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Western Sahara

Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus ©Dubi Shapiro Website

Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North-western Africa. It has a surface area of 272,000 km2 (105,000 square miles).  Western Sahara is located on the north-west coast in West Africa and on the cusp of North Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the northwest, Morocco proper to the north-northeast, Algeria to the east-northeast, and Mauritania to the east and south. Approximately 30% of the territory (82,500 km2 (31,900 square miles)) is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 70% is occupied and administered by neighbouring Morocco. It is the most sparsely populated territory in Africa and the second most sparsely populated territory in the world, mainly consisting of desert flatlands. The population is estimated at 618,600.

Nearly 40% of that population lives in Morocco-controlled Laayoune, the largest city of Western Sahara. The claimed capital city of the SADR is El Aaiún (the capital of the territory of Western Sahara). Since the SADR does not control El Aaiún, it has established a temporary capital in Tifariti, although most of the day-to-day administration happens in Rabuni, one of the Sahrawi refugee camps located in Tindouf, Algeria. The SADR maintains diplomatic relations with 46 United Nations states, and is a full member of the African Union. Morocco has won support from several African governments and most of the Muslim world and Arab League. The US also recognises Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. The United Nations considers it to be a ‘non-self-governing territory’.

Rocks near Boujdour – ©Darymaister CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Western Sahara’s economy is centred around fishing, nomadic herding and phosphate mining – fishing employs two thirds of the workforce. Most food for the urban population is imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan government. The government has encouraged citizens to relocate to the territory by giving subsidies and price controls on basic goods. These heavy subsidies have created a state-dominated economy in the Moroccan-controlled parts of Western Sahara, with the Moroccan government as the single biggest employer.

Western Sahara Desert Flatlands – ©Radosław Botev, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons

Birding Western Sahara

Among the most arid and inhospitable on the planet, the land along the coast is low flat desert and rises, especially in the north, to small mountains reaching up to 600 metres (2,000 ft) on the eastern side. While the area can experience flash flooding in the spring, there are no permanent streams. At times, a cool off-shore current can produce fog and heavy dew. The interior experiences extreme summer heat, with average highs reaching 43 to 45 °C in July and in August; during winter, days are still hot to very hot, with average highs from 25 to 30 °C; however, in the northern part of the territory, temperature may drop below 0 °C at night and it can be freezing in December and in January, although this is rare.

Dait Um Saad Intermittent Lake, Laayoune – ©ZAINEB HACHAMI CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Western Sahara contains four terrestrial eco-regions: Saharan halophytics, Mediterranean acacia-argania dry woodlands and succulent thickets, Atlantic coastal desert, and North Saharan steppe and woodlands.

Western Sahara’s wildlife is diverse and interesting, but often very hidden and, given the heat, many are nocturnal. mammals include Sand Cat, Ruppell’s and Fennec Fox, Honey Badgers, African Golden Wolf, Saharan Striped Polecat, Libyan Striped Weasels, Desert Hedgehog and African Wildcat.

Coastal areas hold abundant migrant waders, as well as Greater Flamingos, Audouin’s Gull and Caspian & African Royal Tern. Fulvous Babbler, Black Kite and European Bee-eater are found in coastal vegetation. Dessert birds are sparse but exciting with Desert Wheatear, Crowned Sandgrouse, Cricket Warbler, Cream-coloured Courser, Dunn’s, Bar-tailed & Greater Hoopoe Larks, Desert & Sudan Golden Sparrow and Lanner Falcon. Pharaoh Eagle-Owl and Golden Nightjar are the most sought-after nocturnal birds.

At the right time of year desert oases will be magnets for migrants travelling to and from West Africa and Europe.

Contributors
Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: 357

    (As at February 2025)
Checklist

  • Avibase

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Western Sahara , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.

  • E-Bird

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.

  • Wikipedia

    Annotated List
    This is a list of the bird species recorded in Western Sahara. The avifauna of Western Sahara include a total of 357 species.
Useful Reading

  • Birds of Morocco / Oiseaux du Maroc

    | By Patrick Bergier, Michel Thévenot, Abdeljebbar Qninba & Jean-Roch Houllier | Societé d'Etudes Ornithologiques de France | 2022 | Flexibound | 648 pages, 1100 colour photos, colour illustrations , and colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9782916802060 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Morocco – Sharing the Birds

    | A Sound Approach Guide to Birds of the Maghreb | By Arnoud B van den Berg | The Sound Approach | 2020 | Hardback | 308 pages, 2 plates with colour illustrations; 161 colour photos, 100 colour illustrations, includes USB key | ISBN: 9789081093392 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Where to Watch Birds in Morocco

    | By Patrick Bergier & Fédora Bergier | Pelagic Publishing | 2017 | Paperback | 166 pages, b/w illustrations, b/w maps | ISBN: 9781784271442 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Organisations

  • African Bird Club

    Website
    From an ornithological viewpoint, we have considered Morocco to include the geographic area of Western Sahara. Although there are proposals to hold a referendum at some future time on independence for Western Sahara, Morocco claims and administers it at present…

  • West African Ornithological Society

    Website
    West African Ornithological Society grew out of the Nigerian Ornithologists’ Society, which was founded in February 1964. Its object is to promote scientific interest in the birds of West Africa and to further the region’s ornithology, mainly by means of its journal Malimbus (formerly the Bulletin of the Nigerian Ornithologists’ Society). This journal is biannual and bilingual, a unique feature in Africa.The West African Ornithological Society grew out of the Nigerian Ornithologists’ Society, which was founded in February 1964. Its object is to promote scientific interest in the birds of West Africa and to further the region’s ornithology, mainly by means of its journal Malimbus (formerly the Bulletin of the Nigerian Ornithologists’ Society). This journal is biannual and bilingual, a unique feature in Africa.
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • IBAs

