Winter day for counting birds
Birds are a mirror of beach health
Winter bird counting is a simple yet scientific activity: observers stand at fixed stations or move along the coast, recording each species and its number. A large population of waterfowl and waders is a good indicator of healthy beaches and mudflats, and of their abundance of food, as explained by the Society's bird monitoring and protection team. Similar counts take place worldwide in January and February, including the International Waterbird Census, coordinated by Wetlands International, which operates in approximately 140 countries.
Counting season
It begins on January 1, 2027, and extends throughout Kuwait until the day of the event.
Beach event
On a Saturday, the date will be determined by high tide. The exact day has not yet been set, and we will announce it through the association's accounts and this page.
The place
Usually on Sulaibikhat beach, near the popular cafe.
The date is determined by the moon and the tide.
The event is originally scheduled for the second Saturday in January, but the team moves it forward or backward to coincide with the middle of the lunar month, when the moon is full and the tide is at its highest (exceeding 3 meters in 2025 and 2026). At that time, wading and seabirds approach the shore to their closest point, making them easier to spot and count. Move the tide around the scene and see the difference for yourself.
A simplified illustration of tides and bird gatherings.
Four ways to see the beach
The team divides the counting into four methods, and each team uses binoculars, a camera, or a drone depending on the location.
monitoring station
A fixed point from which the observer counts everything that lands in front of him or passes through his field of vision.
Moving count
The team travels along the coast and records the species and their numbers as they move.
Counting in areas
The site is divided into areas, and each observer or team is responsible for counting what is in their area.
Casual remarks
Recording any species that appears by chance, such as the brown-necked crow that was seen at the observation site.
Binoculars, telescopes, and cooperative hands
Scenes from previous bird counting events on Kuwait's beaches and nature reserves.
What did we observe?
Each year, the team documents thousands of birds on the day of the event, with the greatest flamingos, grey herons, common egrets, Kentish plovers, and sandpipers being the most frequently observed. This is a tally of eight species recorded in Sulaibikhat on January 17, 2026. Click on any species to see where it stands on the beach.
Each bird in the scene represents approximately 25 real birds. The figures are from the team's log for the day of the event at a single location, and reflect what was seen that day, not the total number of birds in Kuwait.
Counting journey since 2012
the beginning
The bird monitoring and protection team started the winter counting activity in Kuwait, which was held for one day only.
Approximately 7,000 birds
The Environment magazine recorded the sighting of approximately seven thousand birds at that year's event.
More than 8,500
The recorded number has risen to more than 8,500 birds.
Approximately 63,000
The magazine recorded the sighting of about 63,000 birds on the coast, and the locations and counting methods vary from year to year.
Sulaibikhat celebration
An annual celebration with the participation of government agencies and volunteer teams, and in 2024 the drones were displayed in the monitoring.
Count at the Kuwait level
The countdown extended from January 1st to the day of the event across Kuwait, under the patronage of the Minister of Social Affairs, Dr. Amthal Al-Huwayla.
The Society and the Count of Birds
The association organizes the event annually on the Sulaibikhat coast in cooperation with governmental and international partners, and it is accompanied by a photo exhibition, beach clean-up, and workshops for children.
2026Under the patronage of the Minister of Social Affairs
Under the patronage of Her Excellency Dr. Amthal Al-Huwayla, the association held the event near the popular café in Sulaibikhat from noon until 4:00 PM, with the participation of students from the fifteenth season of the Green Schools program, as well as the Youth Environmental Team and Friends of the Environment. Viewing platforms with binoculars were set up, along with a bird photo exhibition and a beach cleanup, coinciding with a nationwide count from January 1st to January 17th.
Read the news2025The count is expanding
The team observed the birds from January 1st to 18th across Kuwait. Notably, 300 Syrian plovers were found at farms in Sulaibiya, and 7 purple sandpipers were found in Bnaider.
Read the news2024Partnerships and drones
The National Guard was a national strategic partner, DJI demonstrated the surveillance capabilities of drones, and diplomats and two international partners attended the event.
Read the news2023Workshops for children
Coloring books on Kuwaiti birds, wooden nesting houses, types of feathers, and a device that connects the phone to binoculars to take pictures.
Read the news
2022carnival atmosphere
A celebration on the Sulaibikhat coast with the participation of the Australian ambassador and volunteer teams, and the largest concentration of birds in Sulaibikhat Bay, Al-Jadiliya and Doha.
Read the newsKuwait expands its list of birds
Kuwait is one of the most important bird routes in their annual migration between north and south, and each monitoring trip may add a new species to the country's record.
Society Archives420Spotted flycatcher
The first sighting of it in Kuwait was during the spring migration in April 2025, and it was spotted by observer Mohammed Al-Hadheena at Al-Abraq farm.
Society Archives426Coryze shearwater and sooty gull
Two new species were spotted in Kuwait Bay in mid-2026, bringing the total number of recorded species to 426.
Society Archives100A species that breeds in Kuwait
Research by team member Mohammed Al-Hadheena concluded that the number of breeding species reached 100 species by 2026.
A booklet introducing children to the birds of Kuwait
Before Counting Day, browse with your child our free booklet about the birds of Kuwait.
"Birds of Kuwait for Children" booklet«
A fun and educational guide that introduces children to common and migratory birds that pass through or live in Kuwait, with illustrations, simple text, and interactive activities like mazes and matching. Look through it with your child before Counting Day.
Browse the brochureBirds of Kuwait Through your lenses
Have you taken a picture of a bird in Kuwait? Share it with us, and it will appear here with your name after review. Every picture tells us something new about our birds.
Share a picture of a bird with us
Every photo is reviewed before it appears on the wall with your name, and all we need is a photo you took yourself.
Three steps to the beach
You don't need experience. Just come with curiosity, and the observers will guide you to the rest.
Follow the date announcement
The date is determined on Saturday according to the high tide, and is announced through the association's accounts a few days before the event.
Follow the announcement on Instagram →2Attend and use the platforms
The association provides viewing platforms with fixed binoculars, so if you have your own binoculars, that's a nice addition.
Event news on Instagram ←3Learn about birds
Watch the Birds Season from our documentary series "Every Day," 30 short episodes on the Society's YouTube channel.
Watch the episodes on YouTube ←4Join the team
Membership in the association opens up year-round monitoring trips, and the team is working on a platform to register volunteers for the winter count.
Join the association ←Children's companionship for coloring the bird booklet
Bird photo gallery
beach cleanup
Photographing birds through binoculars
Equipped viewing platforms
Is one day enough?
The team itself says that one day at one location is not enough for an accurate count of Kuwait's birds.
What the event day offers
People get to know the species present at the site, see the birds up close, and learn why we protect beaches and mudflats and how reducing plastic waste is part of protecting birds.
And what the whole winter needs
Therefore, the team adopted the counting from the beginning of January throughout Kuwait, and seeks a wider count with volunteers who register on a special platform, so that the numbers turn from an impression of the day into a record that is built year after year.
Winter bird counting season 2027
The date of the event has not yet been determined, as it depends on the full moon in the middle of the lunar month. We will announce it through the association's social media accounts and this page.