From Opus

This article is incomplete. This article is missing one or more sections. You can help the BirdForum Opus by expanding it.

[edit] Overview

Also known as Guelmim, this area lies about 200km south of Agadir and has a superb range of desert birds, especially larks and wheatears, that can be difficult to see elsewhere in Morocco.

As well as the desert species to be found in this very arid area there are excellent raptors and a range of other species along the Oued Sayed.

[edit] Birds

[edit] Notable Species

The best desert birds are found south of Goulimime and although the birds are probably found throughout the arid plains there are spots that are guaranteed to produce good birds.

One such spot is known as the �Tan-Tan 100km post� about 35km south of the town. Larks possible in this area include Greater Short-toed Lark and Lesser Short-toed Lark, Desert Lark and Bar-tailed Desert Lark, Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Thick-billed Lark and Temminck's Horned Lark. Black Wheatear, White-tailed Wheatear, Red-rumped Wheatear and Desert Wheatear are also regularly seen here as well as Trumpeter Finch and Streaked Scrub Warbler and Tristram's Warbler.

Cream-coloured Courser and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Crowned Sandgrouse and Spotted Sandgrouse also occur.

Raptors such as Lanner Falcon, Black Kite, Long-legged Buzzard and Tawny Eagle can be seen and Golden Eagle is possible in the hills to the east.

In the vegetation of the less arid areas along the Oued Sayed there are Spectacled Warbler, Thekla Lark and Fulvous Babbler and the river itself attracts passage and wintering waders. Brown-necked Raven occurs in the refuse tip south of the town.

[edit] Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Little Egret, Black Kite, Long-legged Buzzard, Tawny Eagle, Golden Eagle, Lanner Falcon, Common Moorhen, Cream-coloured Courser, Little Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Crowned Sandgrouse, Spotted Sandgrouse, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Pallid Swift, Bar-tailed Desert Lark, Desert Lark, Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Thick-billed Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Thekla Lark, Temminck's Horned Lark, Barn Swallow, Northern House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Common Bulbul, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Red-rumped Wheatear, White-tailed Wheatear, Black Wheatear, Zitting Cisticola, Streaked Scrub Warbler, Tristram's Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Willow Warbler, Fulvous Babbler, Southern Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Common Magpie, Brown-necked Raven, European Goldfinch, Trumpeter Finch, House Bunting

[edit] Other Wildlife

To do

[edit] Site Information

[edit] History and Use

To do

[edit] Areas of Interest

To do

[edit] Access and Facilities

To visit this area birders need to be well-prepared for desert travel and camping is probably the only option for accommodation. Goulimime is reached on the main coast road, the P41, south from Agadir which has an international airport.

[edit] Contact Details

To do

[edit] External Links

Goulimime on Googlemaps

Content and images originally posted by Steve