For Migrating Birds, Israel Stocks its Ponds

Photo: Lior Kislev

As temperatures in Europe begin to drop, more than half a million birds are ruffling their feathers and beginning their journey south to an African summer.

In Israel, which serves as a bottleneck between the two continents, more than half a billion birds are expected to fly by during the next few weeks. In the past few days, more than 100,000 storks were counted by the ornithologists of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.

GPS transmitters attached to some of the birds, alongside old fashioned ring tags, have shown that some of them maintain a rigid schedule that includes between 8-10 hours a day, at speeds of up to 30 miles an hour.

In Israel migrating season may be good for nature lovers, but for farmers, the season creates a bigger problem. A flock of pelicans landing in a fish pool can eat up to 2.5 pounds of fish, which brings about heavy losses to the farmers. In order to protect their business and save nature, fish farmers from across Israel have teamed up with ecologists to leave the birds a full pantry.

In the next few months, more than 60 tons of fish (almost 15o,000 pounds) will be placed in ponds and lakes where the migrating birds stopover. In the Hula Valley in northern Israel, more than 3.5 tons of fish are dispensed weekly to feed the birds, show them hospitality, and bring peace between man and nature.

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