The storm "Barbara" has been hitting Israel hard for several days now, accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds.
Of all the living creatures affected by the storm, those who are probably most affected by it are the birds - who feel the winds with the strongest intensity.
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According to the chief ornithologist of KKL, Yaron Charka, birds have the ability to adapt to all living environments - if this sometimes includes extreme weather, which is not pleasant for any living creature. "The feathers that cover most parts of the birds' bodies allow them to keep excellent "The body temperature is constant, but the parts exposed to feathers, namely the legs and the beak, are sensitive to the cold as it is now in Israel," he says.
A peregrine falcon gets wet in the rain in the Maginim forest, photo: Bonnie Sheinman - KKL-Junk
In order to protect themselves from the cold, the birds bury their beaks in their back feathers, fold their legs into their belly feathers, and if they have no choice - they stand on one leg and at the same time hide the other with their feathers.
Charka says the strong winds also affect the birds during the migration season, when they can divert them thousands of kilometers from their normal migration route.
"Birds really like the winter storms," adds Charka, "because they make the seabirds come closer to the shore, and thus we have opportunities to observe rare birds that are usually only found in the middle of the sea. Indeed, in the last week, many birds went to Israel's seashores and were recorded A nice bunch of rare gulls, herons and seagulls".
A white kingfisher breasted in the rain in the spring valley, photo: Bonnie Sheinman - KKL-Junk
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