Soaring bird migration over northern Israel in autumn

160 © British Birds 97 • April 2004 • 160-182

ABSTRACT Israel is renowned for the large numbers of pelicans, storks andraptors which migrate through the country en route to and from African

wintering areas. From 1990 to 1999, the autumn migration of soaring birdswas intensively studied during the Northern Valleys Survey, one of the few

comprehensive, long-term, ground-observation surveys in the WesternPalearctic.The principal species, including White Stork Ciconia ciconia, Honey-

buzzard Pernis apivorus, Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes and LesserSpotted Eagle Aquila pomarina, tend to concentrate in large numbers on arelatively narrow front, making them comparatively easy to monitor.This paper, which complements an earlier paper describing raptor migration at

Eilat (Shirihai & Christie 1992), summarises the results of the survey between1990 and 1999. For some species, long-term monitoring on migration routes

provides critical information on world population trends, otherwiseunobtainable from the breeding grounds.

Soaring bird migrationover northern Israel

in autumnDan Alon, Barak Granit, Judy Shamoun-Baranes,

Yossi Leshem, Guy M. Kirwan and Hadoram Shirihai

83. Lesser Spotted Eagles Aquila pomarina, migrating over northern Israel, October 2002.This photographshows part of a flock-stream containing nearly 2,000 Lesser Spotted Eagles. Hadoram Shirihai

Huge numbers of raptors which breed inthe northern latitudes of Eurasiamigrate to winter in warmer climates,

mainly south of 30°N. Many of these migratediurnally in flocks, covering large distances (upto 20,000 km) in relatively short periods, muchof the journey being completed under dailynear-fasting conditions. To conserve energy,raptors are forced to adopt passive flight –soaring and gliding – and to exploit the ther-mals which develop over land. As a result, theyare reluctant to cross extensive bodies of openwater over which passive flight is difficult. Con-sequently, large concentrations, or ‘bottlenecks’,of raptors form at strategic points, over straitsand through narrow corridors.

One such bottleneck, the Levant (Israel andEgypt in particular), is well known for the vastnumbers of migrant soaring birds which movebetween their breeding grounds in easternEurope and western/central Asia, and winteringgrounds in Africa. In the Middle East, mostmigratory soaring birds utilise one of twomajor routes in autumn. The ‘Caspian/Arabianroute’ is used mainly by raptors breeding inwestern/central Asia and crossing into Africa atthe southern end of the Red Sea, while the morewesterly route, which is the focus of this paper,is used chiefly by raptors breeding in easternEurope and western Asia. These birds pass eastor west of the Black Sea, then cross Jordan andIsrael to reach Sinai, and finally reach Africa atthe northern end of the Red Sea. Within Israel,two major flyways are recognised: the westernroute passes over the central mountains and theeastern parts of the coastal plain, while theeastern route passes over the Jordan Rift Valley.In autumn, birds using both these flyways divertwest over the northern/central Negev and southfrom there across the Sinai Peninsula. In con-trast to the spring passage, routes across thesouthern Negev and Eilat are comparativelylittle used, and there are significant numbers ofone species only, Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis.

In spring, the six most abundant Palearcticraptors to migrate through the Middle East(Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus, Black KiteMilvus migrans, Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiterbrevipes, Common Buzzard Buteo buteo of therace vulpinus, hereafter referred to as ‘SteppeBuzzard’, Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarinaand Steppe Eagle) concentrate through theLevant via Egypt/Sinai and Israel/Jordan. Inautumn, however, Black Kites, Steppe Buzzards

and Steppe Eagles occur in relatively smallnumbers only, preferring the more easterlyCaspian/Arabian route (above). Furthermore,the substantial autumn passage of Steppe Eaglesat Eilat appears to have declined markedly inrecent years, following the virtual disappearanceof westernmost breeding populations (Hage-meijer & Blair 1997). Nonetheless, Honey-buz-zards, Levant Sparrowhawks and Lesser SpottedEagles, together with White Pelicans Pelecanusonocrotalus and White Storks Ciconia ciconia,migrate through the Levant in similarly largenumbers during both seasons. These key speciestend to concentrate in large numbers on a rela-tively narrow front, rather than the scattered,broad-front migration employed by manysmaller species. For further details of eachspecies, in both spring and autumn, see Shirihaiet al. 2000.

Since 1982, ground-based observers havecarried out systematic surveys of the autumnmigration of soaring birds over Israel: Dovrat(1991), Tsovel & Alon (1991), Alon et al. (1992),Shirihai & Christie (1992), Leshem & Yom-Tov(1996a, 1998), Shirihai (1996) and Shirihai et al.(2000) are perhaps the most important sum-maries published to date. The position of theJezreal and Bet Shean Valleys, in the north ofIsrael, provides a unique opportunity toconduct long-term monitoring of migratingpopulations of soaring birds, and the ‘NorthernValleys Survey’ is one of the few long-termground-observation surveys in the WesternPalearctic.

MethodsStudy siteBetween 1977 and 1987, the autumn soaring-bird survey was conducted over central Israel atKfar Qassem (Dovrat 1991). In 1988, thissurvey was relocated to the Jezreal Valley andBet Shean Valley, and renamed the ‘NorthernValleys Survey’. These two northern valleysencompass both the western and the easternflyways, as defined above (Leshem & Yom-Tov1998). Both surveys were operated under theaegis of the Israel Ornithological Centre, withDA acting as organiser between 1988 and 1994,and BG from 1995 onwards.

Timing and site locationThe westernmost station in the northern valleysis 12 km inland from the Mediterranean Seacoast, while the easternmost station is 61 km

161British Birds 97 • April 2004 • 160-182

Soaring bird migration over nor thern Israel

from the coast, in the Jordan Rift Valley. Thestations are positioned in a more or less straightline from northwest to southeast across themigration corridor (fig. 1), and spaced atregular intervals, which permits the identifica-tion of most raptors passing through. Forminimal coverage of a 35-km wide corridor, atleast 12 stations, each 3 km apart, are operated.Even this level of coverage is, however, notalways possible, and thus annual fluctuationsshould be treated with some degree of caution.All stations are numbered, and measured,according to their distance from the Mediter-ranean coast.

