KEPS bird team adds five species, Kuwait list rises to 424

KUWAIT, Jan 24 (KUNA) -- The Bird Monitoring and Protection Team at the Kuwait Environment Protection Society (KEPS) on Saturday announced that the number of bird species recorded on Kuwait's bird list has risen to 424, after five new species were documented in 2025.
Team head Mohammad Shah said in a press statement following the group's final field tour in Al-Abrq, northwest Kuwait, that the outing aimed to complete the final annual report and review the latest observations, including counts and newly recorded species.
Shah said the team spotted 24 bird species during the tour, most of them winter visitors, including the European Robin and the Song Thrush, in addition to other wildlife such as the Barn Owl and the Sand Cat, which was documented in its natural habitat.
He noted that 2025 also saw the return of species not recorded for long periods, including the Greater White-fronted Goose, observed by team members Mohammad Al-Hudaina and Talal Al-Muwaizri in November.
Shah added that monitoring efforts recorded the return of Eversmann's Redstart, seen four times at separate locations including Al-Abrq, Al-Mutlaa and Al-Julaia late last year after a five-year absence, noting it is considered a rarely recorded species in Kuwait.
He said the data collected during the field tours were distributed into research lists on the global eBird platform in preparation for issuing Kuwait's 2025 annual bird monitoring report. (end) oys.ag