An Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) was observed and photographed near Dakhla, Oued Dahab by Franck Chevalier on 11 October 2013. The bird seen at a water point at “ferme Maraîchage du Sahara 1”, and seemed neither tired nor in poor condition.
This is the first record for Morocco and only the second (or third) documented record for mainland Africa. The first African record was photographed south of Nouadhibou, Mauritania on 11 May 1986. It is also on the list of birds of Gabon, but without details about their first record.
This place is known to produce some interesting rarities both from North America like this bird and from sub-Saharan Africa like the African Crake (Crecopsis egregia) found there in 2009.
Reference:
Chevalier, F. & Bergier, P. 2013. Première mention de la Bartramie des champs (Bartramia longicauda) au Maroc. Go-South Bulletin 10: 235-237.
