In association with the Jewish National Fund
It is not certain that you need to go through a birdwatching course to know that there is a unique natural phenomenon of huge proportions that occurs every year over the skies of Israel, and over the years has become a center of attraction for many. These are about a billion birds that migrate above the skies of the country on their way to Africa or back to Europe. Hundreds of millions of birds migrate south during the autumn for a "winter vacation" in Africa and migrate north during the spring towards Europe to nest.
The Jewish National Fund once again invites the general public to mark this exciting event for the sixth time, in an event that is all about celebrating nature: the birdwatching that takes place during Chol Hamoed Sukkot at the height of the autumn migration season for birds – and at the end, one family will even get to fly to Africa.
Tours and activities for the whole family about nature and connection to the world of birds will be held alongside professional competitions. Among the activities are the Birdwatching Challenge for families, a national photography competition, a bird identification marathon, bird watching tours and on-line birdwatching.
Connect people through nature
One of KKL-JNF's biggest tasks is to connect people through nature and birdwatching, and that's exactly what birdwatching does. Yaron Cherka, JNF's chief birder, says: "The world of birdwatching is rich, beautiful, important and special. The mysterious world of birds and the observation and learning from them constitutes a connection and bridge between people and the entire natural world. During Chol Hamoed Sukkot and as a longstanding tradition, we will hold a variety of birdwatching activities throughout the country. Alongside the activities for the general public, a number of events will be held for professionals in the field, which will express the high abilities of Israelis in the field. It's a real celebration. We are in the peak period of autumn migration and the experience is tremendous."
Family events will take place over four days from October 2-5 during Chol Hamoed Sukkot, at three points throughout the country simultaneously, every day between 09:00-15:00: Yeruham Lake, Hod Hasharon Ecological Park and Agamon Hula.
At each point, a team of birdwatchers will be waiting for families to jumpstart them on an adventure. Each family will receive a story booklet and missions about the adventure journey of Kalanga – the Woodland Eagle. The story will lead the family on a short trip, during which they will read and tell the story to the children and also experience experiential tasks leading to solving a riddle.
Photo: Michael Khoury, KKL-JNF Photo Archive,
The missions will teach families about the types of migratory birds, the migration route, the secrets of bird migration, what birds feed on, the importance of feathers and more. Every family that completes the adventure journey and solves the riddle will enter a raffle for a dream prize - a family flight with "Another World" to places where the birds spend their winter vacation in Africa.
JNF teams at the various centers will guide the families and accompany them on the adventure. "We have created several traditions at Agamon Hula over the years, one of which is of course the birdwatch," says Efi Naim, director of the Hula Valley region at the JNF, "The birdwatching takes place exactly in the autumn season, towards the peak of migration, and I have no doubt that the masses who come here during the holiday will enjoy a spectacular phenomenon, in one of the richest places in the world when it comes to a number of bird species. That's exactly why the birdwatching is the event you want to be in."
Selfie with Pelican
The bird watching will be accompanied by an on-line broadcast day on Sunday, October 1, where the audience will be able to watch bird ringing, hear explanations about different birds, experience stories about birds, play games, watch plays, answer quizzes, watch wild animals treated at the acclimatization center at Agamon Hula and listen to questions and answers with experts in the field. The broadcast will take place on KKL-JNF's Facebook page and website.
There is a lot to see Photo: Bonnie Scheinman, KKL-JNF Photo Archive,
One of the most important areas that will arise is dealing with the climate crisis. "We are experiencing a climate crisis, and we see it in every corner of the world today," reveals Dr. Doron Merkel, KKL-JNF's Chief Scientist. "There is no dispute that the climate crisis causes the disappearance and change of plants and has a huge impact on birds that can be an indicator of this. We at the Jewish National Fund are working to strengthen Israel's moist habitats in order to assist in everything possible, and this issue is a top priority."
There is a lot to see, photo: Bonnie Scheinman, KKL-JNF Photo Archive,
The KKL-JNF bird photography marathon has already taken its place as one of the most important nature photography competitions. Photographers will be required, as always, to produce a winning image of a bird within a predefined time frame of 48 hours. There are three categories in the competition (youth and children's photography, amateur photographers and photographers with professional equipment), which will be joined this year by a special end of mobile photography for pictures of the diverse habitats of birds throughout Israel.
The photography competition, held in cooperation with the Israel Nature Photographers Association, is, of course, a competition with prizes: the first, second and third places will win valuable prizes, and the best photos will be presented in an exhibition that will be displayed at the Agamon Hula Visitors Center, in cooperation with the KKL-JNF Photo Archive.
The images selected for the exhibition will also participate in an online competition by judging the audience on the KKL-JNF website, in which the most beloved picture will be chosen. The photographer who wins the "Audience Favorite" competition will also win a valuable prize. The Audience Favorite Competition will take place from October 19-9. The awarding of the winners of the photography competition will take place in conjunction with the conclusion of the KKL-JNF National Birding Marathon at Agamon Hula on Friday, October 20, 2023.
"Exceptional opportunity"
JNF Chairman Yifat Ovadia Lusky enthusiastically reveals that "the State of Israel is located in a unique geographical area when it comes to bird migration and there is an exceptional opportunity here to benefit from it. We at the Jewish National Fund invest considerable resources in promoting bird watching in Israel. KKL-JNF's birdwatching program is spread throughout the country, allowing participants an experiential acquaintance with the birds of the country, going out into nature and connecting to the landscapes of the Land of Israel."
"In recent years, the bird watching has become the largest birding event in Israel, and we are very happy to hold it this year as well. In recent years, we at the JNF have been working on the establishment of the 'KKL-JNF Wings Network' – it is a national birdwatching network, with a clear goal and that is to become a leading body in the field of bird watching," she concludes.
Family events will take place during Chol Hamoed Sukkot - from October 2-5, 2023, every day from 09:00 to 15:00. The events will be held at three points across the country simultaneously! More details on the KKL-JNF website.
In association with the Jewish National Fund