Morocco: Best of Northwest Africa

Birding Tour Morocco : Best of Northwest Africa
March 2026/2027

Morocco is one of the most exciting birdwatching destinations in the Western Palearctic. It offers a tantalizing mix of stunning landscapes, rich history, fascinating culture, and an outstanding bird list featuring regional endemics, migrants, and desert species, making a birding tour to Morocco truly special. Our itinerary uses high-standard accommodation throughout, most of which is in beautiful, traditional style Riads. The tour visits the country at the best time of year for birdwatching, and uses some of the best birding guides in Morocco.

Temminck’s Lark is one of Morocco’s most striking lark species and one of many we will look for during the tour.

Its position at the northwesternmost tip of Africa makes Morocco a gateway between the continent and Europe. It acts as a key bottleneck in the African-Eurasian Flyway, funneling millions of migratory birds through the country every spring as they head to European breeding grounds, and again in the fall as they return to their wintering areas in Africa. Morocco is an incredibly varied country to explore, shaped by the dramatic spine of the Atlas Mountains and the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert. From Mediterranean scrub and oak woodlands to snow-dusted alpine slopes, rocky steppe plains, lush oases, and rich coastal wetlands, the range of habitats is impressive. This in turn supports an exceptional number of bird species, including North African endemics such as Barbary Partridge, African Houbara, Moussier’s Redstart, and Atlas Wheatear, desert specialists like Egyptian Nightjar and Spotted Sandgrouse, and beautiful migrants such as European Roller, and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater.

We will look for desert specialists, such as these Pin-tailed Sandgrouse.

We begin our tour by heading to the breathtaking snow-capped High Atlas Mountains, where we target species endemic to the Maghreb region of northwestern Africa. Key birds here include Barbary Partridge, Levaillant’s Woodpecker, Maghreb Magpie, African Blue Tit, and Atlas Wheatear. From here, we cross the dramatic Tizi-n-Tichka Pass, stopping to search for Tristram’s Warbler, another Maghreb endemic, in the juniper forests.

Descending into the drier foothills, we explore the famed Tagdilt Track for desert specialties such as Crowned Sandgrouse and a number of wheatears and larks, including Thick-billed Lark and the gorgeous Red-rumped Wheatear. We have a good chance of encountering the impressive Pharaoh Eagle-Owl in nearby canyons, along with migrants moving north such as Eurasian Stone-curlew, Woodchat Shrike, Western Subalpine Warbler, and Common Nightingale. We will also seek the elusive Streaked Scrub Warbler, a prized monotypic family, against the backdrop of the towering Todra Gorge. Heading north to the Zaida Plain, we target the rare and declining Dupont’s Lark, as well as desert passerines such as Moussier’s Redstart and Desert Wheatear.

Greater Hoopoe-Lark is a highly sought-after and tough target in the desert.

As we move deeper into the desert, we stay in a beautiful traditional kasbah as our base to explore the Sahara Desert. Here some really special birds become possible, including spotted Sandgrouse, Desert Sparrow, Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Thick-billed Lark, Bar-tailed Lark and, with luck, the increasingly rare African  Houbara, a bustard which has declined rapidly due to pressure from hunting. We will also target other exciting species such as Egyptian Nightjar, multiple sandgrouse species, Cream-colored Courser, Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, and much more. Migrants fill the hotel gardens, such as Western Orphean Warbler, Eurasian Wryneck, and Bluethroat.

Crossing the Anti-Atlas to Ouarzazate, we stop at a productive wetland, where anything can turn up among the huge numbers of wildfowl, shorebirds, gulls, and raptors, but top targets are Marbled Duck, Greater Flamingo, and Cream-colored Courser. Continuing west through the Souss Valley, the haunt of Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, we pause to enjoy the beautiful historic town of Taroudant. After our fill of desert birding, we reach the Atlantic coast and spend three nights in Agadir, using this as a base to explore superb coastal estuaries, rivers, and waterbodies. Here we search for key species including Marbled Duck, Audouin’s Gull, Baillon’s Crake, Little Crake, Audouin’s Gull, and Great Spotted Cuckoo. Our primary target in this area is the fascinating and Endangered (BirdLife International) Northern Bald Ibis, one of the world’s rarest and most distinctive birds.

Finally, we head back inland via the Atlas Mountains and arrive in Marrakech for one final night. Upon arrival we have the option of enjoying the historic old quarter of Marrakech and the famous Jema-el-Fna square as we wrap up what is sure to have been a fantastic bird tour.

