Seabird in the Cretaceous, with a species called "Tytthostonyx glauconiticus", which seems allied to the Procellariiformes and Pelecaniformes. In the Paleogene both pterosaurs and marine reptiles became extinct, allowing seabirds to expand ecologically. These post-extinction seas were dominated by early Procellariidae, giant penguins and two extinct families, the Pelagornithidae and the Plotopteridae (a group of large seabirds that looked like the penguins). Modern genera began their wide radiation in the Miocene, although the genus "Puffinus" (which includes today's Manx shearwater and sooty shearwater) might date back to the Oligocene. The highest diversity of seabirds apparently existed during the Late Miocene and
Wildlife of Morocco endemic bird species, the northern bald ibis ("Geronticus eremita") occurs here, and there are about 12 globally endangered species; the white-headed duck ("Oxyura leucocephala"), the Balearic shearwater ("Puffinus mauretanicus"), the northern bald ibis, the Egyptian vulture ("Neophron percnopterus"), the lappet-faced vulture ("Torgos tracheliotos"), the hooded vulture ("Necrosyrtes monachus"), the white-backed vulture ("Gyps africanus"), the Rüppell's vulture ("Gyps rueppelli"), the sociable lapwing ("Vanellus gregarius"), the slender-billed curlew ("Numenius tenuirostris"), the great knot ("Calidris tenuirostris") and the saker falcon ("Falco cherrug"). Other birds with restricted ranges in north Africa include the Levaillant's woodpecker ("Picus vaillantii"), the Moussier's redstart ("Phoenicurus moussieri") and the