Overview
The State of Kuwait, lying at the head of the Arabian Gulf, is in the extreme south-eastern corner of the Western Palearctic avifaunal region and in the north-eastern corner of the Arabian peninsula. It is also on a crossroads of two main migration routes: central Asia - Africa and western Asia - Indian sub-continent. Many bird species and subspecies that are difficult to encounter elsewhere in the Western Palearctic are relatively easily seen in the state. For these reasons, and because it is now easy for tourists to visit, Kuwait has become a Western Palearctic birding hotspot. Trips to the state in winter and spring have become essential for Western Palearctic listers.
Birds
Notable Species
In the urban and suburban areas White-eared Bulbul and Common Myna are widespread and common residents, while Red-vented Bulbul and Bank Myna are more localised. Indian Silverbill has bred. African Collared Dove, Crested Myna and Desert Finch are potential colonists.
Basra Reed Warbler probably breeds in various reed-beds, and is otherwise a regular passage migrant. Red-wattled Plover and Common Babbler breed at Abdali Farms. Chestnut-shouldered Sparrow breeds at various sites. Egyptian Nightjar occurs in all months and probably breeds.
Larks that breed or have bred include Black-crowned Sparrow-lark, Dunn’s Lark, Temminck’s Lark and Bimaculated Lark. In the restricted border area with Iraq, Pharaoh Eagle Owl, Desert Lark and Trumpeter Finch probably breed annually.
On the islands Crab Plover, Lesser Crested Tern, Greater Crested Tern, Bridled Tern and White-cheeked Tern breed annually. Socotra Cormorant occurs offshore from spring to autumn.
Annually-occurring passage and wintering species include Shikra, Pacific Golden Plover, Caspian Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Indian Roller, Grey Hypocolius, Red-tailed Wheatear, Kurdish Wheatear, Upcher’s Warbler, Isabelline Shrike and pallidirostris Southern Grey Shrike. Great Knot is, no doubt, regular in winter on Bubiyan Island, but at sites difficult to access.
Rarities
Two new Western Palearctic species, Forest Wagtail and Purple Sunbird, have been seen in Kuwait recently. Other Western Palearctic rarities in the last few years have been Little Curlew, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Eversmann’s Redstart and Oriental Reed Warbler. In addition rare or difficult to see Western Palearctic species have included Lesser Flamingo, Sacred Ibis (wild, not feral), Oriental Turtle Dove, Black-throated Thrush, Hume’s Wheatear and Radde’s Accentor.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Persian Shearwater, Great Cormorant, Socotra Cormorant, Great White Pelican, Great Bittern, Little Bittern, Squacco Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Western Reef Heron, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, White Stork, Glossy Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Greylag Goose, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Marbled Duck, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Western Honey-Buzzard, Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Levant Sparrowhawk, Long-legged Buzzard, Steppe Buzzard, Greater Spotted Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle, (rare W), Booted Eagle, Osprey, (rare W), Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Northern Hobby, Lanner Falcon, Saker Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Common Quail, Water Rail, Spotted Crake, Little Crake, Baillon's Crake, Corn Crake, Common Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Eurasian Coot, Macqueen's Bustard, Demoiselle Crane, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Crab Plover Stone Curlew, Cream-coloured Courser, Collared Pratincole, Black-winged Pratincole, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Caspian Plover, Kentish Plover, Eurasian Dotterel, Pacific Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Red-wattled Lapwing, White-tailed Plover, Sanderling, Little Stint, Temminck's Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Ruff, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Red-necked Phalarope, Pomarine Skua, Arctic Skua, Great Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Heuglin's Gull, (scarce W), Caspian Gull, Armenian Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Greater Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, (rare W), White-cheeked Tern, Bridled Tern, Little Tern, Saunders' Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Spotted Sandgrouse, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, feral Rock Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, European Turtle Dove, Laughing Dove, Namaqua Dove, Ring-necked Parakeet, Common Cuckoo, Barn