Kuwait

Asia

121

Documented species

Parks and reserves

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Kuwait occupies the northwestern corner of the Persian Gulf, where the Shatt al-Arab flows out and where the fresh water of Mesopotamia mixes with that of the Gulf, generating very productive muddy bottoms. Its interior plains are gravel desert with sparse vegetation of salt-tolerant shrubs that turns green briefly after the winter rains, when ephemeral plants and desert fungi appear. Kuwait Bay and the tidal marshes of the north are critical areas for migratory waders travelling between Siberia and East Africa. The islands of Bubiyan and Warba, uninhabited and with restricted access, keep salt marshes and colonies of coastal birds. The Al Jahra pools, fed by treated water, have become the most productive birdwatching site in the country.

The nature of Kuwait

National animal: No official national animal; the falcon is the emblem of the state and the country's cultural symbol

Did you know?

The crab-plover, a black-and-white wader with a robust bill, is the only wader in the world that nests underground: it digs burrows more than a metre long in sandbanks and leaves its eggs in the dark, where the heat of the sand helps with incubation. The islands and shallows of northern Kuwait hold colonies of this species, which feeds almost exclusively on crabs.

Biodiversity profile

Peninsula Arabiga (Oriente Medio, cabecera del Golfo Perico)Dato no disponible con precision agregada en fuentes verificadas consultadas

Climate

•Desertico calido (BWh), veranos extremadamente calurosos, inviernos suaves

Main biomes

•Desierto plano con vegetacion adaptada a la aridez (arfaj o Rhanterium epapposum, flor nacional)
•Bahia de Kuwait, principal accidente geografico costero
•Marisma mareal
•Desierto de grava
•Isla y bajío del golfo
•Sabka hipersalina
•Humedal artificial depurado
•Pradera marina
•Litoral fangoso

Marine and coastal ecosystems

•Aguas costeras del Golfo Perico con mas de 100 especies de peces, tortuga marina verde, cangrejos y moluscos
•Isla de Bubiyan, la mayor del pais, de significativa importancia regional para la biodiversidad

Flagship wildlife

•Tortuga marina verde
•Oryx y gacela de arena (reintroducidas en reservas)
•Aves migratorias en la Bahia de Kuwait (ruta migratoria clave euroasiatica-africana)
•Dromas
•Flamenco común
•Charrán de Saunders
•Cormorán de Socotra
•Zorro del desierto
•Tortuga verde
•Gacela árabe
•Halcón sacre
•Águila pescadora
•Delfín jorobado del Índico

Notable endemic species

•Mas de 400 especies de plantas silvestres registradas; el arfaj (Rhanterium epapposum), arbusto nacional, simboliza la resiliencia de la flora desertica de Kuwait

Notable threatened species

•Cormoran de Socotra (Vulnerable, con colonias reproductoras en islas del golfo compartidas con Saudi Arabia, Bahrein, Qatar y EAU)
•Especies marinas del Golfo bajo presion por sobrepesca y contaminacion

Notable protected areas

•Isla de Bubiyan (mayor isla del pais, relevancia regional para biodiversidad costera)
•Reserva de las Charcas de Al Jahra
•Reserva Natural de Sabah Al Ahmad
•Islas Kubbar y Qaruh
•Bahía de Kuwait
•Isla de Warba

Main conservation threats

•Urbanizacion e infraestructura que fragmentan ecosistemas naturales
•Contaminacion marina y sobrepesca
•Caza furtiva de especies desertificas

Notable natural phenomena

•Kuwait se ubica en una importante ruta de migracion de aves entre Europa/Asia y Africa, lo que la convierte en escala clave pese a su clima extremo

Conservation

The oil well fires and crude oil lakes of 1991 left a crust of contaminated soil whose restoration is still under way decades later. Fencing off reserves has made it possible to see how quickly desert vegetation recovers once grazing stops.

Where and when to watch wildlife

The Al Jahra pools between September and April for waders and waterbirds. Kuwait Bay at low tide for the migration passage. The northern islands in spring for crab-plovers and terns.

Sources: Wikipedia - Fauna of Kuwait | ScienceDirect - Kuwait's marine biodiversity | kuwaitmate.com - Kuwait's Wildlife

Desert