Each year, the Northern Valleys Surveycommenced on 10th August, to coincidewith the beginning of White Stork migra-tion, with three or four stations operatingbetween the Jordanian border and 54 kminland. As the season progressed andspecies composition changed, monitoringbegan at more westerly stations. Fromabout 25th August, Honey-buzzards beganpassing through on a broader front, where-upon the survey was extended to within 17km of the coast, and 13-14 stations wereoperated if possible. During Lesser SpottedEagle migration, typically from 21st Sep-tember to 15th October, counting stationswere manned in a band extending from 11to 46 km from the coast.

Counting effortStations were manned from approximatelyone hour after sunrise, to coincide with thedeparture of raptors from overnightroosts, until one hour before sunset. Eachstation was manned by a single observer,equipped with binoculars, telescope and ashort-range radio. All observers were expe-rienced and trained in the identificationand counting of soaring birds, so that datafrom each station were directly compa-rable. Each day, observers were required tocomplete an observation form, detailingthe species observed, numbers, times,approximate distance from station, andestimated altitude and direction of migra-tion. By comparing daily observations, andusing radios to communicate with adjacentobservers during periods of active migra-tion, it was possible to eliminate double-counting.

Summary calculationsFor each species, the mean peak date wasderived by comparing the mean total count foreach calendar date across the ten years of thesurvey. As a guide to the length and timing ofthe key migratory window for each species, wecalculated the period during which 90% of thetotal annual count occurred, subtracting thefirst and last 5% of the migrants logged (thusexcluding atypically early or late birds). Stan-dard linear regression analyses were used todetermine trends, which are described onlywhen significant at the P < 0.05 level.

To map the spatial distribution of migrating

162 British Birds 97 • April 2004 • 160-182


Fig. 1. Map to show station positions of Northern ValleysSurvey (closed triangles) and Kfar Qassim Survey (open

triangles); adapted from Leshem & Yom-Tov 1998.

White Storks, Honey-buzzards, Levant Spar-rowhawks and Lesser Spotted Eagles across theline of survey stations, the annual sum of birdsthat passed over each station was calculated foreach two-hour period, from 07.00 hrs to 17.00hrs. The average sum for each station and two-hour period was calculated for the period 1990-1995. Data were then mapped in a GeographicInformation System using ArcView.

ResultsDuring the survey, 35 species of raptors wereobserved, with a mean annual total of450,995 individuals. Furthermore, meanannual counts of White Pelican, White Storkand Black Stork C. nigra together numbered300,618 individuals. These totals include themajority of the Palearctic breeding popula-tions of three species, White Pelican, LevantSparrowhawk and Lesser Spotted Eagle. Table1 provides the seasonal totals of all soaring-bird species during the 1990-1999 survey,which reveals that the four most abundantspecies were, in descending order, Honey-buzzard, White Stork, Lesser Spotted Eagleand Levant Sparrowhawk. Each of these fourspecies has a characteristic migration pattern,both in t iming and direction, which isdescribed in the species accounts (below) andfigs. 2-4.

For several species, there are large annualvariations in total counts. There may be severalexplanations for these fluctuations, dependingon the species:(i) Shift in migratory axis In some years, part of

the migratory axis passed to the east of thesurvey area, i.e. within Jordanian territory,and in such years numbers counted werelow.

(ii) Altitude of migration The altitude at whichbirds pass over the count stations may varyaccording to weather (e.g. see Shamoun-Baranes et al. 2003), and this will affectcounts, creating a bias towards low-flyingbirds (Kerlinger & Gauthreaux 1984; Ker-linger 1989). Counts of medium-sized andsmaller species, such as Honey-buzzards,Levant Sparrowhawks and Red-footedFalcons Falco vespertinus, may be particu-larly influenced by this.

(iii) Station position The survey stations werepositioned according to our existing knowl-edge of migratory patterns, but on dayswhen migration routes shifted dramatically,

either east or west of that anticipated (e.g.because of unusual weather conditions), thesurvey may have missed many birds. Forexample, on days with strong easterly winds,the entire axis of migration shifted west,towards the coast (Shirihai et al. 2000).

(iv) Population fluctuations Breeding may bemore successful in some years than others,affecting both the numbers and proportionof juveniles within the population.Of these, shifts in the altitude of migration

and station position, as well as a significantpassage to the east of the study area (see WhiteStork, below) have been directly observed toaffect counts. Currently, there is insufficient evi-dence to suggest a substantial migration routeof raptors in Jordan, and the effect of winddirection shifting the axis to the east of ourstudy area has not been studied.

Species accountsEach of the following accounts follows a similarformat, beginning with a brief introductiondescribing a species’ status as an autumnmigrant within Israel, including a summary ofthe main passage period. This is followed by asynopsis of the key factors which characterisemigration through the country, including majorpassage routes and significant roosting areas.For seasonal totals of all species recordedduring the Northern Valleys Survey (NVS)between 1990 and 1999, see table 1.

White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus White Pelican is an abundant passage migrant, withthe majority following a route across nor thern,central and western regions. The main passageoccurs between late September and midNovember, with few recorded before mid August,or after mid November.Wintering birds continue toarrive until late December, however. The truenumbers of White Pelicans migrating through Israelare, in fact, almost twice those recorded during theNVS, since this survey, aimed for the most part atmonitoring soaring raptors, misses the peak ofWhite Pelican passage, at the end of October(Leshem & Yom-Tov 1996a).

Like other large soaring birds, this heavy, broad-winged species prefers to migrate over land, butsince White Pelican is essentially aquatic, passageoccurs within 20 km of the coast, passing over thenortheastern and Jezreal Valleys, the coastal plainand western Negev. Many reach Israel viawestern/central Lebanon and the Mediterranean,with others arriving from the northeast, and roostat nor thern stopover sites (including the Hula





Tabl

e 1.

Ann

ual t

otal

s of

mig

rato

ry s

oarin

g bi

rds

coun

ted

durin

g th

e N

orth

ern

Valle

ys S

urve

y,Isr

ael,

in 1

990-

99.

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

Mea

n

Wh

ite

Pelic

anPe

leca

nus

onoc

rota

lus

42,5

7530

,584

45,1

6330

,239

30,7

3356

,765

28,9

1757

,042

36,5

0210

,709

36,9

23B

lack

Sto

rkC

icon

ia n

igra

2,93

63,

299

1,34

414

,100

7,26

916

,898

7,40

33,

050

3,61

72,

342

6,22

6W

hit

e St

ork

Cic

onia

cic

onia

188,

721

235,

906

173,

677

272,

975

293,

728

235,

084

295,

411

530,

301

165,

624

182,

988

257,

442

un

iden

tifi

ed s

tork

Cic

onia

sp.

