Sheikh Hassan Abdulrahman Hassan al-Abdullah al-Thani signed his book Twirat Al-Fala in the Qatari Environment at the Katara Publishing House pavilion during the ongoing Doha International Book Fair in the presence of a notable turnout from readers interested in heritage and the environment.
Ameera Ahmed al-Muhannadi, director of Katara Publishing House, said that Twirat Al-Fala in the Qatari Environment is one of the few books about birds in Qatar.
This publication stands out by preserving the original names of the birds as passed down by ancestors, thereby helping to maintain Qatari cultural heritage.
The author explained that his book focuses on “Twirat Al-Fala”, a diminutive term referring to small wild birds that are beloved in Qatar for their tasty meat, beautiful colours, or their entertaining and creative movements, such as those of the “Umm Salim bird” and the “Quba’ bird” during nesting and mating seasons, or for their reputation of approaching humans without fear.
When asked why he wrote the book, he said: “I noticed that the younger generations were mispronouncing or altering the names of native Qatari birds due to a lack of knowledge. So, I decided to write a book that preserves the traditional names of these beloved birds as passed down from our ancestors without alteration. I only added some basic information about each bird’s appearance, feather colours, and general behaviour in nature.”
He clarified that the birds mentioned in this book are the most well-known in Qatar, though not all of them, since the country hosts a wide variety of birds, including peaceful species, birds of prey, wild birds, aquatic birds, and nocturnal birds.
The author promised his readers at the book launch that a future edition will include a larger number of Qatari bird species, possibly titled “The Tree of Qatari Birds”, which will catalogue over 400 birds in collaboration with professional young Qatari photographers.
He also revealed that he is working on other books, including one about animals, reptiles, and lizards in the Qatari environment, and a separate book on insects that will feature their traditional names and high-resolution images captured in their natural habitats — images that are sure to amaze readers.
