Morocco Ramsar wetland
Souss-Massa National Park
280 bird species recorded; the most from March to April.
This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves . Feel free to use my photos, but please ment · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
203 species in January.197 species in February.224 species in March.229 species in April.165 species in May.96 species in June.111 species in July.140 species in August.174 species in September.183 species in October.198 species in November.186 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
VU
NT
VU
VU
VU
VU
NT
VUNT
VU
NTVU
VU
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
280 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 280Speciesrecorded more than once
- 135Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 6ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 65,924Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 23Raptors
- 4Owls
- 37Waders
- 28Gulls & seabirds
- 21Ducks & geese
- 15Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 1Flamingos
- 114Songbirds
- 34Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 280 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors23 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Long-legged BuzzardButeo rufinus
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Eleonora's FalconFalco eleonorae
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
- Tawny EagleAquila rapaxVU
- LannerFalco biarmicus
- Egyptian vultureNeophron percnopterus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
Owls4 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Eurasian Scops OwlOtus scops
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
Waders37 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- RedshankTringa totanus
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Cream-coloured CourserCursorius cursor
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
- Eurasian DotterelCharadrius morinellus
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaNT
- Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolor
- Grey (Red) PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
Gulls & seabirds28 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Lesser Crested TernThalasseus bengalensis
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Balearic shearwaterPuffinus mauretanicusCR
- Scopoli's ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea
- Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinus
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Sooty shearwaterPuffinus griseus
- West African Crested TernThalasseus albididorsalis
Ducks & geese21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Marbled TealMarmaronetta angustirostrisNT
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- GadwallMareca strepera
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensis
- Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
- Snow gooseAnser caerulescens
- Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
Herons, ibises & grebes15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- WaldrappGeronticus eremita
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Common CraneGrus grus
- Black storkCiconia nigra
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds114 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Moussier's RedstartPhoenicurus moussieri
- Common BulbulPycnonotus barbatus
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Black-crowned TchagraTchagra senegalus
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Spotless StarlingSturnus unicolor
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Maghreb MagpiePica mauritanica
- Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- House BuntingEmberiza sahari
- African Sand MartinRiparia paludicola
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Western Olivaceous WarblerIduna opaca
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Western Subalpine WarblerCurruca iberiae
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Great titParus major
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- African ChaffinchFringilla spodiogenys
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Rufous-tailed Scrub RobinErythropygia galactotes
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Lesser Short-toed LarkCalandrella rufescens
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
- Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
- Iberian ChiffchaffPhylloscopus ibericus
- Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Western Orphean WarblerSylvia hortensis
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- Trumpeter FinchBucanetes githagineus
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- African Blue TitCyanistes teneriffae
- Desert wheatearOenanthe deserti
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Moustached WarblerAcrocephalus melanopogon
- Black WheatearOenanthe leucura
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- Sardinian WarblerSylvia melanocephala
- Tristram's WarblerSylvia deserticola
- Eastern Olivaceous WarblerIduna pallida
- Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
- Rock BuntingEmberiza cia
- Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- White-crowned Black WheatearOenanthe leucopyga
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Rock SparrowPetronia petronia
- Dartford WarblerSylvia undata
- Brown-necked RavenCorvus ruficollis
- African StonechatSaxicola torquatus
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Calandra larkMelanocorypha calandra
- Hoopoe LarkAlaemon alaudipes
- Red-rumped WheatearOenanthe moesta
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Pale Crag MartinPtyonoprogne obsoleta
- Richard's PipitAnthus richardi
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Fulvous BabblerTurdoides fulva
- Common Rock ThrushMonticola saxatilis
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Isabelline wheatearOenanthe isabellina
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- Bar-tailed Desert LarkAmmomanes cinctura
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
- Desert LarkAmmomanes deserti
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Little BuntingEmberiza pusilla
- Bearded ReedlingPanurus biarmicus
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Temminck's LarkEremophila bilopha
- Mourning WheatearOenanthe lugens
- Atlas Pied FlycatcherFicedula speculigera
Other birds34 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- CootFulica atra
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- European SwiftApus apus
- Barbary PartridgeAlectoris barbara
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Little SwiftApus affinis
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Red-necked NightjarCaprimulgus ruficollisNT
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- Black-bellied SandgrousePterocles orientalis
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Red-knobbed CootFulica cristata
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eaterMerops persicus
- Porzana parvaPorzana parva
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- Spotted SandgrousePterocles senegallus
- Maghreb Green WoodpeckerPicus vaillantii
- Crowned SandgrousePterocles coronatus
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species from March to April.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan19°/8°28 mm
- Feb20°/8°35 mm
- Mar23°/10°38 mm
- Apr24°/12°20 mm
- May27°/14°13 mm
- Jun30°/17°3 mm
- Jul35°/20°3 mm
- Aug35°/21°6 mm
- Sep30°/18°12 mm
- Oct27°/16°31 mm
- Nov23°/12°66 mm
- Dec20°/9°38 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Souss-Massa National Park.
National park in Morocco
Souss-Massa National Park is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Morocco.
280 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 65,924 open records.
The most recorded are the Barn swallow, the Moussier's Redstart and the Common Bulbul.
44 species come for the summer, 84 for the winter and 7 only pass through.
6 are threatened worldwide, including European Turtle Dove, Grey Plover and Curlew Sandpiper.
The most species are recorded from March to April.
Get there and watch
- Camp international Wassay Beachcampsite · 2.8 km · 3 within 10 km
- maison de vaccanceplace to stay · 1.2 km · 3 within 10 km
- Bellaanearest town · 11 km in a straight line
- Al Massira Airport (AGA)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 37 km in a straight lineCar hire at AGA airport (Agadir)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1bird hides within 6 kmObservatoire de l'Oued Massa
- 2viewpoints within 5 kmObservatoire de l'Oued Massa, Fisherman's Cave
- 5car parks within 3 km
- 2restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 3campsites within 10 kmCamp international Wassay Beach, Camping
- 3places to stay within 10 kmmaison de vaccance, Ksar Massa, Tiger Lounge
- observation towers within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Souss-Massa National Park.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas2 mountains within 25 kmMerzifaddene · 3.4 kmIsk n' Guentour · 20 km
Coastya1 beaches within 10 kmPlage Sidi-Rbat · 2.2 km
Riveryasthe river nearbyMassa River120 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
Souss-Massa National Park
Morocco
- 80Birdyas Score
- 280Species
- 135Migrants
- 6Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q784621) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 65,924 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Coastya, Riveryas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit 
lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit