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The Jerusalem Bird Observatory
An Interactive Environmental Community Initiative
Amir Balaban and Gidon Perlman
Jerusalem Bird Observatory, PO Box 3557, Beit Hakerem post office
Jerusalem, 91031. Israel; http://www.birds.org.il/bulbul
Abstract
The Jerusalem Bird Observatory (JBO) is probably the first observatory in the world
situated next to a Parliament (the Knesset). It serves as a unique experiment in
urban wildlife conservation that is aimed at protecting an important bird site. The
JBO combines research and education in order to change public perception and
encourage positive action towards the environment in general and birds in particular.
The JBO reflects the idea that with careful planning urban development does not
have to contradict conservation. Working from the center of Israel’s capital the JBO
is reaching a growing number of people and participants in wildlife conservation in
other conservation conflict zones.
Résumé
L’Observatoire d’Oiseaux de Jérusalem (OOJ) est probablement le premier
observatoire du monde a être situé†à côté†d’un Parlement (le Knesset). Il apparaît
comme une expérience unique dans le domaine de la conservation de la vie sauvage
urbaine qui a pour objectif la protection d’un site important pour les Oiseaux. L’OOJ
combine à la fois la recherche et l’éducation dans le but de réorienter la perception
du public et de stimuler une action positive en faveur de l’environnement en général
et des Oiseaux en particulier. L’OOJ est un reflet de l’idée selon laquelle avec un
planning soigné l’on peut arriver à un développement urbain ne compromettant pas
la conservation. Œuvrant à partir du centre de la capitale de l’Israël, l’ OOJ continue
à toucher un nombre croissant de personnes et de gens actifs en conservation de la
vie sauvage dans d’autres zones de conflit en matière de conservation.
The Loss of Open Spaces
In many cities throughout the world, large tracts of land within urban areas are set aside
and developed as parkland and urban wildlife havens. Israel’s cities have yet to set out
on this new path. Present urban development is rapid and unbalanced, as can be seen
in Jerusalem, where the city is losing many of its historic sites and green open spaces as
it becomes increasingly crowded and built up. Over recent years, Jerusalem has been
suffering from a deepening crisis in its attempts to preserve urban open spaces. There
is no established policy for such preservation in the capital city.
Yet, the benefits of such open spaces are numerous and diverse, well beyond their recognized
value for recreation and leisure. The Jerusalem Bird Observatory (JBO), which was founded
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by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), aims to promote and protect
open spaces for bird migration, urban wildlife and the general public. With the support
of commercial, governmental and private donations the JBO has turned an undeveloped
tract of land in the heart of Jerusalem into a bird sanctuary and an environmental educational
facility. At the JBO, scientific research into migration, along with marking of birds (ringing)
is carried out and presented to the public, thus achieving an important educational goal
in addition to the accumulation of knowledge and understanding of urban bird behavior.
The JBO is the first such urban project in Israel and will hopefully serve as an example
for others cities throughout the country.
The Site
The Israeli government has allocated a one and a half-acre plot (5000 square meters)
of prime real estate between the Knesset (the Parliament) and the Supreme Court for
the project. The site is one of the few traditional birdwatching areas in Jerusalem that
has not been harmed by development, and is centrally located, making it attractive as
an educational and tourist center for the public. It is probably the first bird ringing station
in the world located on the grounds of a national Parliament.
For many years the site lay in a state of neglect, with the two buildings on the surrounding
grounds used as a repository for organic materials from the neighboring parks. Since
the establishment of the observatory much of the refuse has been cleared and trails have
been opened. The observatory’s policy is to preserve the existing vegetation and gradually
add and develop typical habitats for a larger wild bird population. One of the two buildings
on the site has been converted into a ringing station and a birding hide. The ringing
station has become a useful tool for promoting environmental studies and bird monitoring.
Objectives of the Jerusalem Bird Observatory
The JBO is designed with four main goals in mind: (1) environmental education, (2)
conservation research (3) eco-tourism (4), and creating a common goal for Jews, Christians
and Moslems. This project is the first of its kind in Israel and promises to fill a vital
role currently lacking in Jerusalem’s environmental framework.
Environmental Education: Rather than relying on textbooks and educational films,
the JBO is providing Israeli students, particularly children living in Jerusalem and other
urban areas, with a unique opportunity to experience the environment at first-hand.
Student activities include close-encounters with ringed birds, birdwatching tours, a birdwatching
club, lectures about bird-life and nature conservation and presentations of current research
being conducted at the JBO. Participants take an active part in conservation work on
the site and throughout the city.
Programs are being developed for students of all ages: primary school children get their
first taste of ornithology, secondary school students are able to take advantage of the
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observatory’s facilities for projects in biology and ecology, while university students are
able to study and participate in various research projects.
Conservation Research: The JBO will house the national bird-ringing center. Together
with the active ringing station it will serve as an ideal tool for conservation studies and
research monitoring bird populations. Migration patterns will be studied throughout
the various seasons. Data collected and analyzed in a comprehensive database will be
made available to zoologists throughout the country and the rest of the world.
Eco-Tourism: The JBO is centrally located so that visitors to prime sites of interest,
such as the Knesset and the Israel Museum, can stop by for an eco-experience. Bird watching
and presentations on bird migration in Israel are available for tourists visiting as groups
or individuals. The inclusion of the JBO in visits to Israel will boost support for continued
preservation and conservation work throughout the country, especially in Jerusalem and
other urban areas.
Creating a common goal for Jews, Christians and Moslems: Birds know no geographical
or religious boundaries. The conservation of birds and the pleasure they offer are a true
common denominator that can bring people together: Jews, Christians and Moslems.
Situated at the heart of Jerusalem the JBO serves as a meeting place for people from all
religions willing to practice tolerance among towards each other and the environment.
By promoting joint conservation and educational projects, the JBO is becoming a useful
tool for bringing people together.
Projects and New Partnerships
Research
Research activity at the JBO is concentrated mainly on surveying birds using standard
ringing and field observations, as described below. The accumulated data are used to
generate annual and seasonal reports and to assess the function of the JBO as an important
stopover point for migrating songbirds.
Influenza Virus
The JBO has conducted research into the transmission of influenza viruses by migrating
songbirds. This resulted in the isolation of various viruses, including several influenza
viruses of subtype H9 (which has been recorded in humans) and several Newcastle disease
viruses, which constitute a severe threat to poultry farms.
West Nile Fever Virus
Following the outbreak of West Nile fever in humans in the summer of 2000, and the
isolation of the virus that causes the disease in migrating birds, the Israeli Nature Reserves
Authority initiated a national survey of the occurrence of the virus in birds. The JBO
is participating in this research, aimed to identify the source of the virus and to predict
outbreaks of the disease in humans.
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Above: March 23, 1998, The former speaker of the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) Mr. Dan Tichon
releases a kestrel at the inauguration ceremony of the J.B.O. A two acre plot has been allotted by the
Israeli government.
Below: The speaker of the Knesset is ready to attach with the “official hammer” the first nesting box
for great tits (Parus major) at the site. (Photos: Zoom 77)
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Above: The speaker of the Knesset, Mr. Avraham Burg sitting (second from left, with white shirt)
watching with great interest how Gidon Perlman rings a migrating bird that had just landed on
“his” property. Behind him are standing several members of the Knesset, Dr. Uzi Landau, the Minister
of Internal Security (with glasses and tie) who, together with Mr. Burg, was formerly on the board of
the SPNI, and both took a leading role in the SPNI environmental battles. (Photos: Zoom 77)
Below: 5,000 children arrive annually to take part in the J.B.O. educational activities. From the
children’s faces one can see how excited they get watching Balaban’s ringing
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Ecology
Every year, 15-20 high-school students perform research projects on different aspects
of the ecology of birds and other animals at the JBO. These projects, directed by the
JBO staff, contribute to our understanding of urban wildlife and also develop a greater
understanding by the students of the needs of the city and its wild inhabitants.
