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Recordings
Scientific Name
Halcyon smyrnensis
Arabic Name
القرلي أبيض الصدر
Kuwaiti name
خضيري الأسياف
Family
Width
43.0 cm
Length
28.0 cm
Information
Uncommon winter visitor, scarce resident; breeds in Kuwait. One of our most exotic-looking native birds, and our largest kingfisher. Although it lives in wetlands, it is often found on agricultural land also. Sadly, being a large noticeable bird it is often shot by hunters.
Where in Kuwait
It is a species found in a variety of habitats from coastal habitat and inland wetlands in the Jahra area to as far west as Al Abraq. It can often be found far away from water.
In the world
It has an extremely large range and is suspected to be increasing owing to its ability to colonise gardens and palm oil plantations. It is a tree kingfisher, widely distributed in Eurasia from Bulgaria, Turkey, West Asia east through the Indian Subcontinent to the Philippines. This kingfisher is a resident over much of its range and is not threatened, although some populations may make short distance movements.
Local threats
Human disturbance during breeding and indiscriminate shooting, as it is a bird of colour.