Hivernage de l'œdicnème criard Burhinus oedicnemus sur le littoral atlantique de Souss-Massa (Maroc): effectifs et phénologie des rassemblements

Wintering of Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus (Charadriiformes, Burhinidae)ontheAtlanticcoastofSouss-Massa(Morocco):numbersandphenologyofflocks. We monitored autumn-winter roosts of Stone-Curlew on the Atlantic coast of the Souss-Massa region (Morocco), from the end of July to the end of February during the period 2018-2022. Birds begin to gath- er at post-breeding and autumn-winter roosts in mid-July to late August, typically reaching peak occu- pancy in January and leaving around mid-March. A wintering population of around 1,254 birds (in 2022) was found at 11 different roost sites, sometimes close together, in a relatively small geographical area (38,221ha), but which seem to be connected according to the birds' movements. Most roosts are located in a coastal steppe zone, with 64% shrub cover and lower vegetation (less than 22cm). The vegetation structure, directly related to the proximity of the coast and the absence of grazing, largely determines the roost sites selection. This paper highlights the importance of the Souss-Massa National Park as a post-breeding and wintering ground for this species, which is still little studied in Morocco.