds.

The incredible Morocco Sahara Desert attracts a surprisingly diverse array of bird species from resident desert birds to migratory soaring and water birds.  Morocco’s desert environments range from stony plateaus, baked earthen plains, soaring sand dunes, lush oases, both permanent and seasonal lakes and rivers, to the desert side foothills and high valleys of the High Atlas Mountains and Jebel Saghro Mountains.  Morocco desert bird watching hotspots to add to your list of must sees on your Berber Treasures Morocco tours of Morocco include the permanent lake Barrage al Mansour Eddhabi at Ouarzazate, the seasonal Merzouga Lake (also known as Tamezguidat or Dayet Srij) at the base of the 100 m to 150 m high Erg Chebbi sand dunes, as well as the gorges (eg Dades Gorge and Todra Gorge and their oasis’), the desert foothills of the eastern High Atlas Mountains and the proposed Eastern High Atlas Mountain Park area and the Jebel Saghro Mountains area especially around the Tagdilt area.

Morocco has fantastic birding opportunities.  Join us on our Berber Treasures Morocco bird watching tours of Morocco and you can explore Morocco’s wonderfully diverse birding environments as well as medieval cities and souks, old pirate ports, ancient desert caravan towns, traditional Berber villages  and Morocco kasbahs.  Our Berber Treasures Morocco tours include special group bird watching tours of Morocco with different itineraries focusing of Morocco’s birding highlights.

Berber Treasures Morocco tours of Morocco including our birdwatching tours of Morocco are conduct throughout the year.  Our Morocco group bird watching tours focusing on migratory birds operate in February through April and August through October.   If you have questions about Morocco travel at particular times or want to know more about our bird watching tours of Morocco please ask us.  Contact us now for more details of all our Morocco tours.

White-crowned Black Wheatear: see the Birds of Morocco on our Berber Treasures Morocco tours

While the non-religious public holidays in Morocco always fall on the same date, this is not the case for the religious public holidays in Morocco.  The reason for this is that the religious public holidays in Morocco are determined by the Islamic calendar rather the the Western Gregorian calendar.  The differences between these two calendars means that each successive year each of these Morocco holidays (the religious public holidays) falls earlier in the year by approximately 10 days.  The Islamic calendar provides a date which acts as a guide for these religious Morocco holidays.  However, the actual date of some of the religious public holidays in Morocco are celebrated is governed by human sighting of the moon, so there can be a little variation as between Morocco and other counties as to the day its celebrated.   The Morocco holidays I am referring to are: Eid al-Mawlid (the Prophet’s Birthday); Eid al- Fitr (the End of Ramadan); Eid al-Adha (the Feast of the Sacrifice) and Fatih Muharram (the Islamic New Year)

Here on our Berber Treasures Morocco tours website we have a dedicated Morocco travel guide webpage – Morocco Travel Tips – which contains all the information about the Morocco holidays as well as lots of other handy Morocco travel tips and information useful in planning Morocco tours.  We keep our Morocco Travel Tips webpage updated, so if you are looking for up to date information on Morocco’s public holidays you can find it here and you can also contact us directly at info@berbertreasures.com.au or through our Contact Page.

The 2012 Morocco Public Holidays:

In addition, because in the Islamic faith each new day begins after sunset rather than after midnight, the celebrations for the religious public holidays in Morocco may start the evening before the date on our Morocco public holiday calendar.

Contact us now for more information about our unique Berber Treasures Morocco tours.

See Marrakech's old medina on your holidays in Morocco with one of our Berber Treasures Morocco Tours

© Berber Treasures 2012

We find may trekkers have heard of trekking in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains around Imlil, Toubkal National Park and Jbel Toubkal, the highest mountain in Morocco, and for good reason — this is a beautiful area with a range of trekking and walking possibilities for your holiday in Morocco from an easy walk to extremely strenuous treks.  However, there are many, many wonderful Moroccan trekking destinations and routes for your Morocco tours trekking adventure.