150

712

00

00

00

00

28H

oney

-bu

zzar

dPe

rnis

api

voru

s43

7,43

326

9,28

922

8,57

447

6,56

526

0,98

222

1,66

926

5,63

054

4,21

528

6,78

823

6,12

732

2,72

7B

lack

Kit

eM

ilvus

mig

rans

1,73

42,

058

1,36

92,

331

909

875

1,57

21,

328

2,69

52,

141

1,70

1R

ed K

ite

Milv

us m

ilvus

00

11

00

10

10

0u

nid

enti

fied

kit

e M

ilvus

sp.

35

10

40

612

80

4W

hit

e-ta

iled

Eag

leH

alia

eetu

s al

bici

lla0

00

01

00

00

00

Egy

ptia

n V

ult

ure

Neo

phro

n pe

rcno

pter

us16

121

992

201

114

8263

6510

459

116

Gri

ffon

Vu

ltu

reG

yps

fulv

us62

2543

8337

4531

2040

3642

Eu

rasi

an B

lack

Vu

ltu

reA

egyp

ius

mon

achu

s0

01

00

00

00

00

Shor

t-to

ed E

agle

Cir

caet

us g

allic

us3,

819

4,54

83,

325

3,65

13,

288

3,55

12,

948

3,67

43,

024

409

3,22

4M

arsh

Har

rier

Cir

cus

aeru

gino

sus

1,51

61,

550

719

1,61

41,

517

1,04

51,

881

854

986

583

1,22

7H

en H

arri

erC

ircu

s cy

aneu

s9

64

06

26

10

24

Palli

d H

arri

erC

ircu

s m

acro

urus

2647

2837

129

2833

1430

7845

Mon

tagu

’s H

arri

erC

ircu

s py

garg

us55

7958

8825

210

420

616

918

312

913

2M

onta

gu’s

/Pal

lid H

arri

erC

ircu

s py

garg

us/m

acro

urus

446

533

321

376

352

168

371

219

171

192

315

un

iden

tifi

ed h

arri

erC

ircu

s sp

.19

352

1139

016

358

3522

Nor

ther

n G

osh

awk

Acc

ipit

er g

enti

lis3

44

12

051

02

17

Eu

rasi

an S

parr

owh

awk

Acc

ipit

er n

isus

868

1,13

188

479

735

840

850

431

115

315

255

7Le

van

t Sp

arro

wh

awk

Acc

ipit

er b

revi

pes

41,7

2253

,704

37,7

3838

,667

60,3

9032

,878

52,8

0446

,863

52,6

7235

,890

45,3

33u

nid

enti

fied

spa

rrow

haw

kA

ccip

iter

nis

us/b

revi

pes

6114

447

2226

059

3055

1546

Com

mon

Bu

zzar

dB

uteo

but

eo b

uteo

35

011

10

21

01

2C

omm

on (

‘Ste

ppe’

) B

uzz

ard

But

eo b

uteo

vul

pinu

s1,

953

3,61

91,

793

1,04

71,

608

1,16

952

355

242

636

61,

306

Lon

g-le

gged

Bu

zzar

dB

uteo

ruf

inus

2527

2239

4495

2828

3230

37u

nid

enti

fied

bu

zzar

d B

uteo

sp.

318

534

207

80

421

55

92Le

sser

Spo

tted

Eag

leA

quila

pom

arin

a83

,701

70,2

9558

,320

68,0

0977

,241

73,9

8054

,922

81,5

9867

,008

54,3

7068

,944

Gre

ater

Spo

tted

Eag

leA

quila

cla

nga

3062

4852

3062

8728

2421

44St

eppe

Eag

leA

quila

nip

alen

sis

214

187

181

267

123

8312

648

4926

0338

8E

aste

rn I

mpe

rial

Eag

leA

quila

hel

iaca

322

625

141

103

22

9G

olde

n E

agle

Aqu

ila c

hrys

aeto

s0

01

00

40

20

01



un

iden

tifi

ed e

agle

Aqu

ila s

p.13

658

93

00

516

62

24B

oote

d E

agle

Hie

raee

tus

penn

atus

811

1,00

664

166

967

349

574

140

062

746

765

3B

onel

li’s

Eag

leH

iera

eetu

s fa

scia

tus

89

10

53

01

42

3O

spre

yPa

ndio

n ha

liaet

us78

6634

106

7312

772

6973

2672

Less

er K

estr

elFa

lco

naum

anni

926

94

205

916

349

14C

omm

on K

estr

elFa

lco

tinn

uncu

lus

341

228

6014

417

3845

3041

Red

-foo

ted

Falc

onFa

lco

vesp

erti

nus

4,20

02,

392

2,48

71,

613

445

252

962

10,8

779,

016

693,

231

Mer

linFa

lco

colu

mba

rius

20

00

00

00

00

0H

obby

Falc

o su

bbut

eo19

7110

741

7922

3322

1232

Hob

by/R

ed-f

oote

d Fa

lcon

Falc

o su

bbut

eo/v

espe

rtin

us18

727

481

2910

010

50

034

081

Ele

onor

a’s

Falc

onFa

lco

eleo

nora

e15

124

187

09

43

07

Lan

ner

Fal

con

Falc

o bi

arm

icus

11

00

10

10

07

1Sa

ker

Falc

onFa

lco

cher

rug

00

10

20

10

00

0Pe

regr

ine

Falc

onFa

lco

pere

grin

us17

154

45

04

313

57

un

iden

tifi

ed f

alco

nFa

lco

sp.

252

529

8516

936

80

3517

7495

162

un

iden

tifi

ed r

apto

r72

879

331

913

825

738

131

622

812

712

534

1

Fig. 2. Mean daily migration counts for a) White StorkCiconia ciconia, b) Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus, c)

Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes, and d) LesserSpotted Eagle Aquila pomarina, Northern Valleys Survey,

Israel, 1990-1999. Error bars show standard deviation.Thefigures show the middle 90% of autumn passage (see

text) of the four species concerned.