    WebsiteSatellite View
    The Mediterranean North Africa biome covers approximately the northern half of the country, including the mountain ranges, and 16 of the 17 species restricted to this biome are present in Morocco. These include Eleonora
Sightings, News & Forums
Guides & Tour Operators

  • BirdFinders

    Tour Operator
    On this tour we travel deep into the Sahara Desert to a comfortable house in Aousserd to look for the recently-discovered Golden Nightjar. Other target birds here include Black-crowned Sparrow-lark, Dunn’s Lark, Cricket Longtail, Fulvous Chatterer and Desert and Sudan Golden Sparrows, whilst at an oasis we should find both Crowned and Spotted Sandgrouse. At the coast we will look for Great (White-breasted) Cormorant, Lesser Crested and West African Crested Terns and possibly Kelp Gull, all within the Western Palearctic.

  • BirdQuest

    Tour Operator
    WESTERN SAHARA – Golden Nightjar, Dunn’s Lark, Fennec Fox & Sand Cat

  • Birding Ecotours

    Tour Operator
    As tour operators, we are really excited to introduce our Morocco birding tours, find out why below.

  • Birding Tours Morocco

    Local Tour Operator
    Local Tour Operator

  • Gayuin Birding Tours Agency

    Local Tour Operator
    Western Sahara: Birds & Mammals Tours 6 days / 5 nights

  • HeatherLea

    Tour Operator
    In the desert, rare and highly prized Golden Nightjar is a key target having recently been discovered breeding, and other specialities include Cricket Warbler, African Dunn’s Lark, Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Sudan Golden Sparrow, Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Bar-tailed, Thekla, Thick-billed, Temminck’s and Desert Larks, Black, Desert, Red-rumped and White-crowned Wheatears, Trumpeter Finch, Cream-colored Courser, Fulvous Babbler, African Desert Warbler and Desert Sparrow.

  • NatureTrek

    Tour Operator
    An 8-day adventure in a seldom visited corner of north-west Africa, focusing on the region’s extraordinary desert wildlife including Sand Cat, Fennec Fox and Golden Nightjar.

  • Royal Safaris

    Tour Operator
    Morocco - Western Sahara Wildlife Holidays Popular Tour Special Offers Western Saharan Rare Wildlife Tour January 25 £725.00 – £2,179.00 Our wildlife holidays, wildlife tours and safaris of Morocco & Western Sahara are listed below...

  • Wise Birding Holidays

    Tour Operator
    Target Birds: Cricket Warbler, Greater Hoopoe Lark, Desert Sparrow, Lanner Falcon and maybe Pharaoh Eagle Owl
Trip Reports

  • 2017 [05 May] - Rob Gordijn & Helen Rijkes

    PDF Report
    A long weekend independent trip to Western Sahara for some desert birding with Sander Bot & Lenze Hofstee. The destination has become more interesting in recent years since it offers the chance to see Golden Nightjar and Sudan Golden Sparrow. Both were seen in addition to many other new species.

  • 2018 [02 February] - Stefan Cherrug - Western Sahara and Morocco

    PDF Report
    Our primary goals were to visit Western Sahara to se Royal Tern, Sudan Golden Sparrow, Cricket Warbler, Golden Nightjar, African Dunn’s Lark and, for a few of us, Thick - bill e d Lark. Also to see Double - Spur red Francolin in the Sidi Yahia area ENE Casablanca for one in the group, to see African Crimson - winged Finch in Oukaimeden for some of us and to try for the mauritanica subspecies of Tawny Owl in the Ourika valley nearby and finally, for some of us, to see Brown - throated Martin at Oued Massa . One of us (SC) also tried to take notice of and photograph reptiles, mammals, butterflies, dragonflies and plants except all birds...

  • 2018 [04 April] - Paul Dufour - Morocco & Western Sahara

    PDF Report
    Most of the targets were seen with some highli ghts: Golden Nightjar : we were a bit worried for this species which begins to be quiet in this period and we missed it in the first evening in Oued Jenna , we were luckier on the second try ... Sudan Golden Sparrow : SGS actually only spend winter in the Oued Jenna area , we luckily spotted three birds in a large flock of Desert Sparrow during our first hour of search ...

  • 2019 [01 January] - Birding the Strait

    Report
    ...we enjoyed unbeatable observations of Pale Rock Martin, African Royal Tern, Spotted and Crowned Sandgrouses, and Houbara Bustard, to name but a few!

  • 2020 [02 February] - Birding the Strait

    PDF Report
    ...During the day, we cached up with sleep and relaxed around the camp. Bird activity was rather slow. However, we got decent views of: two Lanners, a group of Fulvous Babblers, Greater Hoopoe Larks, Cream-coloured Coursers, Spectacled Warblers, Desert Wheatears, Bar-tailed Lark and the inquisitive Desert Grey Shrikes...

  • 2023 [03 March] - Diedert Koppenol

    Report
    We enjoyed great views of key birds like Golden Nightjar, Sudan Golden Sparrow, West African Crested Tern, Dunn’s Lark, Namaqua Dove and Desert Sparrow and recorded a total of 112 bird species, among which were the 3rd Rosy Starling and 9th Lesser Scaup

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