Owl, Eurasian Scops Owl, Desert Eagle Owl, Little Owl, Short-eared Owl, European Nightjar, Egyptian Nightjar, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, (breeds in Kuwait City), Alpine Swift, Common Kingfisher, White-breasted Kingfisher, (scarce resident), Pied Kingfisher, Eurasian Hoopoe, European Roller, Indian Roller, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Wryneck, Dunn's Lark, Bar-tailed Desert Lark, Desert Lark, Greater Hoopoe Lark, Bimaculated Lark, Thick-billed Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Woodlark, Oriental Skylark, Eurasian Skylark, Temminck's Horned Lark, Sand Martin, Eurasian Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Northern House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Olive-backed Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Water Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail, Black-headed Wagtail, Kirghiz Yellow Wagtail, Citrine Wagtail, White Wagtail, White-cheeked Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Grey Hypocolius, Dunnock, Rufous Scrub Robin, Eurasian Robin, Thrush Nightingale, Common Nightingale, Bluethroat, White-throated Robin, Eversmann's Redstart, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Finsch's Wheatear, Pied Wheatear, Mourning Wheatear, Red-tailed Wheatear, White-crowned Black Wheatear, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Eurasian Blackbird, Black-throated Thrush, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Cetti's Warbler, Fan-tailed Warbler, Graceful Warbler, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Eurasian River Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, (rare Su), Clamorous Reed Warbler, (rare in Su and W), Great Reed Warbler, (rare Su), Basra Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, (rare Su), Sykes's Warbler, Upcher's Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Menetries's Warbler, Asian Desert Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Barred Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Hume's Lesser Whitethroat, Desert Lesser Whitethroat, (rare W), Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Green Warbler, Wood Warbler, Mountain Chiffchaff, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Common Babbler, Penduline Tit, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Daurian Shrike, Turkestan Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Southern Grey Shrike, Steppe Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Masked Shrike, House Crow, Brown-necked Raven, Common Starling, Rose-coloured Starling, Common Mynah, Bank Mynah, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Pale Rock Sparrow, (rare in Su), Yellow-throated Sparrow, Indian Silverbill, Chaffinch, Brambling, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Eurasian Linnet, Common Rosefinch, Cinereous Bunting, Ortolan Bunting, Little Bunting, Reed Bunting, Black-headed Bunting, Corn Bunting
Other Wildlife
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Site Information
History and Use
The two Gulf Wars have been devastating but it is hoped there has been little long-term damage to the region's birdlife although it may be many years before birders return to the area. The more inland parts of the country have also suffered extensively from effects of overgrazing.
Areas of Interest
Kuwait Bay
The best birding areas lie around the shores of Kuwait Bay and in particular Sulaibikhat Bay and Jahra Pool where crakes, waders and reedbed warblers occur. Broad-billed Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper and Terek Sandpiper are possible here and Dead Sea Sparrow has recently been recorded at Jahra. Warblers here can include Eurasian Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Basra Reed Warbler and Marsh Warbler among others.
Kubbar
Kubbar is an offshore island to the south-east where various terns including White-cheeked Tern and Bridled Tern can be seen and Saunders' Little Tern may be a rare but regular passage migrant in Kuwait. Boat-trips to this and other islands can be very productive.
Wadi Al-Batin
Inland areas under cultivation that were worth exploring before the Gulf War include Wadi Al-Batin, once home to Macqueen's Bustard, Al-Abraq and Al-Khabari.
Jal Az-Sor
The Jal Az-Zor ridge is an eighty km long escarpment which has breeding Brown-necked Raven.
Access and Facilities
Tourists are rare in Kuwait and birders rarer still but accommodation is available, although expensive and mainly in Kuwait City. Car-hire is also expensive but necessary as public transport is poor.
Contact Details
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External Links
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Content and images originally posted by Steve
