Birds

A new study led by Prof. Lee Koren of Bar-Ilan University (BIU) in Ramat Gan looked into the profound effects of habitat disturbance on the Arabian babbler.

In the last 30 years the the migratory bird population in Israel has dropped by more than 10%, according to KKL-JNF, due in part to climate change and the bird flu epidemic. 

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

"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.”

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