Un Râle des genêts (Corncrake, Crex crex) à Dar Bouazza le 15 octobre. Ce site est vraiment étonnant ; malheureusement la commune de Dar Bouazza a le projet d’installer un système de pompage permanent et un château d’eau au niveau de la source qui coule déjà fort peu en ce moment… La sauvegarde des dernières zones humides du Maroc est bien difficile (Benoit Maire)

Voici la synthèse que nous avions faite pour la ‘Checklist of the Birds of Morocco’ en 2003 :

Scarce passage migrant and accidental winter visitor.

Movements and Migration. Very scarce in autumn, the only recent records are one in Aug (Oukaimeden, 17 Aug 1993 – F. Cuzin) and a few sightings in Sep and early Oct. In the last century recorded on autumn passage in Tangier Peninsula, Aug to Oct (Favier in P&GA), and in the 1950s considered a common passage migrant in Sep, in the freshwater marshes of the Lower Moulouya, Eastern Morocco (AB). Scarce to uncommon in north and in Atlantic Morocco during spring passage, which is mainly from Feb, eg Fkih Ben-Salah, 1 Feb 1981 (CROM81), to early May, eg Aguelmam Azigza and Ouezzane, 8 May 1979 (S. Housden, CROM79). Peak passage occurs late Feb to mid Mar in ‘Mid Atlantic’, and in Mar and Apr further north and east up to the Mediterranean coast (AB, P&GA). Birds on passage are seldom observed but quite often shot in corn fields by hunters out shooting Quail. Only once recorded south of High Atlas (Aoulouz, 23 Apr 1978 – R. Lévêque).

Winter Distribution. Occasionally recorded in winter near Tangier in the 19th century (Favier in Hartert & Jourdain 1923), but only 2 records 20th century: a bird collected near Rabat, 14 Jan 1924 (ISR collections), another shot at Aïn Sbite near Romani, Zaër, Dec 1970 (COM).

Depuis, nous n’avons eu connaissance que d’une seule (!) observation : un oiseau à l’Oued Moulouya le 1 janvier 2006 per 35°05’649N – 2°21’375W (I. Cherkaoui, dossier 06/08 in Bergier et al. 2007 homologué)