Several of the migrants we will look for offer something of a blast of color, such as this gorgeous European Roller.

You might be interested to follow the migrants and extend your stay in this part of the world by joining our Birding Tour Spain: Spring Birding Extravaganza tour, which follows this exciting Morocco tour.

Itinerary (15 days/14 nights)

Day 1. Arrival in Marrakesh

You will be met at Marrakesh Menara Airport by your experienced guides (a Birding Ecotours tour leader will accompany this tour with our excellent Moroccan local guide), and you will be transferred to your comfortable hotel for the night. This will be a great opportunity to relax after your journey to Morocco before the birding starts the next day. In the evening we will meet to have a group welcome meal and discuss the exciting tour ahead. Marrakesh is a fascinating city, and we recommend an early arrival should you want to explore its medieval city, mosques, souks, and palaces. We can help you with any extra activities and accommodation.

Overnight: Hotel El Kenzi Rose Gaden, or similar, Marrakesh

Day 2. Birding the High Atlas Mountains and Oukaimeden

After a traditional breakfast, where the sound of Pallid Swift and Little Swift screeching overhead may greet us, we will drive up into the High Atlas Mountains and visit Oukaimeden at 8,530 feet (2,600m), which lies on the edge of the Parc National de Toubkal. This stunning area in the High Atlas Mountains is a popular ski resort, but it is also a fantastic area for birding. As we drive by the cultivated fields on our way into the mountains, we should see some of the regions specialties, such as Maghreb Magpie, African Blue Tit, the charismatic Moussier’s Redstart, and House Bunting, plus the endearing Little Owl, Great Grey Shrike (mostly being the algeriensis subspecies which is known as ‘Sahara Grey Shrike’), Sardinian Warbler, Spotless Starling, and White-throated Dipper.

We hope to see several raptors on this tour including the impressive Bonelli’s Eagle.

As we gain altitude, we will search the cedar and pine forests for the regional endemic Levaillant’s Woodpecker, while among the rocky slopes we hope to find the striking Atlas Wheatear and Black Wheatear. When we reach the ski resort area at Oukaimeden, we will check the snowline for the handsome Crimson-winged Finch. The mountains offer good opportunities for seeing a number of raptor species, including majestic Bearded Vulture, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Golden Eagle, and Montagu’s Harrier, and songbirds we will hope to see include Red-billed Chough, Alpine Chough, Horned (Shore) Lark, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Sparrow, Water Pipit, African Chaffinch (a recent split from Eurasian Chaffinch), and Red (Common) Crossbill. It is sure to be a thoroughly exciting start to our Morocco bird tour.

Overnight: Hotel El Kenzi Rose Gaden, or similar, Marrakesh

Day 3. Birding the High Atlas Mountains to the foothills

From the flat plains of Marrakesh, we turn back uphill, and drive to Boumalne du Dades via the famous Tizi-n-Tichka Pass at 7,414 feet (2,260 meters), which is a spectacular drive and is sure to be an enjoyable experience. At the pass we will try for Tristram’s Warbler, another regional endemic. This species has very specific habitat requirements away from its wintering grounds and it is not always an easy bird to find, but we are working with great local guides that understand this species and will put in the effort required. As the road climbs into the hills, we should start to see raptors such as Bonelli’s Eagle and Long-legged Buzzard, and hirundines like Eurasian Crag Martin, Western House Martin, European Red-rumped Swallow, along with Eurasian Hoopoe, Woodchat Shrike, and Thekla’s Lark.

Before reaching Boumalne du Dades we will stop in Amerzgane to look for the rare Maghreb Wheatear. This area is brilliant for a number of migratory songbirds, and we hope to find Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Blackcap, Western Subalpine Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Common Nightingale, Common Redstart, Western Yellow Wagtail, and many more.

Overnight: Hotel Ksar Sultan Dades, or similar, Boumaine du Dades

Day 4. Birding the Tagdilt Track

With an early start, we will head to the famous Tagdilt Track. This is without doubt one of the top birding sites in southern Morocco. In fact, the whole area around Boumalne du Dades is sensational for birding, and here we could see a huge range of regional specials and migratory species moving north towards Europe.

While exploring the track we will keep our eyes peeled for key species like African Houbara, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Crowned Sandgrouse, Cream-colored Courser, Desert Wheatear, Red-rumped Wheatear, White-crowned Wheatear, Trumpeter Finch, and a whole range of larks including Bar-tailed Lark, Thekla’s Lark, Temminck’s Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, and the highly nomadic Thick-billed Lark. We will also keep our eyes peeled for Europe-bound migrants like Common Cuckoo, Eurasian Stone-curlew, Little Ringed Plover, White Stork, Common Redstart, Western Black-eared Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, and Tawny Pipit.

We will likely encounter several lark species on this tour, like this subtly beautiful Bar-tailed Lark.

If the heat allows, we will dedicate most of our day to exploring this area, and in the afternoon, we will visit a rocky canyon searching for Maghreb Wheatear, Desert Lark, and our first chance of the impressive desert specialist, the Pharaoh Eagle-Owl.

Overnight: Hotel Ksar Sultan Dades, or similar, Boumaine du Dades.

Day 5. The Todra Gorge and Zaida

Today we will begin by visiting the Todra Gorge, just to the north of the town of Tinghir. This is another highly productive birding area with specials like Streaked Scrub Warbler – a highly sought-after monotypic family, wild and native Rock Dove, Eurasian Crag Martin, Tristram’s Warbler, Blue Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear, and House Bunting. The wider list of passerines here can be vast, and our visit could also give us sightings of Bar-tailed Lark, Desert Lark, Spectacled Warbler, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, White-crowned Wheatear, Western Black-eared Wheatear, Black Wheatear, and many more.

A stunning White-crowned Wheatear sits out in the open scanning the area for insect food. It is often a highly confiding species and incredibly photogenic.

The Todra Gorge is also excellent for birds of prey, with Short-toed Snake Eagle, Booted Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, and Long-legged Buzzard all regular here. Later in the day we will travel northwards to the Zaida Plain to look for the Vulnerable (BirdLife International) Dupont’s Lark. This is a key target, as the species has seen rapid declines across many of its key breeding areas. We will also have a further chance for this species tomorrow.

Overnight: Meteorites Boulajoul Hotel, or similar, Zaida

Day 6. The Zaida Plain

Today will be an early start as we head back to the Zaida Plain to search for Dupont’s Lark. The plains are an excellent birding site with top targets including Thekla’s Lark, Temminck’s Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Mediterranean Short-toed Lark, Spectacled Warbler, Moussier’s Redstart, Atlas Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Red-rumped Wheatear, and Trumpeter Finch. We will check the plains for seasonally flooded wetlands, as the water may also attract desert species to drink, with beautiful Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, and Crowned Sandgrouse often seen here. These wetlands offer a glimpse into the fascinating life of waterbirds in the desert, with species such as Ferruginous Duck, Little Grebe, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Little Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, and Green Sandpiper. Depending on the heat, we will spend the entire day exploring this exciting area on the edge of the Anti-Atlas Mountains.

Overnight: Meteorites Boulajoul Hotel, or similar, Zaida

Day 7. Arrival in the Sahara Desert

After breakfast in our hotel, we will head south to the edge of the Sahara Desert, which is likely to be one of the many highlight of the tour! This journey will take us around five hours, but we will break up the journey with stops for birding. Along the route we may see Desert Lark, Eurasian Crag Martin, Blue Rock Thrush, White-crowned Wheatear, and many more species we may have encountered in previous days.

Also, on the journey we will stop at a scrubby wadi (dry river valley) to again seek out the elusive Streaked Scrub Warbler. Widespread across North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, this species belongs to a monotypic family, making it an exciting target, especially as it is difficult to access across much of its range. While looking for this interesting species, we may also find Thick-billed Lark and Trumpeter Finch, along with many other desert species listed as targets on Days 8 and 9.

Overnight: Hotel Yasmina, or similar, Merzouga

The charismatic Eurasian Hoopoe is likely to be seen on this tour.

Days 8 – 9. Birding the Sahara Desert

We will spend two full days in the Sahara Desert and explore the area around the town of Merzouga using comfortable 4×4 vehicles. We will explore the vast red dune known as Erg Chebbi. This is part of the largest dune system in Morocco and is a stunning backdrop to our birding here. The cafés in the area are good places to stop for a cold drink and to get incredible views of White-crowned Wheatear and Desert Sparrow. While birding among the beautiful sand dunes, we should encounter several specialist desert species, including Crowned Sandgrouse, Spotted Sandgrouse, Lanner Falcon, Brown-necked Raven, Bar-tailed Lark, Dunn’s Lark, Fulvous Babbler, African Desert Warbler, Desert Wheatear, and Trumpeter Finch. We will also have a good chance of seeing Egyptian Nightjar roosting in the day. These are well camouflaged and blend in very well to their chosen roost spot, but our local guides know where to look!

