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MA037
Oued Mird
Location Morocco, Ouarzazate
Central coordinates 5o 18.00' West  30o 12.00' North
IBA criteria A3
Area 60,000 ha
Altitude 650 - 1,170m
Year of IBA assessment 2001





Ornithological information See Box and Table 2 for key species. The site possesses breeding populations of 14 of the 15 species of the Sahara–Sindian biome in Morocco; only Hirundo obsoleta has not been recorded. Chlamydotis undulata is present in low numbers, but is in danger of extinction.

Site description Situated 20 km east of Zagora, the site consists of some 40 km of the valley of the Oued Mird and its bordering escarpments and hamada plateaus including, to the south-east, the 15 km by 7 km extinct volcanic crater of Tafenna. The vegetation includes good stands of Acacia raddiana; other species include Ziziphus lotus, Convolvulus trabutianus, Launaea arborescens, Foleyola billotii, Hamada scoparia, Panicum tugidum and Stipagrostis pungens. Annual rainfall is less than 200 mm. Principal human activities are cultivation, in irrigated fields along Oued Mird, and extensive livestock-rearing, particularly of goats.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Crowned Sandgrouse Pterocles coronatus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Pharaoh Eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius breeding  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Greater Hoopoe-lark Alaemon alaudipes resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cinctura resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Streaked Scrub-warbler Scotocerca inquieta resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Fulvous Chatterer Turdoides fulva resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
White-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Desert Sparrow Passer simplex resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Not Recognised 
Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture -
water management -

Other biodiversity The ungulate Gazella dorcas (LR/nt) is present, and it is suspected that the endemic toad Bufo brongersmai and the endemic lizard Tarentola boehmi may also occur.

Management considerations The site is a priority 1 SIBE (No. 72). Although it is officially unprotected, local residents enforce their own rules and fines for illegal wood-cutting and have banned foreign hunting parties from entering the valley. The main conservation issue is the growing use of motor-pumps, which threatens to lower the water-table and negatively affect trees along the Oued Mird. Ecotourism plans have been proposed for the Tafenna crater, including its use as a possible reintroduction site for native ungulates.

References BCEOM–SECA (1995b).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Oued Mird. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife