More than 1200 Birds of prey for sale in Kuwaiti market include vultures, eagles, harriers and Peregrine falcons.

Endangered species are amongst those on sale in Kuwait.

Eagles, sparrowhawks and peregrine falcons all for sale

February 2011: Rare and endangered raptors are being illegally sold at Kuwait's weekly bird market, according to recent research.

Investigators have spent six months paying weekly visits to Kuwait's bird market to monitor the amount of illegal trading in raptors.

The market, in the Al-Rai area, was set up to sell pigeons, chickens and caged birds, and that has since expanded to include pet shops. Cage birds are imported from Europe, South America and South East Asia - but alongside these are wild birds illegally brought across the border from countries such as Iran, Iraq and Syria. Peregrine falcon, which are trapped during their winter migration, are among the birds being sold.

CAPTURED AND SOLD: Griffon vultures and other raptors are being sold illegaly at Kuwait Bird Market .

Researchers visited the Bird Market every weekend from January to May last year - and even so believe they captured only about 25 per cent of what was being sold. However their work does provide a valuable snapshot of the range of birds on offer.

Hoping for a crackdown by authorities

In total, they found 17 species of raptors - three of which are on the IUCN red list - offered for sale in the Bird Market. Two of these - the lesser kestrel and the Eastern Imperial eagle - are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN red list, and a third, the pallid harrier is Near Threatened.

Others raptors found at the market include Eurasian Griffon vulture, the short-toed snake eagle and western marsh harrier as well as various sparrowhawks, kestrels, buzzards and goshawks and peregrine falcons.

Now, after circulating the results of their work, the survey's authors are hoping their work will encourage the authorities to take action against the illegal traders. Already, some tighter controls have been put in place in response to the findings.

Story courtesy of Wildlife Middle East 

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