Along the coast of Sulaibikhat and in a carnival atmosphere, the Kuwaiti Society for Environmental Protection organized its annual celebration of World Bird Count Day with the participation of bird watchers, enthusiasts, environmental experts, as well as representatives of government agencies, civil organizations, volunteer teams and groups in the country, photography enthusiasts, student groups from the eleventh season of the “Green Schools” program, the Society’s Friends of the Environment team, and the general public.
Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab, President of the Environment Society, said that during the event, the Society adhered to health requirements and procedures, including social distancing, wearing masks, using sanitizers, and using disposable tools. She added that organizing such activities is a contribution from the Society to international environmental events aimed at supporting the environmental movement and enhancing its community roles, in addition to consolidating environmental awareness among the public about the importance of preserving the country's wealth of migratory or resident birds. She indicated that the diversity of participation from government agencies, civil organizations, teams, volunteer groups, and the large numbers of young people, youth, and families in the bird counting celebration reflects and enhances the interest in the environmental dimension in Kuwait, and that field activities attract participants of different ages and categories, which is what the Society seeks to achieve through many programs and activities that attract different age groups.
Dr. Al-Aqab appealed to the relevant authorities, citizens, and residents to preserve migratory and resident birds, protect their natural habitats, avoid overhunting, and emphasize that Kuwait is one of the most important and prominent bird routes in their annual migrations from north to south and vice versa. In this regard, she called for the preservation of mudflats and tidal areas, as these areas represent habitats for many waterfowl and wading birds, considering them important areas for many components of wildlife, such as marine organisms like crustaceans, mudskippers, and mollusks, which are an integral part of the ecosystem. She expressed her thanks and appreciation to all participating entities, organizations, and individuals for their prompt response to the association's call to participate in the celebration, and commended the National Guard for its positive contribution and logistical cooperation in supporting the association's activities and events. She also praised the Australian ambassador's keenness to participate in the celebration.
For his part, the head of the bird monitoring and protection team at the association, Muhammad Shah, confirmed that the date and time of the bird count varies from one country to another according to what may affect the possibility of their presence in a stable manner and therefore the possibility of monitoring and counting them, noting that the best time to count birds is during the appropriate time period for the winter count of birds in Kuwait, in which there is no or less bird migration, i.e., during the month of January until the middle of February.
Regarding the counting methods and mechanisms followed by the team during the World Bird Count Day celebration, Mohammed Shah explained that they are distributed between counting at a monitoring station, mobile counting, counting in areas and incidental observations, noting that thousands of birds were documented during the celebration, indicating that the birds that were observed among the birds are (Greater Flamingo, Grey Heron, Common Eurasian, Kentish Plover, Common Eurasian, and Common Eurasian). He added that the counting operations witnessed the observation of many types of winter birds that stay in the country throughout the month of January during their annual journey from north to south before they begin during the month of February to resume their journey back from south to north to breed.
Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab, President of the Environment Society, confirmed that the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the organization (BirdLife International), which is one of the oldest global organizations in this field, are strategic partners of the Society.
During the celebration, team members and participants spotted thousands of birds including (flamingos, great cormorants, grey herons, common moorhens, mallards, crab plovers, black-headed gulls, slender-billed gulls, coots, Afghan babblers, Indian plovers, and common plovers).
The head of the bird protection team at the Environment Society stated that the largest concentration of waterfowl and wading birds was in the area of Sulaibikhat, Jadiliyat and Doha, and the presence of these large numbers in those places is a good indicator of the safety of the beaches and mudflats and the abundance of nutrients and biodiversity in them.
Entities participating in the World Bird Count Day celebration
National Guard
General Authority for the Environment
Environmental Police
AM Team Volunteer
Environmental Lens Team
Hope Gate Volunteer Team
Nature Ambassadors Team
Friends of the Environment Team
Sheikh Duaij Al-Sabah Group - may God have mercy on him
International weightlifting referee Ashwaq Al-Attar
