BirdLife Israel

03/05/2026

All are invited to the English Bird Club walk this month!!

✔️English Bird Club walk - The Swifts of Tel Aviv
12/5/26
18:00 - 20:00
Did you know that the Common Swift is the official bird of Tel Aviv? The swifts migrate to Israel in the early spring and nests in the roofs of our cities. In the late afternoon, hundreds of swifts gather to feed before dark and their aerial acrobatics is a sight to see. Join the Bird Club to experience this first-hand before the nesting season is over and the birds head back south for the winter.
No experience is necessary! Easy walking on roads.
To register: https://eventbuzz.co.il/swifts120526

Questions? Call 0523-869488 or email [email protected]

The English Bird Club is part of BirdLife Israel, of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.

28/04/2026

The CEO of SPNI is coming to New York City, and leading a rare spring migration bird walk in Central Park.

Spring migration is one of the most extraordinary moments in nature. For just a few weeks each year, the park becomes a stopover for warblers, orioles, and dozens of migrating birds.

Join us for a morning bird walk led by Dan Alon, CEO of SPNI and former Director of BirdLife Israel. With his deep knowledge and global experience, you’ll experience this season through the eyes of an Israeli birding expert, free of charge.

📅 Thursday, May 7, 2026
⏰ 7:00 AM or 8:00 AM departure
📍 Central Park (Boathouse, near 72nd & 5th)
Save your spot by emailing Sondra at [email protected]

Bring your binoculars and come ready to slow down, learn new things, and connect with nature in the middle of the city. We look forward to birding with you!

28/04/2026

28/04/2026

Well done everyone!!!!

06/04/2026

It is with great sorrow we announce the death of Dr. Gidon Perlman z”l. There are people who leave a mark that doesn’t fade. Dr. Gidon Perlman was one of them.

A co-founder of the Nili and David Jerusalem Bird Observatory, which he built together with Amir Balaban in 1994, Gidon helped shape the space so many of us know today. If you’ve ever visited the JBO, there’s a good chance you saw him there.

A cardiologist by profession and a nature lover at heart, Gidon was so much more than a colleague. He was a living example of curiosity, dedication, and a deep love for nature ❤️

A few years ago, he was diagnosed with ALS, a devastating and incurable disease. But even in the face of that, Gidon chose to keep going. He continued to travel, to stay connected to the field, to write, to research, to work, never giving up.

Even when he became confined to a wheelchair, his spirit remained free, curious, and active. When asked what he wished for himself, he answered simply: “to keep doing.”

You can read more about his life, his work, and the way he continued birding even with ALS in a piece written by his brother, Yoav Perlman: https://www.birdability.org/blog/my-brother-the-birder

We invite you to share your memories of Gidon in the comments. May his memory be a blessing.

09/03/2026

A Festival in the Skies: Spring Migration Begins!

Spring migration in Israel sees over 500 million birds move north from Africa toward Europe and Asia, making the country one of the world’s most important migration flyways and stopover sites.

Join SPNI’s expert birders for a live birding webinar from the field—an exciting opportunity to experience spring migration in Israel as it unfolds, sharing the anticipation, the searching, and the poignant thrill of seeing rare birds in their natural habitat.

Sunday, March 15
Israel 4:00PM | UK 2:00PM | NY 10:00AM | LA 7:00AM

To register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4EB9fZUSTX2z5EImfwM1_A

25/02/2026

Meet the Barbary Falcon (Falco peregrinus pelegrinoides)!!

