The Souss-Massa National Park (Parc National de Souss-Massa) is a national park covering 33,800 hectares on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. It was established in 1991 and is located between Agadir to the north and Sidi Ifni to the south. The northern boundary of the park is the estuary of the Oued Souss, the Oued Massa flows near the center, and the town of Aglou is at the southern end. An additional 30,000 hectares of land near Aglou, south of the park, is included in the protected area because it is sometimes used by the northern bald ibis for feeding. The habitat includes grazed steppe, dunes, beaches, and wetlands. The soil is mostly sandy, with some areas having more rock.
Fauna
The park is very important for protecting wildlife because it is home to three of the four Moroccan groups of the northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita). Along with the fourth group at nearby Tamri, these areas hold 95% of the world's wild northern bald ibis that breed naturally. The birds nest and rest on coastal cliffs inside the National Park, and they feed in nearby coastal steppes and fields. The park has a nature trail at Oued Souss and a visitor center at Oued Massa.
The park is part of the 63,800-hectare Parc National de Souss-Massa and Aglou Important Bird Area (IBA), which BirdLife International designated because it supports many bird species in large numbers. Oued Massa has water all year and is home to breeding marbled ducks, a species at risk of extinction. It is the only known place in Morocco where glossy ibis breed. The two estuaries are important for migrating birds, especially waders and gulls. European spoonbills and Audouin's gulls spend the winter in the park. Other birds that breed there include red-necked nightjars, thick-billed larks, Tristram's warblers, and Moussier's redstarts.
Souss-Massa also has programs to breed four endangered North African hoofed animals: scimitar oryx, addax, dama gazelle, and dorcas gazelle. These animals live in separate enclosures within the park. Efforts are also underway to reintroduce the North African ostrich, which no longer lives north of the Sahara.
- Thekla lark
- European serin
- Greater flamingo feeding at the Massa River
- Little egret at the Massa River
- Grey plover (not breeding)
- Sandwich terns flying
Threats
The park is in danger because more people are living in the area and more summer homes are being built around Aglou. A big hotel project that was planned for the coast at Tifnit, an area where bald ibises find food, has been stopped.
International cooperation
Concerning international collaboration, the Souss-Massa National Park has received expert assistance from the Teide National Park in Tenerife, Spain.