The Israeli Palestinian Jordanian Project
The JBO has received, through the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration
at Latrun, a USAID MERC grant to develop and promote a joint Israeli-Palestinian
and Jordanian bird-ringing project. The JBO’s main role in the project is to develop
ringer-training schemes, land management techniques and educational disciplines.
Jerusalem schools
From the spring and autumn of 1998 the JBO, with the help of many of our volunteers,
has guided an annual average of about 5000 (mostly primary) school children. In some
cases schools return on a seasonal basis.
Site adoption schemes
Ashqelon - The JBO has signed on a primary school in this southern city that has adopted
a relic sand dune habitat. A six-year program has been developed that includes combined
classroom and field work.
Katamon Valley - This unique valley in the center of the country is threatened by a
large-scale building project. The JBO is working to create the next urban wildlife site
here with community groups around the valley.
Bird Migration in the Area
Each year, during the spring and autumn, hundreds of millions of birds migrate over
Israel, making it one of the most important birdwatching sites in the world. Israel is a
natural bottleneck for birds migrating from Europe and Asia to Africa. Urban development
has interfered with some migration patterns, and many traditional birdwatching sites
have disappeared. More than 200 bird species have been identified in the Jerusalem area,
which is also the main hunting ground for the endangered lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni)
population. During the winter season, the Jerusalem area serves as a winter home for
numerous European birds.
Annual Totals
Since 1994, the JBO staff have been conducting systematic surveys of bird populations
mainly using standard ringing activities. These efforts have intensified especially since
1998, when the JBO was officially opened. The number of birds ringed at the JBO has
increased steadily over the years (Table 1) and reflects both the increase in number of
birds present and the increased survey efforts made by the JBO staff. This increase in
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bird numbers is due to the protection of the habitat and especially the vegetation and
addition of new habitats by planting trees and shrubs and the creation of a permanent
water source.
Month/Year
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Annual Total
1994
1995
108
290
13
398
67
25
29
68
23
225
1996
25
9
93
356
303
1997
28
34
112
46
39
63
79
6
886
12
944
8
459
158
1998
16
15
232
573
577
32
67
174
140
242
118
2186
1999
27
24
407
798
742
103
47
186
337
402
271
67
3411
2000 Grand Total
64
160
84
132
343
1083
1104
3398
1355
3438
140
275
194
241
482
882
631
1318
403
1037
307
979
125
339
5232
13282
Table 1: Monthly ringing totals in 1994-2000
The increase in ringing activities has been made possible by funds generated at the JBO
through educational activities and by the large number of volunteers (mainly schoolchildren
and university students) who have made the JBO their second home.
Migratory Seasonal Patterns
The abundance and species composition at the JBO show marked seasonal changes.
Most of the changes are due to the arrival and departure of migrating birds, which either
pass through the JBO or spend an entire season (winter or summer) there. The main
migration seasons are mid-March till late-May (spring) and mid-July till late-November
(autumn). There is considerable overlap between seasons, with late spring migrants coinciding
with local breeding populations and late breeders coinciding with the beginning of the
autumn migration.
The peak days of the migration seasons are probably affected by a variety of conditions:
the date, local and global weather conditions and local environmental variables such as
availability of food and water (Table 2).
Common Migrants
Songbirds are the most common group of birds found at the JBO. The most common
species of song birds are typical of a wooded habitat which is the dominant habitat at
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the JBO. Ninety-three species of birds have been ringed there, 12 of which have been
ringed more than 400 times (Table 3). Of these common species, four are residents whilst
the other eight species are migrants (including the four most common species). The
common species at the JBO are either obligatory insect feeders (willow warbler, olivaceous
warbler) or species that feed both on insects and fruit (bulbul, orphean warbler). Only
one species of seed-eaters the greenfinch, is common at the JBO, probably due to the
scarcity of open fields in the area and the surrounding environment.
