Jerusalem Bird Observatory Focuses on Education and Research

March 18, 2009

by Daniel E. Levenson

JERUSALEM - It was a typically busy day at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory, when a New Vilna Review photographer stopped by to take some pictures of the bird ringing operation in action, with groups of schoolchildren, a TV camera crew, birdwatchers, and volunteers of all ages enjoying a clear, cool and sunny March morning.

A wren which was caught in one of the nets and banded is about to be released.

Each morning, during migration season, volunteers arrive early to set-up nets in a field beside the bird-watching blind, in order to catch birds as they pass from one place to another.

During both spring and fall migration season dedicated volunteers rise early in the morning to place these specially-designed nets in the fields around the Jerusalem Bird Observatory.

Throughout the morning hours volunteers return to the nets to check for birds, carefully removing those which get caught in the net and gently placing them in light-weight cotton bags for the short walk back to the observatory where their length, weight and body-fat content will be measured and they will receive a small, unobtrusive metal tag on their leg before being released back into the wild.

Their goal is twofold: to conduct important research about the avian wildlife that lives in or passes through the city, and to educate the Israeli public about the importance of wildlife conservation.

This odd-looking reptile is the smallest snake in Israel, the Eurasian Worm Snake.

What makes the Jerusalem Bird Observatory so unique, one volunteer explained to me, is that unlike many other bird banding stations around the world, the JBO invited the public to come and watch the banding and release process, which offers an amazing opportunity to get a close look at some of the beautiful birds passing through the city.

A Syrian woodpecker waiting to be banded and released.

The number of birds and the diversity of species vary from day to day, but on average the JBO catches 60-80 birds per day during the spring migration, which runs from March to May. The rings are used to track the movement of birds throughout the world, and although only a small percentage of ringed birds are found in other countries and reported to the JBO, this research method has the potential to provide vital information about bird movement and migration patterns.

The Jerusalem Bird Observatory uses a variety of different size rings for different kinds of birds.

The Jerusalem Bird Observatory is open to the public 7 days a week, and runs a variety of educational programs for children and adults. For more information go to http://www.jbo.org.il/.