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

020 23 26 29 1 4 7 10 13

Aug Aug Aug Aug Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep

Fig.2a

90,000

60,000

30,000

030 1 3 5 7 9 11 12 15

Aug Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep

Fig.2b

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

016 18 20 22 24 26 28 30Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep

16,000

12,000

8,000

4,000

0

22 24 26 28 30 2 4 6 8Sep Sep Sep Sep Sep Oct Oct Oct Oct

Fig.2c

Fig.2d

Valley, Sea of Galilee, Bet Shean and Jezreal Valleys,Emeq Zevulon, Ma’agan Mikhael and Emeq Hefer).Typically, birds leave these stopover sites between08.30 and 09.00 hrs, moving south directly tonorthern Sinai, crossing Israel within about eighthours (Leshem & Yom-Tov 1996a).

Black Stork Ciconia nigraThis fair ly common autumn passage migrantmigrates principally on a north-south or northeast-southwest axis, with passage concentrated over theeast of the country, including the Golan, nor th-eastern valleys, Jordan River Valley, Dead Sea regionand the Negev mountains, and only small numbersrecorded within the coastal strip and extremesouth. Extreme passage dates range from 6thAugust to late November, with most occurringbetween mid September and mid October. A fewoverwinter, chiefly in the northeastern valleys.

Table 1 reveals significant annual fluctuationsduring this sur vey, and that numbers peakedbetween 1993 and 1996. This period coincidedwith the manning of the easternmost count stationsfrom late September into October, when mostBlack Storks occurred. In most other years, countingeffort at this stage of the season was focused in thewest, where Levant Sparrowhawks and LesserSpotted Eagles predominate.

White Stork Ciconia ciconia White Stork is an abundant passage migrant, withmost movements through the nor theast, east-central and north-central Negev. Smaller numbersoccur irregularly in the southern Arava and Eilatregions, and throughout the west of Israel. Extremepassage dates range from 13th July to 10thNovember. During the NVS, the peak date variedfrom 23rd August to 7th September (mean 6thSeptember), on which 13-36% of the annual totalwas recorded (mean 24%). Compared with otherabundant species, passage of White Storks is rela-tively prolonged, and the number of days taken forthe middle 90% of the population to pass rangedfrom 15 to 33 (mean 23). Numbers decline rapidlyafter mid September (fig. 2a).

The high variation in annual counts (table 1) isalmost certainly due to changes in the migratoryaxis. Based on observations of numbers passing theeasternmost survey station, in the Rift Valley nearthe border with Jordan, it is clear that largenumbers pass through Jordan. During 1991, asurvey in the Negev desert, 170 km south of thenorthern valleys, counted 140,000 White Storks inthe first week of September. These birds were notreported by the NVS, having clearly entered Israelfar ther south (IOC unpublished data). In 1994,radar studies established that many did passthrough Jordan, and were not counted by thissurvey. In the NVS study area, approximately 90%

of migrants moved through on a narrow frontranging between 53 km and 61 km from the coast.In some years, an estimated 50% of the WhiteStorks passing through Israel were not counted bythe NVS, and instead crossed Israel between theBet Shean Valley and the Dead Sea (thus south ofour study area). The overall trend in numbers ofmigrants since 1990 is stable.

Unlike other species discussed here, WhiteStorks reaching Israel may gather in huge concen-trations to feed and drink before continuing withtheir migration. Nonetheless, there remains a highmortality among young birds, many of which diefrom exhaustion through dehydration, especially inthe dry desert regions.

White Storks migrate principally in huge con-centrations via the western Black Sea route(crossing the Bosporus), and after passing throughthe Levant enter Africa on a broad front via Sinaiand the Gulf of Suez.

Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorusThroughout northern and western Israel, Honey-buzzard is an abundant autumn passage migrant.Elsewhere, including Eilat and the southern Aravaregion, only small numbers occur. Extreme passagedates for the country are 4th August and 22ndNovember. In the NVS, the middle 90% of migrantspassed through between 30th August and 16thSeptember, on average, with the peak date rangingfrom 1st to 13th September (mean 4th Sep-tember), when 13-28% (mean 19%) of the totalannual count was recorded (fig. 2b). The peakmigration pulse usually lasts for several days, e.g. in1997, from 6th September to 9th September (thepeak day), an extraordinary total of 361,921 birdswas logged, with consecutive daily counts of 99,416,68,545, 93,515 and 100,445.

Annual fluctuations appear to be related to acombination of altitude of migration, counting effortand, perhaps, annual breeding success; but they donot seem to be linked to wind direction, which issteady and fairly constant every year, nor to aneastward shift of the migratory axis. On many occa-sions, large numbers of Honey-buzzards have beenrecorded on radar but missed by groundobservers. If a shift in migratory axis towards Jordanwas responsible for the annual variations, it wouldbe expected that higher than usual numbers wouldhave been recorded from easternmost stations inyears when counts in the west were low, but thiswas not the case.

Passage through the Middle East appears to becomposed of Russian and east European birds,while those from western Europe, east to Swedenand central Europe, appear to use the Strait ofGibraltar and central Mediterranean routes (Hakeet al. 2003). Based on counts at raptor migrationwatchpoints, the global population of Honey-





84 & 85. White Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus on migration, northern Israel, October 2002.White Pelicans are abundant autumn passage migrants through Israel, with peak passage at the end of October.

Favoured sites are used for staging; the flock in plate 85 is pictured at the Hola wetlands.

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

buzzard consists of several hundred thousand pairs,and numbers appear stable (Shirihai et al. 2000).Hagemeijer & Blair (1997) also considered Euro-pean breeding populations to be stable.

In the northern valleys region, Honey-buzzardsleave their roosts about an hour after sunrise, and

between 07.00 hrs and 09.30 hrs the migratoryaxis remains in the east, with passage usually con-centrated over one or two stations (mainly 44-50km inland). During the following hour, the migra-tory axis moves slightly to the west (41-44 kminland) but by 11.00 hrs passage has switched

abruptly to the west (mainly 17-30 km inland)and has almost ceased over the eastern stations.A similar pattern persists until about 13.30 hrs,when the axis star ts to shift back towards theeast. Until 16.30 hrs, passage is again mainly con-centrated over the eastern stations (50-56 kminland), and continues to edge far ther east untilthe evening, when many birds are seen passingseveral kilometres over the Jordanian border. Thisdiurnal pattern (fig. 3), observed in most but notall years, reflects the progression of a sea-breezefront from the west, and sometimes birds can beobser ved correcting for drift late in the day,gliding in a more wester ly direction to reachroost sites in the central mountains of Israel. Onsome days, the migration axis remained in the

east throughout the day, whileon other days a simultaneouswestern and eastern axis wasnoted. It seemed that on dayscharacter ised by a steadyeastern axis, a strong wester lywind was a lready apparentdur ing the ear ly par t of themorning. Obser vations duringthe earlier Kfar Qassem Surveys(KQS) showed Honey-buzzardsmigrating closer to the coast(13-47 km) than in the NVS (26-61 km).

