Morocco launches new conservation plan to protect endangered Andalusian Buttonquail

19:45

Morocco has stepped up efforts to protect the endangered Andalusian Buttonquail (Turnix sylvaticus sylvaticus) with the launch of an ex situ conservation programme designed to support one of the last known populations of the subspecies along the country’s Atlantic coast.

Led by the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF), the initiative combines field monitoring with captive conservation, controlled breeding and genetic management. The approach is intended to create an additional safeguard for the species while improving scientific knowledge of its remaining wild population.

Protecting a fragile Atlantic population

The Andalusian Buttonquail is a small and elusive bird associated with agricultural landscapes and natural habitats around the Mediterranean basin. Its numbers have declined significantly over recent decades, placing greater importance on the protection of the populations that remain.

In Morocco, the subspecies survives along the Atlantic coastline, including areas around Oualidia. Its presence is closely linked to traditional agricultural landscapes and suitable natural habitats, making habitat preservation a central component of long-term conservation efforts.

The persistence of the population in Morocco also gives the country an important role in safeguarding the subspecies. Monitoring changes in its numbers, understanding its habitat requirements and protecting the areas where it survives are therefore key priorities.

Conservation measures begin in 2026

The first phase of the programme was launched in 2026 with surveys and monitoring operations targeting wild populations. These activities were followed by the collection of eggs, their incubation and successful hatching in captivity in Morocco.

The development of captive conservation marks a new stage in efforts to protect the species. Rather than replacing measures in the wild, the ex situ component is intended to complement them by creating a controlled population that can support future conservation actions.

A first breeding group has been established at Ain Sebaâ Zoo in Casablanca. The facility is expected to serve as a safeguard population and provide a foundation for expanding breeding efforts in the years ahead.

Genetic diversity at the centre of the programme

Maintaining a viable captive population requires more than simply increasing the number of birds. ANEF plans to closely monitor reproduction, animal health and the genetic characteristics of individual birds.

Genetic management is particularly important for avoiding excessive loss of diversity within a small population. By maintaining genetic variability, conservation specialists can improve the long-term viability of the captive group and preserve options for future interventions involving wild populations.

The programme could eventually contribute to strengthening wild populations, provided that future conservation measures are supported by scientific monitoring and appropriate habitat conditions.

A broader biodiversity strategy

ANEF Director General Abderrahim Houmy said the initiative responds to the vulnerability of the remaining Moroccan population and provides an additional layer of protection for the subspecies.

The programme forms part of ANEF’s wider biodiversity conservation efforts, bringing together in situ protection, ex situ conservation, scientific monitoring and the mobilisation of national and international expertise.

It is also aligned with the “Forests of Morocco 2020–2030” strategy, which places biodiversity protection, the conservation of threatened species and the development of scientific and technical expertise among its priorities.

For the Andalusian Buttonquail, the new programme represents an effort to secure a future for a species whose survival in Morocco is closely connected to the protection of increasingly valuable agricultural and natural habitats. By combining action in the field with a carefully managed breeding population, Moroccan conservation authorities are seeking to build a longer-term safety net for one of the country’s threatened bird species.