On our Berber Treasures Morocco travel and trekking tours in Morocco you can choose to take one of our memorable Sahara Desert treks in Morocco led through the sand dunes and hamada of the Sahara by a Berber guide and supported by camels; experience Morocco’s Berber culture with a village-to-village trek through one of Morocco’s many scenic mountain valleys; be fascinated by the incredible merging of desert and mountain landscapes on your tailor made Morocco holiday trekking through the beautiful desert oases nestled in the valleys and spectacular gorges of Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains and Anti-Atlas Mountains such as Dades Gorge & Dades Valley or Ait Mansour Gorge; or embrace the challenge of trekking through the higher peaks and mountain passes in the High Atlas Mountains on your holiday in Morocco.

These are just some of the possibilities on Berber Treasures Morocco tours and treks in Morocco.  Contact us now for details of our trekking holidays in Morocco.

Trek the High Atlas Mountains on Berber Treasures Morocco Tours

Moroccan Mauritania Tingitana represents the further most westerly limits of the ancient Roman Empire.  It is generally believed Volubilis was the southerly most point in Mauritania Tingitana.  However, there is some debate as to whether the Romans reached present day Casablanca and Essaouira – you can speculate on this possibility when you visit Casablanca, Essaouira and Volubilis on one of our tours of Morocco.

Tingis, now known as Tangier, was an important destination on the ancient Roman Morocco travel routes as it was the first capital of Roman Morocco.  In fact Tingis gave its name to the province – Mauritania Tingitana.  However, Tingis was subsequently replaced by Volubilis as the Roman capital.  On our tours of Morocco you can visit both Roman capital cities.

With Berber Treasures Morocco tours on your Morocco travel adventure you can also visit the ruins of the ancient Roman outposts at Lixus, close to present day Laroche, Sala Colonia, which is a must on city tours of Rabat – Sale, the relatively recently discovered settlement of Benassa (found in the late 19th century) and the ruins of Cotta adjacent to the Grotto of Hercules, close to Tangier.  Roman Morocco travel routes linked these outposts through a series of Roman roads.

Come explore Morocco travel what once was Mauritana Tingitana and follow the tracks of the ancient Roman Empire with one of our small group tours of Morocco or on our private tours of Morocco.  Contact us now for more information.

Visit Morocco's ancient Roman capital of Volubilis on Berber Treasures Morocco Tours to Morocco

Explore and learn more about the history of Morocco’s fabulous and unique imperial cities on one of our Morocco tours.   On a city tour of Fez (Fes) you will explore this amazing medieval city which has the oldest university in the world.  Taking a city tour of Marrakech you understand why until relatively recently Morocco was known as the Kingdom of Marrakech and on your tour of Rabat you can imagine what they city was like over the 200 or so years from the ealry 17th to 19th centuries when it served as the principle home of the notorious Barbary Coast  pirates or corsairs.  We can show you all the Morocco travel highlights on our Morocco tours.  Contact us now for more information about our tours to Morocco.

Visit Morocco's Imperial Cities, experience magical Marrakech on Berber Treasures Morocco Tours to Marrakech

The Medina, the city centre of Essaouira, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. Here you can enjoy your Morocco travel walking through the different Souqs (markets), bargaining with the local salesmen and trying Moroccan food. This will definitely be one of the highlights of your holiday in Morocco.

Water sport fans will also enjoy their Morocco tour in Essaouira, as the windy beaches are perfect for wind- and kite surfing. If you are not into water sports, use your holiday in Morocco to walk along the beaches and enjoy the great views.

If you want to plan your holiday in Morocco now and want to visit Essaouira, you might want to consider travelling to Morocco in June, when the Gnaoua World Music Festival is held in Essaouira. At this time of the year, Essaouira will be a bustling town, full of tourists from both Morocco and other countries, adding a special touch to your Morocco tour.

For more information contact the Berber Treasures team today on (02) 9267 0097 or simply send us an email.