Birds

Returned from the beach in Ashdod, and discovered a whole family of birds of prey

A Nature and Parks Authority employee received a unique glimpse into the lives of a whole family of little owls – an impressive small nocturnal bird of prey.

"After a few minutes I saw movement near the male, and then a female appeared at his side along with four fledglings"
Customs inspectors at Ben-Gurion Airport thwarted an attempt to smuggle about 20 parrots of special breeds

Ben-Gurion Airport customs inspectors stunned: This is what a passenger returning from Poland hid

A UH-60L YANSHUF from 124 squadron takes part in an Israeli air force air show during the graduation ceremony for soldiers who have completed the IAF Flight Course, at the Hatzerim Air Base in the Negev desert, June 29, 2023.

IDF helicopter carrying Herzog makes emergency landing after hitting bird, none injured

A bird eats an ashberry on a cold winter day in central Lviv, Ukraine January 6, 2017.

Life finds a way: Ukrainian bird builds nest with cables from fiber-optic explosive drones


Saving the Israeli vulture: A lifeline for the biblical bird of prey

Until the 1950s, there were still an estimated 1,000 pairs of vultures in Israel. Today, there are fewer than 200 such birds. 

 THE GRIFFON VULTURE in flight.

WHO warns bird flu 'significant concern' as virus spreads between cows

Analyses of viruses found in the cows have so far not found any changes affiliated with transmission between people.

A sign at the edge of an exclusion zone warns of the closure of a footpath after an outbreak of bird flu in the village of Upham in southern England, February 3, 2015.

New study reveals birds convey politeness through wing gestures

While most non-verbal gestures have mostly been studied in humans and primates, Japanese researchers found that a small bird species uses wing movements to convey messages.

 Great tit flies in a park in Minsk, Belarus February 6, 2020.

Rare African warbler spotted on Haifa beach

The African desert warbler, or Curruca deserti, is a small songbird typically found in northwest Africa. This was the second known sighting in Israel, after a first in 2013.

An African desert warbler, spotted in Haifa, March 23, 2024.

Thousands of birds take flight, migrate from Hula valley

The species which could be spotted high in the skies include, storks, cranes, pelicans and birds of prey which had taken refuge in the Hula valley due to the recent wintery climate.

 Thousands of birds take flight above the Hula valley. March 21, 2024.

The secret to migratory birds' survival: Eating feces

Consuming feces modifies bacteria and microbes in the birds’ digestive tract, allowing them to adapt to new environments.

 People wearing protective suits collect dead birds, as there is a major outbreak of bird flu, in Vadso municipality in Finnmark in Norway, July 20,2023

What do birds do when there are no people?

"These findings highlight the fact that there are animals that depend on us in the city, as well as the flexibility of these animals and the complexity and diversity of the urban ecosystem.”

 Crows in an urban area.

Eagles in Nahal Og take care of eggs in 'shifts' to prepare for hatching

Nature and Parks Authority inspector Assaf Shlomo Mizrahi has been closely monitoring a pair of bald eagles, an endangered species in Israel.

 Two eagles pass off responsibilities for incubating their chicks.

Bird flu spotted in Israel again as outbreaks intensify globally

Since 2021, Europe and the Americas have been suffering from a nearly continuous outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza.

 Workers in protective gear seen in Moshav Givat Yoav, in northern Israel, December 29, 2021, following an outbreak of avian influenza

Small dinosaurs flapped their feathers to scare prey and catch a meal

Most dinos died out about 66 million years ago, but but we’re still learning new things about them on a regular basis.

 Caudipteryx zoui