Sudan Golden Sparrow (Passer luteus) (1 Viewer)

[Acrocephalus]

Sudan Golden Sparrow seen at Bir Anzarane (about 80 Km NE of Dakhla) on 30 January 2015 by colleagues of mine during a scientific trip organised by the Dakhla-based Association ‘Nature Initiative’.

This observation is the northernmost of this species and provided the best photos yet!

 

[Steve Lister]

Great photos on the AIN Facebook page.

Steve

 

[Acrocephalus]

Great photos on the AIN Facebook page.

Steve

Yes, they are the same photos I posted in the blog linked in OP. I heard the news yesterday from my friend Mohamed Mediani who was with them, I published the news but did not get the pictures until today (they were still coming from the field). And it's ANI!

 

[Acrocephalus]

Six Sudan Golden Sparrows seen today at the same spot near Bir Anzarane by Mohamed Lamine Samlali (a member of with Association ‘Nature Initiative’) with European birders.

 

[simmojunior]

28 seen and photographed today by Oli Metcalf, Jonnie Fisk, Tim Jones and Stephen Menzie.

 

[dantheman]

Almost worth going back for in its own right ... (I see Oli and Stephen did lol)

 

[Acrocephalus]

Six Sudan Golden Sparrows seen today at the same spot near Bir Anzarane by Mohamed Lamine Samlali (a member of with Association ‘Nature Initiative’) with European birders.

28 seen and photographed today by Oli Metcalf, Jonnie Fisk, Tim Jones and Stephen Menzie.

Yes, this is the same group and were all together with Mohamed Lamine Samlali. Six birds was the early news I get and wasn't able to update latter.

Dan, I think it's time to go back for me as well (I am as far as you, because I live in the northern tip of the country).

 

[lewis20126]

Only worth twitching for Western Pal / Moroccan listers as it remains common in accessible areas of Senegal. Accessible for how much longer, I'm not sure...

cheers, alan

 

[jurek]

I hope more birders start going to south Morocco - Golden Sparrows must be just a tip of iceberg of Sahelian bird species visiting fringes of Western Palearctic!

 

[dantheman]

I hope more birders start going to south Morocco - Golden Sparrows must be just a tip of iceberg of Sahelian bird species visiting fringes of Western Palearctic!

I think Richard Bonser and co. had Sudan Golden Sparrow in Mauritania 10 or so years back - the country then became mostly off-limits to western birders due to Al-qaeda issues (think the German/Scandinavian camper vans still continued through to the coastal strip though!). Mali would have been interesting to visit, but that became basically off-limits too I believe.

S. Morocco (W. Sahara as was), then became good for Cricket Longtail, Dunn's Lark, Black-crowned Sparrow Lark of course as regularly occurring species, with Pied Crow, African Collared Dove, breeding (probably) Ruppell's Vulture and Bee-eater (forgot the sp.), that dead gallinule sp. in Dakhla Bay amongst the 'commoner' Moroccan desert/southern fare (I'm sure Mohamed or others will know the complete list/fill in the gaps ) - oh and the Royal and Lesser Crested Terns of course.

Don't know, but there must have been half a dozen or more western crews hitting the area per year average over the last 8 years or so?, plus some Moroccan birders/scientists? Although perhaps most birders, due to limited time have retraced much the same route; a lot of the country remains difficult without good resources (eg 4*4, spare fuel can or more). Of course there's an awful lot of driving if approaching from the traditional Moroccan sites to the north, but flights to Dakhla would substantially ease that (car hire available there of course) - except you'd then miss out on sites en route.

Blue-naped Mousebird was one species touted as becoming possible, wonder what other species could be expected as possible/likely additions to the region (there was a lark or two also) ?

 

[MSA]

Thought I'd use this thread to float an idea inspired by it - spookily mentioned by Dan above, maybe we talked about it "back in the day" - return flights Agadir to Dakhla seem to be about €125 return at this time of year, Agadir can be reached by cheapish flights from Gatwick, and cars can be hired at €23/day for a Dacia Logan. A bit of research into fuel/a few cans in the boot, tents and 2-3 people with a week or two to roam, got to be worth a try? I imagine early Spring (Feb/Mar) is best time to go? Maybe an idea for spring 2016, if anyone has suggestions or experience I'd be grateful!

