Séjour ornithologique en Tunisie du 9 au 16 mars 2003

With a surface of 164 150 km², Tunisia is the smallest country of the Maghreb, North Africa. The country is largely bordered by the Mediterranean Sea with 1 298 km of coasts, bounded on the West by Algeria and on the South by Libya. Tunisia is above all a flat country, excepted the mountainous regions of the Atlas. Southward, there a several low ranges (max : 1 165 m for the Gafsa range) which line huge salted sebkhas, like the famous Chott el-Djerid. Southward is the desert of rocky hamadas bordering the dunes of the Grand Erg oriental. Tunisia, with its weak relief and its long maritime facade, is widely opened on the sea. The oriental coast, from the Cap Bon in the North to the Libyan border is low with huge bays (Bizerte, Tunis, Hammamet, Gabès) and numerous islands (Kerkenna, Djerba).
Birding in Tunisia can be a good and easy way to discovering the North African birds, thanks to the varied habitats, from the lagoons of the coast to the erg and the Atlas mountains.
Rudi Dujardin, a Belgian birder, has visited the country in March 2003, exploring different spots (Sidi El Hani lake, Thyna saltpans, Matmata, Douz, El Golaa lake, Zaafrane ponds, Tozeur, Midés gorges, Korba saltpans, Cap Bon…) and watching almost all the specialities, including the White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala), the Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus cirtensis), the Lanner Falcon ((Falco biarmicus), different species of Larks, the Moussier’s Redstart (Phoenicurus moussieri)…