Abstract

Few documented recent records of Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi exist south of Morocco and its status in north-west and West Africa is poorly known. We document a flock of four Richard’s Pipits observed in Dakhla, Western Sahara, in March 2017 and discuss the species’ status in the region. Records appear clustered during passage periods in both Western Sahara and Mauritania, suggesting a trans-Saharan wintering distribution. However, despite historical records, its status as a sub-Saharan migrant remains little known owing to the paucity of records and inadequate documentation of potential records. To date, no unambiguous records exist south of the Sahara. We review published accounts and offer hypothetical origins of trans-Saharan migrants in areas of suitable habitat.