What's a good wildlife and birdwatching itinerary for Morocco?

People are surprised Morocco is a birding heavyweight, but with the Atlantic flyway, the High Atlas and the Sahara's edge in one country, the variety is extraordinary — and there are mammals too. For a proper wildlife trip I'd plan ten days and start on the southwest coast, because the Souss-Massa National Park below Agadir is the jewel: it holds one of the last wild colonies of the critically endangered northern bald ibis, plus flamingos, spoonbills and waders in the river mouth and lagoons. I put guests near Agadir for two or three nights and work the Oued Sous estuary at dawn and the park with a local guide who knows the ibis roosts.

From the coast I'd climb into the High Atlas, where the habitat — and the bird list — changes completely. Around Oukaïmeden and the high passes you're looking for the alpine specialists: crimson-winged finch, Atlas horned lark, Levaillant's woodpecker, and raptors riding the thermals. It's slower, higher-altitude birding, so I keep the days gentle and the elevation gain modest. This stretch also rewards the mammal-curious: the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas near Azrou and Ifrane shelter troops of Barbary macaques, Morocco's only primate, which you can usually watch quietly from the forest road.

The finale is the desert edge at Merzouga, and it's a different world of birds again. The dunes and the seasonal lake of Dayet Srji turn up desert specialists that birders travel for: crowned and spotted sandgrouse coming to drink at dawn, desert sparrow, hoopoe lark, cream-coloured courser, fulvous babbler, and after rain even flamingos on the lake. A pre-dawn start with a guide who knows the waterholes is everything here — the desert wakes early and goes quiet by mid-morning, so you bird the cool edges of the day and rest through the heat.

A few honest pointers. Timing is the biggest lever: spring (March–May) brings migration in full flow and is the prime window, with autumn a strong second; high summer in the desert is brutal and best avoided. Go with a specialist local bird guide — they know the exact roosts, the recent sightings and the access, and they'll double your list — and bring your own binoculars and a scope if you have one. Mornings and late afternoons are when everything happens, so the rhythm is early starts and siestas. Tell us your target species and how serious your birding is, and we'll route you and pair you with the right guides region by region.