Merja Zerga

Merja Zerga or Lagune de Moulay Bou Selham is a tidal lagoon on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, 70 km north of the city of Kenitra.

Classified as a Permanent Biological Reserve in 1978, it is managed by several government agencies.

[3] It has also been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of wintering waterbirds.

[4] Between 15,000 and 30,000 ducks overwinter at the lagoon, and it regularly holds 50,000 to 100,000 waders.

Winter visitors include ruddy shelduck, common shelduck, gadwall, Eurasian wigeon, northern shoveler, marbled teal, greater flamingo, common coot, pied avocet, grey plover, and the extinct slender-billed curlew.

Panoramic view of the Merja Zerga, taken from the city of Moulay Bousselham