Have birds ever cared about borders?
Next year, 2008, will mark sixty years since Israel's founding. Sixty years have passed in constant warfare since its birth. A territory for the displaced Jews has been secured, but how much blood has been spilled to protect it and increase its size, how much ammunition has had to be fired day after day. And this was going on and on and on.
Is this their only task? The then President Shimon Peres thought, indeed, how many kinds of urgent tasks still remain unfinished! Will the people of this country only write their future focusing on missiles, fighter jet, technology, troops, and security? Let's turn our attention now to the beautiful scenery, environment, and wildlife of this country! It’s a pity, there is so much birdsong here; five hundred million birds pass through this country's airspace every year during their winter migration, and yet, the country still does not have a national bird!
There is certainly enough reason to pay attention to birds! Israel's ornithology studies have always had a worldwide reputation. Moreover, President Peres's love for birds is not a new thing! In his childhood, his name was actually Shimon Persky. In the 1940s, during his childhood, he saw a Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture) circling overhead. In Hebrew, the Lammergeier is called "Peres." He was so fascinated by seeing that vulture that he subsequently changed his name from "Persky" to "Peres."
The President decided that the next year would be the perfect time. Israel would become a senior citizen (turning 60) with its own national bird. And so, preparations began enthusiastically right from 2007.
The Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Education joined hands and got to work. The effort was led by the 'Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel' with the cooperation of Tel Aviv University and the Israel Discount Bank. A massive campaign was launched across the country. Was this merely the task of choosing a national bird? Absolutely not. In fact, through this election, the people of Israel would come to understand their homeland's biodiversity, their country's picture-perfect landscape, and the landscape that hosts five hundred and fifty species of birds. They would re-discover their homeland and feel their connection with that homeland—a tie of the heart—and understand that they have a native land, and that Jews scattered across the world would return to their beloved Israel. All of this would revolve around one bird. Every bird would be seen and known. They would be embraced within the fold of their country and culture.
At first, it was decided that a bird would be chosen that remains and nests in Israel throughout the year. Migratory birds that arrive for the winter and then depart had to be excluded from the start. Then, in December 2007, nearly a thousand bird lovers at Tel Aviv University initially selected fifty birds. After further scrutiny and filtering, it was decided that ten birds would be put up for a vote.
Nine and a half thousand pre-schools, four thousand schools, poets, writers, politicians, Knesset members, diplomats, scientists... even the mighty Israel Defense Forces (IDF) units cast their votes from their base camps across the country. I specifically mentioned the IDF for one reason: besides fighting, the IDF performs a variety of unusual tasks. IDF personnel are deployed in various bird observatories in the country. A soldier's sole task for the entire day might be to hang an advanced assault rifle on their shoulder, fully equipped for battle, and use a mist net to catch migratory birds, weigh them, and release them back into the sky. They then send that datasheet to their superior.
So, a total of one hundred and fifty-five thousand ordinary citizens cast their votes. While voting, they kept in mind that the national bird must be worthy of adequately representing their country's valour, intelligence, sense of responsibility, and Jewish heritage and culture. Voting arrangements were made through both online and offline platforms. The ten birds whose names and pictures were printed on the sample ballot papers and President Peres's invitation letter were as follows:
1. Griffon Vulture
2. Barn Owl
3. Lesser Kestrel
4. Graceful Prinia
5. White-throated Kingfisher
6. Hoopoe
7. Goldfinch
8. White-spectacled Bulbul
9. Spur-winged Plover and
10. Palestine Sunbird.
However, there is some doubt regarding this list. Some say that the Lesser Kestrel was not on the original ballot paper, but the Red Falcon was. The Graceful Prinia was not there, but some Warbler was. But the biggest controversy centred around one bird: the Palestine Sunbird. There was no doubt about its presence on the list, but what bad timing it was that it was included, who knows!
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