Eurasian Golden Oriole on 04/09/2019 at Mutla’a Ranch

The weather was very hot today as usual at this time of the year, reaching 47 degrees celsius in the afternoon. Birds tend to seek shade and wet places specially irrigation channels in farms where it is cooler than dry sand.

Shrikes, Warblers and larks were all under tees on the ground seeking cooler climate.

Taxonomic changes:

In the recent update to Kuwait’s checklist the genus name of Barred, Eastern Orphean, Asian Desert, and Menetries’s Warbler, and Lesser, Hume’s, Central Asian and Common Whitethroats changed from Sylvia to Curruca following OSME SORL recent update 5.1. and Part C: Passerines. Version 5.1: July 2019.

The change follows a recent paper: Cai et al 2019 Near-complete phylogeny and taxonomic revision of the world’s babblers.

Mutla’a Ranch

Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 3 , Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 2 , Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 10 , Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus 4 , Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio 1 , Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus 1 , Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator 3 , Greater Hoopoe-Lark Alaemon alaudipes 1 , Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla 1 , Crested Lark Galerida cristata 22 , Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 6 , White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis 7 , Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus 2 , Barred Warbler Curruca nisoria 2 , Common Whitethroat Curruca communis 2 , Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata 2 , Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina 7 , House Sparrow Passer domesticus 155 , Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava 6 , Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana 2.

Red: indicates recent taxonomic changes.