SUB-REGION
West Africa
SIZE
1,030,700 km² (11th largest country in Africa)
BIRDS AND BIRDING
SPECIES
Diversity
Significant Afrotropical and Palaearctic elements in the avifauna
Approximately 540 recorded species
Birds best found in Mauritania but occurring more widely (BT)
Kordofan Lark
Birds best found in two territories of the ABC region but occurring in more (B2)
Dunn’s Lark
Proposed new species or splits not yet accepted by IOC
Pallid Heron (would-be endemic)
Desert Grey Shrike
Singing Bush Lark
Saharan Scrub Warbler
African Scrub Robin
Other taxa of interest, including endemic subspecies (ESS)
Golden Nightjar
Nubian Bustard
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
Spotted Sandgrouse
African Collared Dove
Black-headed Lapwing
Eurasian Spoonbill (ESS balsaci)
Western Reef Heron
Slender-billed Gull
West African Crested Tern
Bridled Tern
Pharaoh Eagle-Owl
Little Grey Woodpecker
Yellow-breasted Barbet
Greater Hoopoe-Lark
Thick-billed Lark
Desert Lark
Bar-tailed Lark
Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark
Thekla’s Lark
Maghreb Lark
Temminck’s Lark
Cricket Warbler
African Desert Warbler
Fulvous Babbler
Chestnut-bellied Starling
Neumann’s Starling
Black Scrub Robin
Anteater Chat
Black Wheatear
White-crowned Wheatear
Pygmy Sunbird
Sahel Bush Sparrow
Desert Sparrow
Sudan Golden Sparrow
White-billed Buffalo Weaver
Black-rumped Waxbill
Trumpeter Finch
White-rumped Seedeater
House Bunting
MAIN HABITATS
Coastal wetlands, arid savanna, desert
BIRD AREAS
25 Important Bird Areas
BIRDING SITES
Banc d’Arguin for waterbirds
Wad Initi for desert species
TIMING (Nov–Jan)
Best in the cool season (Oct–Feb)
Avoid the hottest time of the year (May–Sep), when Afro-Palearctic migrants are also absent
RESOURCES
Apps
Birds of Africa (iOS or Android)
Field guides
Birds of Western Africa by Nik Borrow & Ron Demey (2014)
Sounds
African Bird Sounds Vol 2: West and Central Africa by Claude Chappuis
Atlases
Atlas des Oiseaux de Mauritanie/Atlas of the Birds of Mauritania
Atlas de Répartition des Oiseaux du Mali et de Mauritanie by B Lamarche (1993)
Further reading
Oiseaux de Mauritanie/Birds of Mauritania by Paul Isenmann, Maurice Benmergui, Peter Browne, Amadou Diam Ba, Checkh Hamallah Diagana, Yelli Diawara & Zeine El Abidine ould Sidaty (2010)
The Birds of the Banc d’Arguin by Paul Isenmann (2006)
Wader and Waterbird Census at the Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania, January 2000 by Ward Hagemeijer, Cor Smit, Peter de Boer, Arend van Dijk, Neil Ravenscroft, Marc van Roomen & Mick Wright (2004)
Mauritania by Tara Shine, Peter Robertson & Bruno Lamarche in Important Bird Areas in Africa and Associated Islands: Priority Sites for Conservation edited by Lincoln D C Fishpool & Michael I Evans (2001)
Homeward Bound: Problems Waders Face When Migrating from the Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania, to Their Northern Breeding Grounds in Spring by B J Ens, T Piersma, W J Wolff & L Zwarts (1990)
Wintering Waders at the Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania by W Altenburg, M Engelmoer, R Mes & T Piersma (1982)
Articles in Malimbus, Bull. ABC, etc.
Websites
Parc National du Banc d’Arguin (PNBA)
Banc d’Arguin National Park – UNESCO World Heritage List
Blogs
Birding for a Lark by the late Robert Tovey
ORGANISATIONS
Nature Mauritanie – Association Mauritanienne de Conservation de la Nature is the BirdLife Partner in Mauritania
Other bird or conservation organisations active in Mauritania include –
Association Naforé pour la Protection de l’Environnement (NAFORE)
Club des Amis de la Nature et Protection de l’Environnement (CANPE)
Fonds Fiduciaire du Banc d’Arguin et de la Biodiversité Côtière et Marine/Banc d’Arguin and Coastal and Marine Biodiversity (BACoMaB) Trust Fund
Partenariat Régional pour la Conservation de la Zone Côtière et Marine (PRCM) en Afrique de l’Ouest