Month Week
March
April
May
1
2
3
4
1998
Peak date/
no. of birds
ringed
th
13 =26
28th=57
1
4th=77
2
3
10th=46
18th=76
4
25th=194
1
1st=166
2
3
4
14th=64
23rd=96
31st=43
1999
Peak date/
no. of birds
ringed
th
12 =37
20th=49
29th=66
2000
Peak date/
no. of birds
ringed
th
12 =25
25th=48
3rd=74
2001
Peak date/
no. of birds
ringed
2nd=38
9th=37
14th=44
25th=77
30th=48
3rd=92
6th=81
11th=52
15th=113
22nd=76
26th=151
30th=47
9th=91
14th=96
21st=134
25th=105
29th=115
10th=62
14th=76
21st=101
29th=112
2nd=64
1st=101
5th=155
3rd=89
6th=75
10th=121
15th=46
18th=62
25th=66
29th=62
15th=76
22nd=43
8th=133
13th=72
19th=89
21st=84
Table 2: Numbers of birds ringed on peak migration days in 1998-2001
Specialties
The JBO is the only permanent ringing station in Israel, and possibly in the entire Middle
East, that surveys a mountainous wooded habitat; it is also the only urban ringing station
in the region. This unique location means that certain species that are common or regular
at the JBO are uncommon at other ringing stations and popular birdwatching sites in
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Above: Gidon Perlman holding two migrating birds (they are inside fabric bird handling bags)
before the process of ringing. On the left side are the mist nets and two keen young volunteers. At the
back, the main building of the Knesset (Photo: Yossi Leshem)
Below: A Palestinian team of three ringers was trained at the J.B.O. for two years, sponsored by
USAID, MERC. Spring 2000, Mrs. Dalia Itzik the former Minister of the Environment receives
one of the first Palestinian rings from the Palestinian ringer (Photo: Zoom 77)
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Species
Great tit (Parus major)Resident
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
Orphean warbler (Sylvia hortensis)
Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
Bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygus)
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
Olivaceous warbler (Hippolais pallida)
Lesser whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
Grand Total
Status
Omnivore
Migrant (winter)
Migrant
Resident
Resident
Migrant
Migrant
Resident
Migrant (winter)
Migrant
Migrant
Migrant (winter)
Food
402
Insects
Insects
Insects+fruit
Seeds
Insects+fruit
Insects
Omnivore
Insects
Insects
Insects
Insects+fruit
16234
Total
471
473
498
508
513
598
846
866
1257
2856
3990
Table 3: Species ringed over 400 times at the JBO
Israel. First and foremost is the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), a small raptor that breeds
in Jerusalem in small colonies and feeds on mole crickets in the parks surrounding the
JBO. The lesser kestrel is globally endangered and the JBO is one of a few locations
where it regularly hunts and can be found in significant numbers.
Other specialties of the JBO include the olive-tree warbler (Hippolais olivetorum) which
is a common migrant in late spring, masked shrikes (Lanius nubicus) a common migrant
in both seasons, thrush nightingale (Luscinia luscinia), four species of flycatchers, ten
species of sylvia warblers and the hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) a rare winter
visitor from Europe which in certain years can be quite abundant in Jerusalem.
Rare birds that have been recorded at the JBO include the corncrake (Crex crex) an endangered
Eurasian migrant, a male rose-coloured starling (Sturnus roseus) that fed on mulberry
trees in the JBO and a yellow-browed warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus), a vagrant from
Siberia.
Since 1994 three birds ringed by the JBO have been found outside of Israel: a lesser
whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) was found in Latvia, a blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) in Romania
and a steppe buzzard (Buteo buteo vulpinus) was found in Eritrea (former Ethiopia). Two
lesser whitethroats (Sylvia curruca) ringed in Sweden were captured and released at the
JBO. That only a small number of foreign birds are recovered is perhaps due to the fact
that most birds probably come from Eastern Europe and Western Asia where very little
ringing takes place; and it therefore gives only a slight indication of the immense number
of birds passing through Israel.