birding...

Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus ©Mike Pope http://www.hawar-islands.com/blog/14_stub.php?author=12

The State of Kuwait lays in the northeast part of the Arabian peninsular and in the northwest corner of the Arabian Gulf. To the north and west it borders Iraq and to the south and west Saudi Arabia. It has approximately 550km of coast, which is dominated by the large expanse of Kuwait Bay. The country has a surface area of about 18,000 sq km and a number of offshore islands in the Gulf of which only Failaka is inhabited. The other main islands of ornithological interest are the low-lying Bubiyan to the north and the small Kubbar Island known for its breeding terns.

The topography is flat and occasionally undulating rising from the Arabian Gulf coast up to about 300 metres in the extreme south west. The Jal Az-Zour escarpment is the only significant topographical feature running for 80km from the north shore of Kuwait Bay and reaching a maximum elevation of 145 metres.

The climate in Kuwait is characterised by very hot and dry summers and mild to cool winters. Mean temperatures are 14˚c in January and 37˚c in July. Rainfall is erratic and difficult to predict with some years experiencing over 200mm whilst less than 30mm can fall in a dry year. Most rain falls between November and May.

There are no rivers in Kuwait just a few wadis such as the ‘out-of-bounds’ Wadi Al-Batin along the Iraq border in the northwest and the Wadi Ar-Rimam system inside SAANR. The nearest thing to a river is the drainage and sewage outfall into Kuwait Bay east of Jahra.

Vegetation is species-poor and consists of dwarf shrubs, perennial herbs and ephemerals with taller shrubs generally only being found in favoured locations such as along drainage channels. In relatively wet years the desert can become covered with a green hue as dormant plants spring to life but in dry years this is completely absent.

Nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralism are the main land uses with overgrazing by camels, sheep and goats a widespread problem. Extensive mudflats can be found around Kuwait and Sulaibikhat Bays to the east of the city and surrounding Bubiyan Island in the north.

Abdali, Al-Abraq Jahra and Wafra have natural oases and have been developed into traditional farm complexes often surrounded by conifer shelter belts and irrigated by wells and tanks to support a variety of crops. Urban areas are often planted with a few trees, shrubs and grass and well irrigated by sprinkler systems. These are tended by a largely immigrant workforce making urban areas green and a big attraction to migrant birds.

The population is overwhelmingly concentrated in Kuwait City which has grown at a very fast rate illustrated by the building of no less than 7 rings roads at increasing distances from the city centre to accommodate the expanding city. The other main urban areas are Jahra and Ahmadi but in reality the vast majority of the coastal strip is developed.

Birders visiting Kuwait no longer require any sponsorship although a visa is required for entry. This is easily and cheaply obtained at the airport upon arrival but be prepared for slow service and a long queue. Once there the visitor will find Kuwait to be an exceptionally affluent and largely westernised country with a low crime rate and a well developed infrastructure.

Kuwait is located in the extreme south-east corner if the Western Palearctic zoological region and lays on a cross-roads of several important migration routes between continents. One of these routes runs through Kuwait en-route from the eastern Caspian Sea down through Saudi Arabia and into eastern and central Africa. Another runs from eastern Europe, through Turkey, Syria and Iraq, across Kuwait and the northern Gulf and on into Pakistan and India.

A very small proportion of the total avifauna are resident or indeed breed. Of the 300+ species recorded less than 20 species actually breed including 4 tern species on Kubbar Island. The main attraction of Kuwait for visiting birders is the migrants and wintering species many of which are difficult to see anywhere else in the region. These include the globally threatened species Crab Plover, Basra Reed Warbler, Eastern Imperial Eagle and Lesser Kestrel. Other big draws are wintering Shikra and Persian Wheatear as well as Grey Hypocolius, Socotra Cormorant, Lesser Sandplover, Red-wattled Lapwing, Common Babbler, Bank Myna, Red-vented Bulbul, Egyptian Nightjar, White-throated Robin, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Bridled, White-cheeked, Swift and Lesser Crested Terns, several wheatears and shrikes and the nomadic Dunn’s Lark, Black-crowned Finch-lark and Pale Rock Sparrow.