We catch and study many birds at the Environmental Education Center (EEC); some are ringed at our station, and others we observe with telescopes and binoculars. To ring a bird means to attach a metal ring with the word “Palestine” to the leg of a bird. Before setting the bird free, we study it according to the standards of the University of Gdansk SE European Bird Migration Network (SEEN), of which the EEC is a member. When we catch a bird for the first time, we put a ring with a unique number on its leg, collect data, specify its age and sex, and take other scientific measurements so that we can distinguish it from others within the same species.

Talitha Kumi Ringing and Monitoring Station was established as the first station not only in Palestine but in the entire Arab world. We started in the year 2000 with three Palestinian professionals: Mr. Simon Awad, the acting executive director of EEC, the researcher Mr. Michael Farhoud, and myself, Mr. Riad Abu Sa’ada, the acting station director.

The station is located in the western hills of the Bethlehem area, south-west of Jerusalem. It sits at the top of Jabal Al-Ras, approximately 900 meters above sea level and part of the mid-mountain range of Palestine. Wadi Al-Makhrour and the town of Beit Jala surround it.

The habitat ranges between Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian; the winter is rainy and cold, with an occasional snowstorm, and the summer is hot and dry. Part of the area is rocky habitat with sparse and rather low-growing vegetation. The remaining part is well vegetated with a variety of edible and ornamental native trees, shrubs, and conifers of various sizes.

Its location on the Jerusalem mountains between the eastern semi-arid region and the western coastal plains allows for a high profile of biodiversity and in turn makes for an ideal location for a native and historical botanic garden that will eventually attract birds.

An interesting part of our work is the ability to track the routes of the birds that pass through our stations. For example, one of the birds that was studied and ringed at the EEC/Jericho Ringing and Monitoring Station in 2000 (a Lesser Whitethroat) reached Poland 28 days after we set it free from here.

Another strange incident was the repeat visits of a robin to our station, which illustrates the importance of the station’s location for birds. The first visit was on November 25, 2003. I caught this bird in our net at eight o’clock in the morning then collected the standard information, put the ring on its leg, and set it free. Usually these birds are winter visitors that will return to Europe in March to breed. Exactly two years later, on November 25, 2005, at ten o’clock in the morning, I caught the same robin again. Of course, I did not realize that it was the same bird until I checked the serial number on the metal ring. The bird returned on November 22, 2006, and finally on November 23, 2007.

As we know, Palestine has a rich biodiversity, so it is normal to see several kinds of birds all year long. Birds in Palestine can be divided into five categories.

Resident Birds: those that live and breed in Palestine, such as the Yellow-vented Bulbul.

Migratory Birds: birds that pass through Palestine in autumn to spend the winter in the southern hemisphere. We often see these birds - for example, the Black Cap - in the spring on their way back to Europe for breeding.

Summer Visitors: birds that spend summertime in Palestine, where the weather is more suitable than in their countries. The Sparrow Hawk is one of the many species that rarely breed in Palestine.

Winter Visitors: birds, such as the robin, that spend wintertime in Palestine.

Vagrant Birds: birds that occasionally appear and disappear in various places in Palestine.

Riad Abu Sa’ada is the director of Talitha Kumi Ringing and Monitoring Station at The Environmental Education Center/ELCJHL in Beit Jala. He is a researcher of wildlife and also works as a science teacher. He can be reached at eec@p-ol.com.

Article photos by Simon Awad