The Barbary Falcon is actually a subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon. The Peregrine Falcon is one of the most widespread birds in the world: it can be found on every continent except Antarctica, and it is also one of the most iconic and extensively studied bird species globally. However, to most nature lovers, the Peregrine Falcon is best known as the fastest animal on Earth, holding an almost unimaginable speed record of 389 km/h.
This is not just a simple fall or dive. The falcon precisely directs its free fall toward an unsuspecting bird flying hundreds of meters below, in order to capture it.
Due to its wide global distribution, about 19 subspecies are currently recognized, ranging from North America to Australia. Our Barbary Falcon is one of them, occurring from the Canary Islands and the deserts of North Africa in the west, through the Middle East, to the Arabian Peninsula and probably Iran as well.
In Israel, this impressive raptor nests on towering cliffs in the Judean Desert, northward to Sartaba, in the Negev Highlands, and in the eastern and southern Negev. Young birds that have been fitted with transmitters and fledged from nests in the Judean Desert and the Negev have been found roaming widely throughout the region — from Turkey in the north to Jordan and Saudi Arabia in the south, as well as in various parts of Israel.
Until recent years, there was no particular concern regarding the Barbary Falcon population in Israel, but lately we have been witnessing a decline. Like other large falcons, the Barbary Falcon is targeted by falcon trappers, and like other birds of prey, it is affected by the loss of natural habitats and various human-caused disturbances.

This year, Champions of the Flyway is raising funds to strengthening anti-poaching patrols through the Falcon Guardians project in the Western Negev.
Together we can protect all four falcon species that depend on Israel’s desert.
Every individual matters.
Be part of their survival story!
Donate today! Support the campaign of a team of your choice!
https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/Champions26


Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel SWAROVSKI OPTIK Birding מרכז צפרות רמת הנגב Ramat HaNegev Birding Center Eilat Birding Center - IBRCE

06/01/2026

Israel’s desert is home to four incredible falcons:
🖤 Sooty Falcon (only ~80 pairs!)
⚡ Peregrine Falcon
🪶 Lanner Falcon
🌍 Saker Falcon (globally endangered)
All of them face growing threats — illegal trapping, disturbance at nesting sites, and dangers along their migration routes.

This year, Champions of the Flyway is raising funds to:
📡 Support cutting-edge research on Sooty Falcon migration
🛡️ Boost anti-poaching patrols through the Falcon Guardians project in the Western Negev
Together, we can protect these amazing desert raptors.
Let’s keep them flying free.

How can you help?
- Form a team to race in Champions of the Flyway
- Spread the word about the falcons on social media and to your friends and family
- Raise money to help protect the falcons

To register a team: https://eventbuzz.co.il/cotf26 (hebrew)
https://eventbuzz.co.il/cotfeng26 (english)

Don't have a team but want to race - let us know - we can help you find a team to race with!

To donate: https://my.israelgives.org/en/members/Champions26

Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel Eilat Birding Center - IBRCE מרכז צפרות רמת הנגב Ramat HaNegev Birding Center SWAROVSKI OPTIK Birding

01/01/2026

What a great way to end the year!! Birdwatching and enjoying nature at the Hula Lake (Agamon Hahula).
Yesterday 31/12, we had the pleasure of guiding a bus full of English speaker to the Hula Valley. Despite iffy forecast, we had great weather – some clouds but with some nice sunshine as well.
We started our visit with a trip around the lake on the bus stopping a several key birdwatching sites. Then headed back to the visitor center to board the safari wagon for a sunset tour of the restricted area.
Highlights included: the Common cranes (apparently over 20,000 are present in the Hula), Greater Flamingos, Eurasian Wigeons, a nice view of a Greater Spotted Eagle in flight, several Black-winged kites hunting around us and much more.
The safari wagon took us to the lake side at sundown where we witnessed hundreds of Glossy Ibis, Armenian Gulls, Pied Avocets, Common Cranes gathering in large numbers in the lake for the night. There they are safer from predators as the rest.
As we were leaving the area in the last light, a battle-scared Swamp (or Jungle) Cat was seen sitting at the side of the dirt road. We looked at each other for several minutes before he/she headed off slowly into the dusk.
Enjoying the healing power of nature, the great views and the great company of all the participants was a great way to end a difficult 2025. May all the peace and healing of this carry us well into 2026!

For more information on upcoming English nature and birding tours in Israel, check out our website at www.natureisrael.org or contact us at [email protected].

Here is the checklist of the trip: https://ebird.org/checklist/S291400109

Thanks to Gloria Mosenkis, Zipporah Willner, Ayala Levin-Kruss, Martine Dietch, Alen Kacal for use of your photos.

Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel
אגמון החולה קק"ל - Agamon Hula