The critically endangered Double-spurred Francolín (Francolirtus bicalcaratus ayesha) is endemic to Morocco, where it inhabits cork oak forests. Its populations have been reduced chiefly due to hunting and habitat destruction. Characterizing the habitat use of native-bred birds is a tool which can optimize recovery programs. Auditory detection was used during transect surveys of calling males to locate breeding birds. We analysed factors determining the occurrence of native Double-spurred Francolins in North-western Morocco using a set of 13 environmental variables. Predictors were aggregated using PCAs and related to species presence/random data using GLMs. The best-supported model of the species' occurrence included three PCA axes and was clearly better (AIC weight = 0.75) than other models. Francolins showed a preference for large trees with low density, and a proximity to cereal fields. This suggests a trade-off between the need to forage efficiently and that to avoid predators. Further studies are needed to improve our understanding of the effects of ecological factors on nest habitat selection, productivity and survival of Double-spurred Francolín. © 2016 Societe Nationale de Protection de la Nature. All rights reserved.
