Smart Technologies Facilitate... Bird Monitoring
- Shah: With the proliferation of monitoring and observation, we now have a more accurate picture of bird life in Kuwait.
- Al-Muwaisiri: According to a standardized technique and mechanism, the location, date, time, number of birds, and their species are determined.
The Kuwait Environment Protection Society confirmed that “birdwatching has witnessed significant development in recent years, thanks to modern technologies and smart applications that have facilitated bird identification and documentation of sightings, making this hobby more widespread among various age groups, as observers can now carry advanced scientific tools on their smartphones to assist them in the field.”
Mohammed Shah, head of the bird monitoring and protection team at the society, said that “documenting sightings on global scientific platforms is important due to its role in supporting knowledge about birds and their habitats. The accumulation of documented sightings over the years provides valuable material that researchers and specialists can use to study changes in bird populations, their distribution, and migration seasons.” He added that “applications such as eBird and Merlin are no longer just aids for identifying bird names; they have become an integral part of the modern birdwatching experience.”
Shah noted that “through their smartphones, observers can identify birds and their calls, document the location and time of their sightings, build their personal records, and simultaneously contribute to a global database. The greater the number of observers and documented sightings, the more accurate our picture of bird life in Kuwait becomes, which supports efforts to study and conserve them for future generations.”
For his part, Talal Al-Muwaisiri, a member of the society’s bird monitoring and protection team, pointed out that “the team relies on the eBird application as the primary platform for documenting bird sightings. Data is recorded in the field, specifying the location, date, time, number of birds, and species observed, following an organized mechanism. These records become part of a global database used by researchers and specialists to study birds, their migration, distribution, and changes in their presence patterns.”
Al-Muwaisiri added that “one of the key features of eBird is that its use is not limited to Kuwait; observers can use it anywhere in the world. When traveling to any country, they can record the birds they see there, linking each sighting to its geographical location, date, and time, and adding it to their global personal record. Over the years, an observer’s account transforms into a comprehensive personal archive of their sightings worldwide, allowing them to review it at any time to see the number of lists they have submitted, the number of species observed, and the countries and regions where they have monitored birds, in addition to reviewing their previous sightings, locations, and dates.”
He noted that “the application does not merely display the bird’s name; it also provides images, its scientific name, and information that aids in identification. Furthermore, by determining the geographical location, users can learn which birds are likely to be present in the surrounding area. Among the key features offered by Merlin is the ability to identify birds through their calls; users can record sounds in the field, and the application will suggest the species being heard. This technology has greatly assisted in identifying birds that are difficult to see, particularly those hidden within trees or dense vegetation. Users can also photograph birds or upload images and use the application to help determine their species.”
