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Bird Watching and Ringing in 2014
By Simon Awad
By Simon Awad
Although
Palestine has a relatively small land area in comparison to other
countries in the world, its wide range of temperatures, rainfalls, and
topographies - as well as its advantageous geographical location - gives
it great significance when it comes to upholding a wide biodiversity.
Palestine profits greatly from these conditions and can be considered
somewhat of an environmental haven for many different species of birds.
What makes Palestine so important is the fact that it serves as the bottleneck for bird migration between Europe and Africa. Migratory birds use three main routes: the Central Mountain Range, the Coastal Plain, and the Jordan Rift Valley.
The Environmental Education Center (EEC/ELCJHL) operates two bird-monitoring and ringing stations in Palestine, represented by the Jordan Rift Valley and the Central Mountain Range. The first one is the Jericho Ringing Station (31o51’N, 35o27’E) located in the Jericho District, which is a part of the Jordan Rift Valley (north of the Dead Sea). It is characterised by its arid climate but can also be considered an oasis that provides natural springs and therefore easy access to surface water. Since Jericho is located in the Jordan Rift Valley, which is considered an important bird area according to BirdLife International, it is the second most important flyway in the world for migratory birds, especially for soaring birds. It is also the most important route of all the Europe-Africa flyways. The Talitha Kumi Monitoring and Ringing Station is situated in the western hills of the Bethlehem area and south-west of Jerusalem, between 31° 41’N and 35° 09’E, with an altitude ranging from 700 to 913 meters above sea level.
This year, with the Palestinian Quality Authority, the EEC is organising two weeks of bird watching and ringing. The first one will be held from March 31 to April 6, and the second during the fall. These two weeks will provide a chance for interested people to learn more about birds and their importance in our ecosystem. Our aim is to change the local view towards the unique environment of Palestine and its biodiversity.
What makes Palestine so important is the fact that it serves as the bottleneck for bird migration between Europe and Africa. Migratory birds use three main routes: the Central Mountain Range, the Coastal Plain, and the Jordan Rift Valley.
The Environmental Education Center (EEC/ELCJHL) operates two bird-monitoring and ringing stations in Palestine, represented by the Jordan Rift Valley and the Central Mountain Range. The first one is the Jericho Ringing Station (31o51’N, 35o27’E) located in the Jericho District, which is a part of the Jordan Rift Valley (north of the Dead Sea). It is characterised by its arid climate but can also be considered an oasis that provides natural springs and therefore easy access to surface water. Since Jericho is located in the Jordan Rift Valley, which is considered an important bird area according to BirdLife International, it is the second most important flyway in the world for migratory birds, especially for soaring birds. It is also the most important route of all the Europe-Africa flyways. The Talitha Kumi Monitoring and Ringing Station is situated in the western hills of the Bethlehem area and south-west of Jerusalem, between 31° 41’N and 35° 09’E, with an altitude ranging from 700 to 913 meters above sea level.
This year, with the Palestinian Quality Authority, the EEC is organising two weeks of bird watching and ringing. The first one will be held from March 31 to April 6, and the second during the fall. These two weeks will provide a chance for interested people to learn more about birds and their importance in our ecosystem. Our aim is to change the local view towards the unique environment of Palestine and its biodiversity.
Dark in colour with a distinct, light throat, the Common Swift (Apus Apus)
has long, curved wings and a forked tail. Its high, screaming call can
be quite powerful when in a large group. It is always hunting insects in
the air, sometimes flapping very fast, other times gliding against the
wind. Due to the large number of insects it can eat in a day, the Common
Swift is a very useful alternative to using pesticides.
For more information on bird watching and ringing in 2014, please refer to the events section in this issue of This Week in Palestine. For further information, please write to us at eec@p-ol.com.
Simon Awad is executive director of the Environmental Education Center/ELCJHL. He is also an environmental activist and a wildlife conservationist. He has authored and co-authored several books regarding the environment and human rights issues. He can be reached at eec@p-ol.com or sija9@yahoo.com.Article photos courtesy of EEC archive.
See PDF www.thisweekinpalestine.com/i192/pdfs/article/bird_watching.pdf
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