Chukars filmed in Bradost area of Erbil province in January 2026. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A recent wave of snowfall in northeastern Erbil has forced thousands of chukar partridges to migrate in search of food. Many have ended up in populated villages, making them easy targets for poachers. In response, local authorities have set up makeshift checkpoints to protect the wild birds.
Chukars are locally known as “kaw” and are part of the Kurdistan Region’s national wildlife.
“A very large number of chukars came close to the village. It could be between 10,000 and 15,000 chukars. On that hill across from the village, there were so many that in one place alone there were thousands of them,” Sulaiman Ahmed, a villager from the Bradost area in northeastern Erbil, told Rudaw on Sunday.
To ensure the safety of the birds during their migration, authorities have intensified their efforts and stepped up monitoring in the area. A makeshift checkpoint has been established in the mountainous region to deter and arrest poachers, while some local residents have chosen to protect the birds by feeding them rather than preying on them.
“When I saw that the wild birds had no food, I decided to feed them daily on the hilltops and highlands, in places where they can see and eat it. Every day I put out one to two sacks [of grain] for them.
Several governmental and non-governmental institutions have also come to the aid of the wild birds, including the Rwanga Foundation.
“Today we tried to provide 1.5 tons of grain to these animals [and birds]. We are hanging them [food] on the trees. We are leaving grain for them to protect them,” Hassan Shekh Aladin, executive director of the organization, told Rudaw.
Ihsan Chalabi, mayor of Sidakan subdistrict of Bradost area, said several poachers have been arrested.
“Last night, four people were arrested for hunting birds. At the same time, we contacted all the village chieftains (mukhtars) and asked them to inform us of anyone hunting or killing chukar within their areas so that legal action can be taken against them,” he said.
Chukars are locally known as “kaw” and are part of the Kurdistan Region’s national wildlife.
“A very large number of chukars came close to the village. It could be between 10,000 and 15,000 chukars. On that hill across from the village, there were so many that in one place alone there were thousands of them,” Sulaiman Ahmed, a villager from the Bradost area in northeastern Erbil, told Rudaw on Sunday.
To ensure the safety of the birds during their migration, authorities have intensified their efforts and stepped up monitoring in the area. A makeshift checkpoint has been established in the mountainous region to deter and arrest poachers, while some local residents have chosen to protect the birds by feeding them rather than preying on them.
“When I saw that the wild birds had no food, I decided to feed them daily on the hilltops and highlands, in places where they can see and eat it. Every day I put out one to two sacks [of grain] for them.
Several governmental and non-governmental institutions have also come to the aid of the wild birds, including the Rwanga Foundation.
“Today we tried to provide 1.5 tons of grain to these animals [and birds]. We are hanging them [food] on the trees. We are leaving grain for them to protect them,” Hassan Shekh Aladin, executive director of the organization, told Rudaw.
Ihsan Chalabi, mayor of Sidakan subdistrict of Bradost area, said several poachers have been arrested.
“Last night, four people were arrested for hunting birds. At the same time, we contacted all the village chieftains (mukhtars) and asked them to inform us of anyone hunting or killing chukar within their areas so that legal action can be taken against them,” he said.
Andam Jabar contributed to this article from Bradost area, Erbil province.
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