The IUCN Center for Mediterranean Cooperation in collaboration with the High Commissariat for Water, Forests and Desertification Control (HCEFLCD) in Morocco and the regional Government of Andalusia organized a course on census and monitoring methods for birds of prey.

Since 2015 the three partners have developed knowledge transfer activities between technicians and managers from both shores of the Mediterranean on conservation of threatened raptors.

The last course, which took place from 2 to 4 October in the natural site of Jbel Moussa in Morocco, aimed at achieving a better knowledge of these species in Morocco. Just a few studies have been carried out up to now in this country.

The main objective of this meeting was to strengthen the capacities of the actors involved in conservation and study of endangered raptors, and to lay the foundations for the creation of a monitoring network of the populations of these species to assess their state of conservation and potential threats. This will be the basis for future conservation actions. The training was focused in this first edition on diurnal rupicolous raptors.

The main beneficiaries of this course were actors involved in the conservation of birds in Morocco (public administration technicians responsible for the protection of the environment, members of bird conservation NGOs, researchers in universities and other research organizations and ornithological tourism professionals).

This training was organized within the framework of the project "Safe Flyways - REDUCING ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED TO BIRD MORTALITY", funded by the MAVA Foundation, and it is an action identified as necessary for the implementation of the strategic conservation plan for raptors in Morocco.

It was also developed in collaboration with GREPOM, SEO Birdlife, Vulture Conservation Foundation, Migres Foundation, and the Moroccan Association for Falconry and Conservation of Raptors.

For more information: Catherine Numa

Photo: Group of experts on raptors. © IUCN