The Dayet Srij lake, at the southern edge of the dunes, can be an excellent spot for migrant shorebirds and other wetland species, including a flock of over 1,000 Greater Flamingos that often reside here – a truly spectacular sight. Shorebirds such as Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Green Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Ruff, and Little Stint are all likely, as are wildfowl like Ruddy Shelduck, Tufted Duck, and the Vulnerable (BirdLife International) Marbled Duck. Overhead the beautiful bubbling calls of European Bee-eater and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater will accompany us as we bird in this remote part of the Sahara.

During our time in the Sahara Desert, we will stay in a delightful kasbah which has attractive gardens. These gardens are a huge draw to migrant species as they traverse this harsh desert environment, at this time of year returning from southern or West Africa back to northern Europe to breed. Typical species we may come across in the gardens here include Laughing Dove, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Wryneck, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Western Olivaceous Warbler, Iberian Chiffchaff, Western Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, European Robin, Common Nightingale, European Pied Flycatcher, Black Redstart, and Tree Pipit. We may also get a visit from special desert species looking to shelter from the heat, with the striking Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Tristram’s Warbler, White-crowned Wheatear, and Desert Sparrow all possible.

Overnight (two nights): Hotel Yasmina, or similar, Merzouga

We hope to find Marbled Duck at Dayer Srij lake.

Day 10. Transfer to Ouarzazate via the Anti-Atlas Mountains

Today we will make the long drive back across central Morocco towards Ouarzazate, a stunning town and fortress in the foothills of the Anti-Atlas Mountains, famous for appearing in Game of Thrones, Gladiator, and many other films and TV shows! During our five-hour journey we will stop for birding and we should find common scrub species like Great Grey Shrike, White-crowned Wheatear, and others mentioned previously.

Before reaching Ouarzazate, we will stop and scan the vast Barrage El Mansour Eddahbi. This is another hugely productive site with over 200 species recorded here, with the peak activity and abundance of birds being during our visit in April. One of our major targets here is the regional endemic Maghreb Lark, which we hope to see around the lake shore. This massive lake is a fantastic spot for us to find a huge range of wildfowl, shorebirds (waders), herons, egrets, birds of prey, gulls, terns, hirundines, and passerines. Its position, and the attraction of resident and migrant birds to water, makes it a site where literally anything could turn up. To give you an idea of the variety on offer here, interesting species regularly include Ruddy Shelduck, Marbled Duck, Greater Flamingo, Purple Heron, Cream-colored Courser, Little Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Gull-billed Tern, Booted Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Alpine Swift, European Bee-eater, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Thick-billed Lark, Desert Lark, Western Olivaceous Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Bluethroat, and Atlas Wheatear, and so much more! It is sure to be an exciting visit with so many species on the cards.

Overnight: Riad Dar Chamaa, or similar, Ouarzazate

Day 11. The Souss Valley and Agadir

Today we will continue our drive west, through beautiful scenery while passing over the Anti-Atlas Mountains and into the Souss Valley. Within the Souss Valley we will search for interesting species like Black-crowned Tchagra, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Spanish Sparrow and Cirl Bunting. Migrant birds of prey are often seen along the valley with Short-toed Snake Eagle, Booted Eagle, and Montagu’s Harrier the most likely to be observed. We also have another good chance of finding the highly sought after Tristram’s Warbler.

Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin is a highly prized species and one that is most common in the Souss Valley during early spring.

We stop in Taroudant, one of the most beautiful historic towns in Morocco. We will spend some time here, to both appreciate the charming walled city, and the large numbers of Little Swift and Pallid Swift which often give stunning views as they swirl around the well-preserved ramparts. Around the town we may also find exciting species like Barbary Partridge, Levaillant’s Woodpecker, Maghreb Magpie, African Blue Tit, Fulvous Babbler, Moussier’s Redstart, White-crowned Wheatear, and House Bunting. The area is also a migration hotspot and we could find any of a large number of species. The most regularly reported at the time of our visit include White Stork, Spotted Crake, European Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Sedge Warbler, Western Orphean Warbler, and Spotted Flycatcher

Finally, we will reach the Atlantic coast and the city of Agadir, where we will be based for the following three nights as we explore the next wonderful area on our tour.

