Acrocephalus
Well-known member
Go-South, 1 May 2015: Barbary (?) Falcon at Rissani.
Despite the dark head and large moustaches, this bird is indeed a Barbary Falcon according to the comments of Dick Forsman and Andrea Corso. Both commented that this bird is within the normal variation of Barbary's. A Moroccan falconer, who knows the subject very well, made also interesting comments.
Extract from the comment of the Moroccan falconer (which Andea agreed with):
Barbaries have a lot of individual and regional variations in sizes and color morphs. From absolute black nape, wide moustaches and helmet to reddish nape, thin moustaches and almost red top of the head color pattern.
Contrasts in colors, within the same clutch varies from dark brown reddish to light pale on light brown spots in juveniles.
This shows once more that the identification of these falcons in Morocco is not easy (and that's why we see now and then ID requests in Bird Identification subforum.