Ringing a bird
Manama : Bahrain’s geographical location in the region makes it an extremely important stopover site for migratory birds, according to experts.
Colonel Abdulla Al Kaabi, the sole bird ringer in Bahrain, recently organised a meeting of bird experts in Zallak. Experts from the Ireland as well as South Africa flew in to ring the migratory birds in Bahrain.
Bird ringing is the practice of catching birds, marking them with an identifying band around the leg, and then releasing them.
Colonel Al Kaabi who got his bird ringing permit from British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), explained that Bahrain is an ideal place for birds since nobody here hunts or harms the birds. “The birds leave other countries during winter in search for food. Most of the birds come here from the north and sometimes from the east, mainly from places like Russia and Kazakhstan,” he said.
Al Kaabi is also the first bird ringer in the Middle East, and is well known in the UK for his contribution to bird ringing. He is the only person to send bird ringing information to the UK. “I compile it and send it to the UK and they will record it under my name,” he said.
Building up reserve
Bahrain gives the birds an opportunity to build up their reserves before they head off again on their travels, said Irish bird ringer Sean.
“We have seen a huge number of migratory birds coming down to Bahrain and heading to the east cost of Africa. So this is a very important migration stopover point for the birds where they can build themselves and continue their journey southwards. The Middle East, and Bahrain in particular is a hugely important for birds coming down from Russia and Kazakhstan and all the birds further up north,” Sean said.
He praised Al Kaabi’s efforts and urged more people from the Middle East to take up bird ringing. “The data from bird ringing is essential for conserving the species of birds. There are very few bird ringers in the Middle East. We are hoping for more people to take up bird ringing in this region,” he said.
Declan Clark, who has been bird ringing since 1980, said he came to Bahrain because of Colonel Al Kaabi. “Both the times that I have travelled out of Ireland for bird ringing has been to Bahrain. Bahrain has been my choice because of Abdulla, we know that he is a good ringer and he catches all kinds of species that we are never able to catch,” Clark added.
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