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Tunisian Republic

Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor ©Nigel Blake Website
Birding Tunisia

Tunisia, officially the Tunisian Republic, is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. It is the northernmost country on the African continent, and the smallest of the nations situated along the Atlas mountain range. Around forty percent of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil and a 1300 km coastline. Both played a prominent role in ancient times, first with the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, then as the Africa Province which became known as the bread basket of the Roman Empire, and then as the Maghreb region of various medieval Islamic states. Tunisia ranks high among Arab and African nations in reports released by The World Economic Forum. In the 2008-2009 version, it is first in Africa and 36th globally for economic competitiveness, well ahead of Portugal, Italy and Greece. It currently lies at the penultimate stage of development: efficiency-driven economies.Tunisia is a country situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Nile Valley. It is bordered by Algeria in the west and Libya in the south-east. An abrupt southern turn of its shoreline gives Tunisia two faces on the Mediterranean.

Despite its relatively small size, Tunisia has great geographical and climactic diversity. The Dorsal, an extension of the Atlas Mountains, traverses Tunisia in a northeasterly direction from the Algerian border in the west to the Cape Bon peninsula. North of the Dorsal is the Tell, a region characterized by low, rolling hills and plains, although in the northwestern corner of Tunisia, the land reaches elevations of 1,050 meters. The Sahil is a plain along Tunisia’s eastern Mediterranean coast famous for its olive monoculture. Inland from the Sahil, between the Dorsal and a range of hills south of Gafsa, are the Steppes. Much of the southern region is semi-arid and desert.

There is an International Migration Camp each year iat Cap Bon – It is organised by Association Les Amis des Oiseaux – it is be usually held at El Haouaria early May – full details available from MILADI Issam who is responsible for the International Migration Camp by post to Association les Amis des Oiseaux Cap-Bon, Avenue Habib BOURGUIBA 8045 El HAOUARIA Tel/Fax : 00216 72- 269200 E-mail: aao.capbon@gnet.tn

Contributors
Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: 375

    (As at September 2018)
Checklist

  • iGoTerra Checklist

    iGoTerra Checklist
    Fatbirder Associate iGoTerra offers the most comprehensive and up to date birds lists on the web
Useful Reading

  • Birds of Tunisia - Oiseaux de Tunisie

    By Paul Isenmann | Societé d'Etudes Ornithologiques de France | 2005 |Paperback | 432 pages, 200 colour photos, 150 maps | ISBN: 9782950654892 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Organisations

  • African Bird Club

    Website
    The variety of ecological zones means that Tunisia, despite its limited area, enjoys a relatively high level of biodiversity. About 393 species of bird have been recorded, 187 of them breeding. Most species are of Palearctic or desert origin. During the migration and wintering period, because of the large number and extent of its wetlands, Tunisia hosts a considerable number of waterbirds, including rare and threatened species

  • Association Les Amis des Oiseaux

    Website
    Immeuble CERES, 23 rue d’Espagne, 1000 Tunis. + 216 1 350875; aao.capbon@gnet.tn [Website cannot be viewed without 'Flash']

  • Association les Amis des Oiseaux Section cap Bon

    Facebook Page
    Cr
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • IBAs

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Tunisia is a major area of concentration for migrants including soaring species like birds of prey, European White Stork Ciconia ciconia and Common Crane Grus grus. In spring they move northwards through the country, concentrating at El Haouaria at the tip of Cape Bon before continuing their 146 km journey across the Mediterranean to Italy. In this period up to 40,000 individuals of 23 species of raptor may be observed including threatened species such as Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus and Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni. In addition to this huge concentration, thousands of passerines cross Tunisia during the autumn and spring migrations and are observed in coastal areas and oases

  • NP Chambi

    InformationSatellite View
    It protects the flora and fauna surrounding Mount Chambi (Djebel Chambi), the highest mountain peak (1,544m above sea level) in Tunisia. The parks has no permanent rivers or streams, but it is one of the last refuges of the endangered Cuvier's gazelle and home to vulnerable Barbary sheep. The park is also the site of notable plant life (holm oak and Cotoneaster nummularia, Aleppo pine, and Stipa tenacissima) and birds (including the Tunisian crossbill, the Egyptian vulture, Bonelli's eagle, and he peregrine falcon, among others).

  • NP Ichkeul

    InformationSatellite View
    The lake and wetlands of Ichkeul National Park are an important stopping-over point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds each year.

  • NP Jebil

    InformationSatellite View
    Jebil National Park Map showing the location of Jebil National ParkMap showing the location of Jebil National Park Location Tunisia Coordinates 32°54′4″N 9°9′25″ECoordinates: 32°54′4″N 9°9′25″E Area 1,500 km2 Established 1994 Jebil is a national park in Tunisia situated within the Sahara desert. Covering an area of 150,000 hectares, it is the country's largest national park and makes up most of the southern part of the country. Though large, it is relatively new having been designated a national park in 1994 (unofficially since 1984). It is the only national park within the Sahara desert proper

  • National Parks

    WebsiteSatellite View
    With a view to preserving its ecological heritage, Tunisia has embarked on a voluntarist policy for the protection of its ecosystems and its biodiversity. Eight natural areas identified as priority zones have been established as national parks.
Trip Reports

  • 2012 [01 January] - Andrea Corso

    PDF Report
    …Marbled Ducks, Ferruginous Ducks, Long-legged Buzzards, Bonelli's Eagles, Lanners, Barbary Partridges, Slender- billed Gulls, Caspian Terns, Laughing Doves, Pharaoh Eagle Owl, Short-eared Owl, Little Swifts, Bar-tailed Larks, Desert Larks, Greater Hoopoe Larks, Thekla Larks, Temminck's Larks, Richard's Pipit , Red-throated Pipits, African Reed Warblers, Tristram's Warblers, Moussier's Redstarts, White-crowned Black Wheatears, Black Wheatears, Maghreb Wheatears, Red-rumped Wheatears, Desert Wheatears, Southern / Desert Grey Shrikes, Brown-necked Ravens, Trumpeter Finches…

  • 2012 [05 May] - Georges Olioso - El Feija NP (NW Tunisia)

    PDF Report
    …We stayed in this region from 8 till 21 May, concentrating our activities on the complete reserve and, more additionally, the other forest parts of the national park. We also exploited the possibilities offered by the vacation center of Aïn Soltane which, although situated inside a forest, just outside the park, at the height about 850 m, presents an aspect of urban park with lawns (sometimes wet) and hedges of old poplars and cypress…

  • 2013 [06 June] - Mark Graham

    Report
    …Spent a week at the Riu El Mansour Mahdia from 26/5/2013 to 2/6/2013. Didn’t do any research beforehand. It was intended as a relaxing break with whatever birdwatching was on hand. I wasn’t expecting much but the birdwatching turned out to be excellent…

  • 2015 [02 February] - Mark Beevers

    PDF Report
    As all the tour participants had arrived the previous day, day one saw a change to the itinerary in that we were able to visit Carthage for the morning. Here we started off by visiting the museum in which there were many artefacts and models of how the area looked back in the day.

  • 2019 [06 June] - Sash Tusa

    PDF Report
    A long weekend trip made 17-20 June 2019, largely to the Tunis area. The weather was hot, but overcast, with the odd spot of rain, and quite high winds.
Blogs

  • North Africa Birds

    BLOG

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