Migration of the Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola through Morocco: historical records and new evidence from Atlantic coastal wetlands

Raphaël MUSSEAU, Khadija Oumaskour, Sonia Mignon, Assia El Abied, Sidi Imad Cherkaoui

The Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola is a globally threatened long-distance migrant whose occurrence in Morocco remains poorly documented, particularly during post-breeding migration. Historical records document both pre- and post-breeding migration through Morocco, although only nine post-breeding records were reported before 2000, with subsequent targeted surveys resulting in the capture of 11 individuals in the Larache area between 2009 and 2013. More recently, surveys of Moroccan Atlantic wetlands have been conducted within the LIFE AWOM programme, during one of which we captured a juvenile Aquatic Warbler on 28 August 2026 at the Sidi Moussa-Oualidia wetland complex. This new record identifies a further wetland complex on the central Moroccan Atlantic coast as a potential stopover site during post-breeding migration and provides further evidence of the use of Atlantic wetlands by the species. At a time of substantial population decline, documenting the wetlands used along this still poorly known part of the migration route is particularly important for the conservation of the Aquatic Warbler, especially in the context of increasing pressure on water resources and climate change.