Overnight: Hotel Petit Palace, or similar, Agadir

Day 12. Birding Oued Massa and Oued Souss

Today we will explore the fantastic coastal wetlands of the Oued Massa National Park. This highly productive area is home to an incredible mix of resident and migrant species, with significant numbers of shorebirds (waders), wildfowl, gulls, terns, herons, egrets, birds of prey, and passerines possible. Like other areas on our tour, Oued Massa has several key target species, including Marbled Duck, and Moussier’s Redstart. Other notable species here include Garganey, Little Bittern, Glossy Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Eurasian Stone-curlew, Cream-colored Courser, Kentish Plover, Slender-billed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Black-crowned Tchagra, Brown-throated Martin, Mediterranean Short-toed Lark, Western Olivaceous Warbler, Western Black-eared Wheatear, and much more.

Later in the day we will visit the Oued Souss, the mouth of the Oued Massa River. This is a great site for shorebirds (waders), gulls, and terns, and here we should get our first sightings of the Vulnerable (BirdLife International) Audouin’s Gull. This striking species is often seen in small numbers among the much larger numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gull and Yellow-legged Gull. Other interesting species we should come across here include Marbled Duck, Ruddy Shelduck, Greater Flamingo, Collared Pratincole, Whiskered Tern, Lesser Kestrel, Maghreb Magpie, Zitting Cisticola, and Western Subalpine Warbler.

Overnight: Hotel Petit Palace, or similar, Agadir

We should see large numbers of Yellow-legged Gulls at the Oued Massa River.

Day 13. Birding the Atlantic coast

After breakfast we will once again explore the Atlantic coast around Agadir. Firstly, we will head to a local beach to search for Audouin’s Gull and witness the sight of hundreds of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Yellow-legged Gulls roosting on the beach. Offshore we may find passing seabirds like Northern Gannet, Great Skua, and Balearic Shearwater.

After lunch we will head north to the remote coastal areas around Tamri, targeting the reptilian-looking Northern Bald Ibis. This Endangered (BirdLife International) species is one of the world’s rarest birds, with Morocco holding 95% of the current wild population. While around Tamri we will explore the coastal scrub and fields in search of other attractive species like European Bee-eater, Black-crowned Tchagra, Woodchat Shrike, Moussier’s Redstart, Black Wheatear, Calandra Lark, and European Serin.

The Northern Bald Ibis is one of the world’s rarest species, and arguably one of the most strange-looking.

Overnight: Hotel Petit Palace, or similar, Agadir

Day 14. Transfer from Agadir to Marrakesh

Today we will make the journey back from Agadir, across the Atlas Mountains, to Marrakesh. On the way, we will make several stops to look for any interesting species and enjoy the stunning Moroccan landscape one final time. In the evening we have the option of visiting the old quarter of Marrakesh, including the impressive Jema-el-Fna square, which is a remarkable experience for any visitor. Here we can enjoy the vast number of stalls of the souk, where you can try your hand at bartering! We will enjoy our final traditional Moroccan meal together, and the hard ask of choosing our ‘bird of the trip’.

Overnight: Hotel El Kenzi Rose Gaden, or similar, Marrakesh

Day 15. Departure from Marrakesh

A non-birding day. After breakfast at our hotel, we will head to Marrakesh airport where the tour will conclude in the mid-morning. You may like to extend your stay in this part of the world by joining our Birding Tour Spain: Spring Birding Extravaganza where more great birds will await.

Overnight: Not included

Black-crowned Tchagra is a particularly great bird for the Western Palearctic region.

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides, and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling or other factors.

Useful information

During this Morocco tour, your guide will be driving you in a comfortable vehicle. The tour does not require a great deal of walking or steep hiking to see the bulk of the birds, though there are opportunities for longer hikes if you wish and we may climb the Erg Chebbi dune which is an incredibly challenging climb due to the heat and sand (this climb will be optional through). The highest altitudes involved are usually between 6,500 – 8,200 feet (2,000 – 2,500 meters), but only for one or two days of the tour, as we target the high-elevation specials of the area.

The temperatures during the tour will be wide-ranging. The weather during the High Atlas section of our tour could be highly variable, and we should be prepared for rain showers. Temperatures here should be between 52 – 64^oF (11 – 18^oC). The rest of the tour is more settled with temperatures on the coast being a comfortable 68 – 72^oF (20 – 22^oC) and temperatures in the desert area usually 75 – 79^oF (24 – 26^oC), however we could see the temperature rise to 88^oF (31^oC) on occasion. Nights in the desert are cold, with temperatures often dropping to 41 – 50^oF (5 – 10^oC).

Your accommodations all have private bathrooms and will be comfortable and attractively appointed in the local style. The larger towns and cities will have more upmarket hotels while those in the desert will be more traditional.