 

[dantheman]

Expedition time! It was mentioned by us and others since, but ...

(There's also a coach Agadir - Dakhla, lot cheaper, but c.24 hours and don't know schedule/availability)

 

[jurek]

Blue-naped Mousebird was one species touted as becoming possible, wonder what other species could be expected as possible/likely additions to the region (there was a lark or two also) ?

Too many to believe.

I once looked at the range maps of 'Birds of Western Africa' and counted species extending north almost to the border of WP. Of course, these maps are approximate. I took only birds of the dry open habitats or semi-desert, and preferably wide-ranging, nomadic or tropical migrants. Ones which would be likely to disperse by hopping between patches of vegetation in Sahara, or overshoot/ reverse tropical migrants.

I arrived with the list of over 40 Sahelian birds which at the time seemed improbable. But since then, two: White-throated Bee-eater and Wahlberg's Eagle were recorded in the WP (bee-eater in Morocco, eagle in Egypt).

Basically, African Swallow-tailed Kite to White-rumped Seedeater, Carmine Bee-eater to Kordofan Lark.

So it is a pity that southern border of WP is not as visited as Rio Grande Valley in south Texas!

 

[dantheman]

Too many to believe.

Kordofan Lark, that was the one I was trying to recall!

Yes, there's undoubtably birds already out there, and no-one to see them. I guess accessibility (various issues, eg inhospitability of terrain, distance and political) and desire combine to make it so. (Oh and S Texas is small in comparison perhaps!)

Cheers

 

[Steve Lister]

I am surprised that more bird tour companies don't offer the area at least as an extension to the standard Morocco trips. As far as I know only Birdfinders do it, and the trip has only run once I think, despite now being in their brochure every year.

Perhaps ANI will latch on to the market and advertise what they could offer. I would certainly be happier doing the area with people who know it.

Steve

 

[MSA]

I am surprised that more bird tour companies don't offer the area at least as an extension to the standard Morocco trips. As far as I know only Birdfinders do it, and the trip has only run once I think, despite now being in their brochure every year.

Perhaps ANI will latch on to the market and advertise what they could offer. I would certainly be happier doing the area with people who know it.

Steve

I suspect the problem is that people paying for formal bird tours "expect" guaranteed, or near-guaranteed, species, and wouldn't pay tour prices for exploratory trips - if Birdfinders list each year but have only run it once, the reason would be lack of demand. As you say, if a local group like ANI offered their local knowledge, providing transport and arranging food and accommodation (even if as simple as tents) and all you had to do was get there, assuming the price was right I'm sure there would be interest.

 

[metcow333]

Hi all,

Back from Western Sahara now. ANI were kind enough to take us out to Bir Anzarane after the initial report of a single Sudan Golden Sparrow. We spoke to them after about the probable interest from European birders, they are more than happy to act as tour operators, either on an ad hoc basis, or I believe they had a couple of suggested itineraries. They are really friendly, and seemed more than happy to help with finding local accommodation/hire cars also. I would STRONGLY recommend going with them, as the road out to Bir Anzarane still has mines nearby apparently, and is near a military area, compared to the Aousserd road which is much safer.

 

[Steve Lister]

Hi all,

Back from Western Sahara now. ANI were kind enough to take us out to Bir Anzarane after the initial report of a single Sudan Golden Sparrow. We spoke to them after about the probable interest from European birders, they are more than happy to act as tour operators, either on an ad hoc basis, or I believe they had a couple of suggested itineraries. They are really friendly, and seemed more than happy to help with finding local accommodation/hire cars also. I would STRONGLY recommend going with them, as the road out to Bir Anzarane still has mines nearby apparently, and is near a military area, compared to the Aousserd road which is much safer.

That's what I was hoping to hear.

Steve

 

[dantheman]

mmodation/hire cars also. I would STRONGLY recommend going with them, as the road out to Bir Anzarane still has mines nearby apparently, and is near a military area,.

Which is exactly what they were saying about Aousserd 6 years ago!

 

[Acrocephalus]

Oued Jenna, January 2017

At least one male Sudan Golden Sparrow at Oued Jenna, Aousserd on 9 January 2017.