After the choice was made by the general public and after the votes were counted, we have a winner of the title of "Bird of the Year" for 2023 – and she is none other than the black reptile, considered the first rare bird to visit Israel last year.
It was chosen from among the rarest, most beautiful and most special birds we experienced and saw last year. In second place came a small stingray, and in the honorable third place you will find the gray-headed porphyria.
Almost won. A small storm in the heart of the Red Sea, photo: Netanel Bernstein
The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, which organized the competition through its Israeli birdwatching website, noted that the reptile was first found in Israel last year on January 5 by Yishai Ben-Adir, near Moshav Maor in Emek Hefer. Throughout his long stay in Israel, until the beginning of April, he modeled well and cooperated, attracting many birdwatchers from Israel and even abroad.
Dr. Yoav Perlman, Director of the Birdwatching Center at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, said: "It is gratifying to see that even during this difficult period, birds in Israel and Israeli nature continue to receive the public's attention. Participation in the 'Bird of the Year' competition was very extensive, and the results reflect the desire of the Israeli public to go out into nature, to enjoy the peace and quiet, and the healing and healing power of nature, which are so necessary these days." Of the winner, Perlman said the black reptile was a "great choice" as it was a "beautiful, rare and charismatic" bird.
The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel added that the achievement of the black reptile is particularly impressive, since it took first place at the very beginning of the competition. At the time, it seemed that his path to victory was paved for him, but then the "voter headquarters" of the Atlantic Yas'ouron woke up, and a stubborn struggle began between the two: once the Yas'our led by a small margin and once it was the reptile who led.
In third and honorable place. Grey-headed porphyria, photo: Rami Mizrahi
"It is interesting that the reptile won the competition, even though it appeared at the beginning of the year and not towards the end, like the beautiful thrush from Tel Yodfat or the gray-headed porphyria – a new and colorful species that has received, and still receives, a lot of attention from bird lovers. In the end, the voters reserved their sympathy for the charismatic little Dohl, who gave a great show, despite the neglected setting," added Arad Ben David, birder and director of the Israeli birdwatching site of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.
2023 will be remembered as a complex and difficult year like no other in the State of Israel. The "Iron Swords" war took out the desire for birdwatching, and left many birdwatchers at home. "We all mourn and mourn the unimaginable deaths of the murdered, worry about the safety of the abductees, pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded and hope for the return of our soldiers," Dr. Perlman concluded. "Personally, I believe that getting out into nature, especially bird watching, is very important for restoring my mental health and that of all of us."
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