Mauritania hosts Aquatic Warblers in winter!

On 5th January 2011 after a month of work under hard field conditions (high water level, heat, mosquitoes and … crocodiles) aquatic warbler was captured in Mauritania by Julien Foucher and his team. It is the second January record of an aquatic warbler for this country since 2004. The only one bird has been caught, but two or three individuals have been contacted by small calls in a small c.50 ha grassland with dominating Bolboschoenus maritimus. The site is located in the Senegal River valley in more then 100 km to the East from the only known regular wintering site within and north of the Djoudj National Park in Senegal. This registration confirms the earlier suggestions that there might be a number of smaller sites in Mauritania occupied by small numbers of wintering aquatic warbler.

As a potential key wintering site for the species in Mauritania the Diawling National Park was considered. The Diawling National Park is located in southwest Mauritania along the Senegal River delta just in opposite of the Djoudj. However, in spite of considerable ringing activity (2,000 birds were ringed) performed by French-Mauritanian ringing team in Diawling this winter; NO aquatic warblers have been registered. So, current results together with the earliest data obtained by AWCT perform no evidence that Diawling could be an important wintering site for the species.

The mission was supported by the association ACROLA and the ringing team composed of Julien FOUCHE, GIRAUDOT Etienne, BOUCAUX Marine, ANDRE Aurelien, LELANT Vanessa & CHENAVAL Nicola.