The marshlands are on a main migratory bird path from Africa. With the water and fish stocks restored, pelicans, flamingoes and marbled teal ducks fill the skies.

Locations of the Ahwar of Southern Iraq, World Heritage Site.

Around 20,000 Marsh Arabs live in southern Iraq.

The marshes today remain one of the poorest areas in Iraq.

The wetlands span thousands of square miles in the middle of desert.

Alwash says he feels vindicated by the UNESCO listing.

But the marshes that survived for thousands of years have taken a beating in recent decades. Iraqi governments since the 1950s began draining parts of the marshes to expand agriculture and drill for oil.

Much of the land along the Gulf Coast is, or was, marshland.

The birdsl

The birds!

Birds sing.

Birds fly.

Bird flu.

birds chirping man

American birds.

And the birds will sing

Birds Chirping

Those birds.

Watch the birds!

Birds love

Birdseed?

The birds died.

Remember the birds? Huh?

Bird Island.

The birds' and the bees'.

Against birds!

The bird war ?

You know, birds.

Gulls are scavengers, anyway. Most birds are.

But since Saddam was toppled in 2003, there have been efforts to restore the suffering marsh ecosystems.

There are still threats to the marshes primarily from agricultural runoff as well as drought attributed to climate change.

He would analyze flight patterns and direction, bird calls, and general bird activities, and then use these signs to interpret the will of the gods.

Birds lay eggs.

(Audience) Angry bird.

Birds are very agile.

We have the possibility to fly like a bird.

(Sounds of birds singing and a bell)

You have these pictures of birds.

Mockingbirds are badass.

Tomorrow the birds will sing.

I'm the king of birds!

Look. Flamingos.

Fowler's knots ?

She was selling birds?

These birds attacked.