Honey-buzzards are stronglyconcentrated in the Levant inautumn, birds passing either sideof the Black Sea (and possibly alsothose crossing the Caucasusfar ther east) being funnelledthrough the region and into Africavia Sinai and the Gulf of Suez;very few are recorded in Arabiaat this season.

[Oriental Honey-buzzardPernis ptilorhyncus]Although not recorded during theNVS, this species is a rare passagemigrant through Israel, and it isthought that many may passundetected. Recently, it has beendiscovered to be occurring withincreasing frequency, during bothspr ing and autumn migration(Granit 2003).Two were recorded

in Israel in 1999 and eight in 2000,with one in the northern Negev in1999 and two at Kfar Qassem in2000, between 1st and 28th Sep-tember. Oriental Honey-buzzardsfol low similar routes to, andmigrate with, other raptors, mainly

European Honey-buzzards, and, owing to a lack ofknowledge and field experience, have probablybeen overlooked. In addition, counting conditions inthe northern valleys are unfavourable for detectingOriental Honey-buzzards within huge flocks ofEuropean Honey-buzzards.

Black Kite Milvus migransBlack Kite is a relatively common autumn passagemigrant, which occurs throughout the country on abroad front, the majority in the north and west. Inthe NVS, 90% of passage occurred between 31stAugust and 4th October, with the ear ly 5%between 22nd and 30th August and the remainderfrom 5th to 13th October. In most years, peaknumbers occurred on or around 9th September,



Fig. 3. Spatial and temporal distribution of Honey-buzzard Pernis apivoruspassage, Northern Valleys Survey, Israel, 1990-1995. Maps show the meanannual counts at each observation site during five time intervals, using data

for the middle 90% of the migrant population (see text).Time intervalsare: 07.00-09.00 hrs, 09.00-11.00 hrs, 11.00-13.00 hrs, 13.00-15.00 hrs,

15.00-17.00 hrs (shown from left to right, top to bottom).

07.00-09.00<3,2003,200-6,4006,400-9,6009,600-12,800>12,800

15.00-17.00<3,2003,200-6,4006,400-9,6009,600-12,800>12,800

09.00-11.00<3,2003,200-6,4006,400-9,6009,600-12,800>12,800

11.00-13.00<3,2003,200-6,4006,400-9,600

13.00-15.00<3,2003,200-6,4006,400-9,600

when up to 20.4% of the migrating populationpassed through in the course of a single day. A sec-ondary peak, often involving hundreds of birds,occurred in late September, and may reflect, at leastin part, the arrival of wintering birds.

Counts from the NVS (table 1) are appreciablyhigher than those recorded during the KQS, whereannual totals ranged from 293 to 1,195, with a

mean of 676. Both autumn surveys have shown atrend of increasing numbers, which may reflect thehigher numbers now wintering in Israel (most Euro-pean populations appear stable or in slight decline;Hagemeijer & Blair 1997).

Despite the moderate or large numbers ofmigrants passing to the east of the Black Sea (withfewer at the Bosporus), the pattern of migration



86. Juvenile Black Stork Ciconia nigra, northern Israel, September 2002.

87. White Storks Ciconia ciconia, migrating through northern Israel, September 2002.White Storks are abundantpassage migrants through Israel in autumn, with most occurring in late August/early September.Their migrationtrack is concentrated along the eastern side of Israel, and radar studies have revealed that large numbers pass

through Jordan too.

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

across the Middle East as a whole is still poorlyknown, and the main crossing point into Africaremains unidentified. Autumn surveys in Israel andArabia involve comparatively small numbers only.

This could be explained by this species using abroader, more disperse migration front in autumn(as indicated by the regional records summarised inShirihai et al. 2000).



88 & 89. Black Kites Milvus migrans, Hula Valley, northern Israel, September 2002; adult (above) and juvenile(below). In the first half of September, Black Kites are frequently seen migrating within large streams of

Honey-buzzards Pernis apivorus. Consequently, they often follow the same migratory axis and daily pattern of migration as that species, and share roosting sites.

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

Red Kite Milvus milvusRed Kite is essentially a vagrant to Israel in winter,reported on four occasions during the NVS, alwaysin late September. These records have yet to bereviewed by the national rarities committee.

White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicillaA rare winter visitor to Israel, recorded just onceduring the NVS, on ?date ?date 1994.

Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterusEgyptian Vultures are fairly common on passage,migrating on a broad front throughout the country,although the majority are seen in the west. Theyoccur from mid August to mid November, and 90%of passage in the NVS was between 24th Augustand 8th October. Within this period, migrants weremost numerous from 10th September until 2ndOctober, and peaked on or around 20th Sep-tember, when up to 15.6% of the annual totalpassed on a single day.

Annual totals in the NVS (table 1) were appre-ciably lower than those recorded during the earlierKQS, (range 242-474, mean 322). The lowernumbers recorded during the 1990s appear consis-tent with trends in breeding data from Europe andthe Middle East. It is also possible, however, that thegreater distance between counting stations in theNVS affected the ability of counters to record thisspecies – the mean distance between stations inthe KQS was 1.6 km in the west (where passage

was concentrated) compared with 3 km in theNVS – and this may have exaggerated the popula-tion decline between the two surveys.

Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvusApart from a resident breeding population, GriffonVulture is a scarce passage migrant throughoutIsrael. Most birds migrate through northern andwestern regions between mid September and earlyOctober, while in the south they typically appearlater in October and into November.This differencein timing between the nor th and the south isapparently related to Aquila eagle passage, since innorthern and western areas, Griffon Vultures areassociated with the heavy passage of LesserSpotted Eagles, while in the Eilat area, they typicallyassociate with large flocks of migrating SteppeEagles, which occur later in the autumn.

Eurasian Black Vulture Aegypius monachusA rare winter visitor to northeast Israel, few arereported on migration and these typically occurlater than the main sur vey per iod, mainly inOctober and November. Only one was recordedduring the NVS, on 15th October 1992.

Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicusShort-toed Eagle is a common passage migrant,occurring principally in the northern, central andwestern regions of the country. Extreme passagedates range from 17th August to 21st November.



90. Adult Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus, Gamla, northern Israel, October 2002.The long-term and, in many areas,dramatic decline in numbers of this species has not been reflected by decreasing numbers of migrants recorded in

the Middle East (though numbers here have always been relatively small, and concentrated in the Levant).Following the recent collapse of Gyps vulture populations throughout the Indian subcontinent, however, there is

grave concern that migrant populations of Griffon Vultures breeding in Asia may soon be affected in a similar way.

Had

oram

Shi

rihai



91 & 92. Short-toed Eagles Circaetus gallicus, during passage through northern Israel, October 2002. Short-toedEagles are common autumn passage migrants in Israel, mainly in the northern, central and western regions of the

country. During the Northern Valleys survey, most were recorded between late September and mid October.

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

During the NVS, most were observed between23rd September and 13th October, and peaked onor around 28th September, when up to 9.8% of theannual total occurred on a single day.

The mean annual total from the NVS (3,224) ishalf that recorded in the KQS.The reasons for thisdiscrepancy may be similar to those described forEgyptian Vulture (see above), and thus exaggeratedby different survey conditions. During the studyperiod, the annual total of migrants counted hasdeclined significantly (r2 = 0.49, P = 0.02), althoughthe exceptionally low count in 1999 (409) affectedthis result disproportionately. Short-toed Eagle has,however, like many other large raptors, undergonea substantial decline and range contraction sincethe nineteenth century.

Most Eurasian birds migrate to Africa via thewestern Black Sea route, funnelling through theLevant (using a more westerly course in autumnthan in spring) and into Africa via the northern Gulfof Suez.

Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosusThis is an uncommon, broad-front passage migrantthroughout Israel, but rare in the southeast. In theNVS, 90% of birds passed through between 28thAugust and 16th October, with peak passagebetween 10th September and 5th October.

The NVS annual totals (table 1) are appreciablyhigher than those from the KQS (range 476-1,237,mean 848), and these differences are thought toreflect the location of survey sites, in particular theestablishment of stations in eastern Israel during theNVS.

As for other harrier species (see below), countsduring the NVS involved only birds on directpassage with other raptors, but this species will alsointerrupt its migration to feed in suitable habitat,and may form loose concentrations in favouredareas such as the Bet Shean Valley.

Hen Harrier Circus cyaneusHen Harrier is a late migrant to Israel, occurringfrom mid October, and thus rarely encounteredduring the NVS (table 1). Essentially, this is a wintervisitor to the lowlands in the north and centre ofthe country.

Pallid Harrier Circus macrourusThis is a scarce broad-front passage migrantthroughout the country, principally in nor thern,central and western areas. Extreme passage datesfor Israel are 26th August and late November ;during the NVS, most occurred between 20th Sep-tember and 10th October.

Annual totals logged in the NVS (table 1) weremarginally higher than during the KQS (range 21-57, mean 35). This increase is primarily due to

improved knowledge of the identification featuresused to separate female and immature Circusspecies, since long-term declines have beenrepor ted from many areas (Hagemeijer & Blair1997).

Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargusIn autumn, Montagu’s Harrier is a scarce, broad-front passage migrant throughout the country, withmost recorded in northern, central and westernregions. Extreme passage dates in Israel are 10thAugust and 10th November, with most observa-tions during the first half of September in the NVS.As for Pallid Harrier, annual totals are appreciablyhigher than those during the KQS (range 12-51birds, mean 24), also presumably as a result ofbetter knowledge of identification features.

Unidentified Montagu’s/Pallid HarrierCircus pygargus/macrourusMany of the ‘slim-winged’ harriers counted duringthe NVS could not be identified, owing to the diffi-culty of distinguishing juveniles and females tospecies level at distance. The annual totals of suchunidentified harriers are thus substantial, with apeak of 533 in 1991 (table 1).

Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilisNor thern Goshawk is a rare winter visitor toforested regions of the north and centre of Israel. Itis also rare on migration, being recorded chiefly inOctober and November, and thus later than theNVS study period.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisusThis is a relatively common, broad-front passagemigrant which occurs throughout the country,although the majority pass through nor thern,central and western regions. In the NVS, 90% ofpassage was recorded between 12th Septemberand 18th October, on average, with most beingreported between 2nd and 15th October, and peakcounts towards the end of this period; stragglerscan occur until late November. Annual totals in theNVS were appreciably lower than those during theKQS (range 385-1,761, mean 897). It is clear thatthis species is much more widespread than, and notassociated with the heavy passage of, Levant Spar-rowhawks.

Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipesLevant Sparrowhawk is an abundant passagemigrant in autumn, principally in western Israel. Insome years, the passage may drift to the east, andlarge flocks can reach the Arava Valley and Eilat.Extreme passage dates in Israel extend from 1stSeptember to 20th November (Shirihai 1996).During the NVS, counts peaked in 1994, when60,390 birds were recorded.The middle 90% of the



annual total was recorded between 16th and 29thSeptember, on average , with the peak datesbetween 19th and 26th September (mean 23rdSeptember). Peak day counts involved 11%-26%(mean 18%) of the annual total. Annual fluctuationsmay be due to a range of factor s, includingbreeding success and migration altitude – the smallbody size of Levant Sparrowhawk makes it particu-larly difficult to census birds soaring at high levels,and since the mean migration altitude var iesbetween years, this will cer tainly have affectedcounts.

In the NVS, the migratory front passed between17 km and 47 km inland of the coast, although onsome days it reached up to 61 km inland, mainly inthe afternoons. Conversely, during periods of strongeasterly winds, passage occurred within 12 km ofthe coast (fig. 4). Unlike that of Honey-buzzards and

Lesser Spotted Eagles, passagemay continue across the entiremigration front throughout theday without any obvious shift inpattern.

Autumn passage within theMiddle East is concentratedmarkedly through the Levant.Migrants pr incipal ly use thewestern Black Sea route, crossTurkey and move south throughthe Levant, fol lowing a morewesterly route than in spring, thencross into Africa via Sinai and theGulf of Suez on a broad front.Information concerning the win-tering and breeding areas, andpopulation size and structure ofLevant Sparrowhawk is extremelylimited, and data collected in Israeldur ing autumn migration areessential to our knowledge ofpopulation size, composition anddynamics. Our sur veys haveshown that the overall migratorypopulation has remained broadlystable since 1990.

Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteovulpinusSteppe Buzzards are relativelycommon passage migrantsthrough Israel and migrate on abroad front, although the bulk areobserved in the east. Early andlate dates for the countr y are10th August and 29th November,while 90% of passage in the NVSoccurred from 17th Septemberto 21st October, peak countsoccurr ing between 25th Sep-

tember and 10th October.During the NVS, a significant decline in annual

totals was apparent (r2= 0.68, P = 0.003; see table1). Using radar data to augment direct observa-tions, it is clear that the great majority of migrantsare concentrated in eastern Israel, which representsthe western margin of the species’ passage corridor(birds from either side of the Caspian Sea move ona broad front across Jordan and Iraq, then acrossArabia to the Bab al Mandab; Shirihai et al. 2000).Those following the western route, across northernIsrael (a fraction of the total numbers movingthrough the Middle East in autumn), frequently joinwith other species, par ticularly Lesser SpottedEagle, which shows similar migration patterns.

Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinusLong-legged Buzzard is chiefly a resident breeding



Fig. 4. Spatial and temporal distribution of Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiterbrevipes passage, Northern Valleys Survey, Israel, 1990-1995. Maps show

the mean annual counts at each observation site during five time intervals,using data for the middle 90% of the migrant population (see text).Time intervals are: 07.00-09.00 hrs, 09.00-11.00 hrs, 11.00-13.00 hrs,

13.00-15.00 hrs, 15.00-17.00 hrs (shown from left to right, top to bottom).

07.00-09.00<400400-799800-1,1991,200-1,599≥1,600

15.00-17.00<400400-799

09.00-11.00<400400-799800-1,1991,200-1,599

11.00-13.00<400400-799800-1,199

1,200-1,599

13.00-15.00<400400-799800-1,199



94. Juvenile ‘Steppe Buzzard’ Buteo buteo vulpinus, northern Israel, October 2002. Steppe Buzzards are relativelycommon, broad-front passage migrants through Israel, whereas only tiny numbers of the nominate form of

Common Buzzard are recorded.

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

93. Juvenile Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus, northern Israel, September 2002.

species in Israel, but additional birds winter in thelowlands of the north and centre. This species wasrarely encountered during the NVS (see table 1),which accurately reflects the small numbers passingthrough Israel in autumn.

Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarinaThis species is an abundant autumn migrant, occur-ring principally in western par ts of Israel. In theNVS, early migrants were noted from 22nd August,but the middle 90% were recorded between 22ndSeptember and 8th October. Peak dates variedbetween 25th September and 5th October (mean1st October), when 13-39% (mean 21%) of thetotal passage may occur. Annual var iation innumbers during the NVS was fairly low, and relatesmainly to breeding success and to weather condi-tions encountered on migration to the north, inpar ticular at the Bosporus. Alon et al. (1992)showed that low-pressure systems over theBosporus can delay migration of Lesser SpottedEagles by several days. On such occasions, tens ofthousands of eagles may gather in a small area andcontinue their migration only after weather condi-tions improve. As a result, huge numbers of eaglesmay appear in the nor thern valleys during thecourse of just one day. During these conditions,when passage is concentrated in both time and

space, counting is much more efficient and accu-rate.

The axis of migration remained relatively con-stant, with 90% passing 17-42 km from the coast.Like Honey-buzzard passage, this is far ther eastthan during the KQS, where the majority passed12-18 km from the coast (Dovrat 1991). In latemorning, the axis shifted farther west, though this isless apparent than for Honey-buzzards (above),while in the afternoon, the axis moved east again.Migrating Lesser Spotted Eagles use traditionalroosting sites, and exceptional numbers seen withina shor t period in mid morning in some yearssuggest that these birds had roosted nearby. Forexample, on 4th October 1994, 16,858 werecounted between 08.30 and 10.30 hrs at just twostations. On peak migration days in other years,birds moved across the entire front throughout theday, as in 1990 when 24,000 were counted fromstations 15-43 between 09.00 and 15.00 hrs.

In recent years, ground-based observations ofthis species have been supported by satellite tracking(Meyburg et al. 2000, 2002).This work confirms thatmost autumn migrants skirt the western Black Seacoast, although there is some evidence to suggestpassage on a broad front across Turkey. Passagebecomes increasingly concentrated through theLevant, including Israel, and most appear to enter



95. Levant Sparrowhawks Accipiter brevipes and Lesser Spotted Eagles Aquila pomarina, on migration, northernIsrael, September 2002. In contrast to other species which typically migrate in continuous streams on peak days,Levant Sparrowhawks characteristically form large, compact, and widely spaced flocks, of up to 3,000 individuals

(though most flocks are not more than 1,000).

Had

oram

Shi

rihai



97. Juvenile Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina, northern Israel, October 2002.

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

96. Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina and Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus, migrating through northernIsrael, October 2002. On migration, the behaviour of Short-toed Eagle closely mirrors that of Lesser Spotted Eagle.

Not only do they migrate together, but they frequently mingle during the day and share the same roosts.



99. Adult Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis, Eilat, southern Israel, October 2002. In autumn, Steppe Eagles migratethrough the Middle East on a broad front; most of those passing through Israel occur in the south and east,

and consequently numbers recorded during the Northern Valleys Survey were relatively small.

98. Juvenile Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga, northern Israel, October 2002. Greater Spotted Eagle is a scarce late autumn migrant through Israel, although some may pass undetected within large flocks

of Lesser Spotted Eagles A. pomarina, with which this species frequently migrates.

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

Africa via the northern Sinai Peninsula, crossing theGulf of Suez chiefly at the northern end.

Although the population moving throughnorthern Israel appears currently stable, a markeddecline was detected in the late 1980s, during theKQS. The mean annual total during 1982-86 was108,527, but in 1987 only 81,429 were counted(and the mean annual total in the NVS was68,944).This sudden decline seems to reflect a realdecline in the world population (Alon in press; seealso Shirihai et al. 2000), perhaps caused by somemajor catastrophe on the breeding grounds, such asthe Chernobyl disaster in May 1986. Clearly, thissubject demands fur ther study, and data frombreeding areas should be combined with that frommigratory bottlenecks.

Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clangaGreater Spotted Eagle is chiefly a winter visitor toIsrael, mainly in lowlands of the north and centre,and also a scarce late-autumn passage migrant(mainly from mid October onwards). Peak passagein the NVS was observed between 5th and 20thOctober, and doubtless continued after the end ofthe normal survey period.

Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensisThis species is a near-abundant passage migrantthrough Israel, principally recorded in the south andeast, and generally scarce in northern, central andwestern parts; consequently, only small numberswere recorded during the NVS (table 1). SteppeEagle is a late migrant, and NVS counts were con-centrated between 6th October and 15thNovember (i.e. mainly after systematic surveyobservations had ceased). Those recorded werepredominantly juveniles, followed by immatures,while adults were rare.

In autumn, most passage through the MiddleEast occurs on a broad front across the ArabianPeninsula. Although significant numbers wererecorded during the 1980s at Eilat and Suez, subse-quent autumn surveys at Eilat showed a consistentdecline (also witnessed in spring surveys there).Numbers decreased significantly between 1986 and1987, followed by a steady decline which stabilisedin the late 1990s. In the 1980s, all autumn counts atEilat exceeded 10,000, the maximum being 24,246in 1980, whereas in the late 1990s counts variedbetween 3,242 and 1,278. The sharp decline innumbers, especially in autumn, appears to correlatewith a substantial reduction in the breeding popula-tion, especially in the west of the breeding range,the main source of the autumn passage birds in theLevant (Shirihai et al. 2000).

Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliacaEastern Imperial Eagle is a scarce migrant throughIsrael in autumn. As reflected in the NVS counts

(table 1), passage is often protracted and appearsto be split between a route through the west ofthe country, where it often accompanies LesserSpotted Eagles and, later in the autumn, a routethrough the south, when it is often seen withSteppe Eagles (Shirihai 1996). It is more numerousas a winter visitor, mainly to lowlands in the northand centre, and the northwest Negev.

Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetosGolden Eagle is a resident breeder in Israel, andrarely recorded on migration; it was observed injust three years during the NVS (table 1).

Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatusThis is an uncommon passage migrant, most passingthrough northern, central and western regions, andjust small numbers in the south and east. Thepassage period of Booted Eagle is protracted, withear ly and late dates of 21st August and 28thNovember, and this is the only migratory eagle tomake regular staging or feeding stops, whichundoubtedly adds to the time taken to cross thecountry. During the NVS, most birds occurredbetween 10th and 30th September. Numbersrecorded during the KQS were higher, which isprobably attr ibutable to differences in sur veystation position and distribution.

Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatusA few (resident) pairs of Bonelli’s Eagles breed inIsrael, but numbers of passage migrants and wintervisitors are small.This species was recorded in eightof the ten years of the NVS, but totals neverreached double figures.

Osprey Pandion haliaetusOsprey is a scarce passage migrant in Israel, princi-pally in the north and west, and mainly betweenmid September and mid October. On migration,Ospreys use a ‘jump’ strategy, making several mid-passage stopovers to feed (Hake et al. 2001; Kjellénet al. 2001).

Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanniLesser Kestrel is a scarce but widespread migrant,moving on a broad front across Israel, and wasrecorded in only small numbers during the NVS. Itis otherwise a summer visitor, breeding in the northand centre of the country.

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculusThis is a common resident breeder in Israel withonly small numbers of passage migrants recorded.Passage is widespread, occurring on a broad frontthroughout the country.

Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinusThis is a relatively common passage migrant,



recorded principally in the north and west of thecountr y. Passage is concentrated into a shor tperiod between late September and mid October.Marked annual fluctuations (table 1) reflect theinfluence of prevailing weather conditions. Followingrainy days with low pressure and strong westerlywinds, large numbers drift inland after crossing theMediterranean Sea. Conversely, annual totals arelower in years with no rain during the surveyperiod. These results are linked with altitude ofmigration, since Red-footed Falcons migrate atlower altitudes in poor weather, and are easier tocount. Following days of wet and unsettled weather,large staging concentrations and roosts assemble inthe agricultural fields in many parts of the northernvalleys, mainly in western and central areas.

Merlin Falco columbariusMerlin is a winter visitor to lowlands in the northand centre of Israel, and the northwest Negev. Feware recorded on migration, and these generally laterthan the NVS study period, chiefly from midOctober onwards.

Hobby Falco subbuteoHobby is a widespread, broad-front migrantthrough Israel, generally observed between the

second half of September and early October in theNVS. It is also a summer visitor, breeding in woodedareas of the north and centre.

Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonoraeRelatively small numbers occur on passage throughthe country, and these are largely confined toMediterranean coastal regions (Shirihai 1996).

Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicusA few breeding pairs are resident in the southerndeser ts, and only small numbers of migrants orwinter immigrants occur (Shirihai 1996).

Saker Falcon Falco cherrugSaker is a rare passage migrant through Israel, gen-erally seen after mid October (i.e. after the mainsurvey period of the NVS). It is also a winter visitor,chiefly to lowlands of the northwest Negev (Shir-ihai 1996).

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinusA scarce but widespread migrant on a broad frontthrough the country, Peregrine is mainly a wintervisitor in small numbers to Israel, principally to low-lands in the north and centre, and the northwestNegev.



100. Juvenile Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca, northern Israel, October 2002.A scarce autumn migrant through the north of the country.

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

DiscussionAlthough long-term, standardised visual migra-tion counts are an efficient and cost-effectivemethod for monitoring the abundance ofdiurnal soaring birds, their accuracy as indica-tors of population changes has been debatedowing to potential biases and limitations (e.g.Titus & Fuller 1990, Dunn & Hussell 1995,Allen et al. 1996, Leshem & Yom-Tov 1996a).Nevertheless, we are convinced that suchsurveys provide vital information on popula-tions, especially for species which are difficult tocensus on their breeding grounds. Certainly,surveys such as the NVS are important formonitoring trends in migrating populations(Bednarz et al. 1990; Dunn & Hussell 1995),and for those species which are otherwise diffi-cult to census reliably, perhaps because of lowbreeding population densities and/or problemsof access during the breeding season, moni-toring numbers of migrating birds may be theonly way of gauging population levels. Further-more, many species breed in coun-tries with comparatively few activefieldworkers, so even where a speciesis widespread and/or significantbreeding populations occur, theresults of other survey methods areoften less accurate. In autumn, theNVS (and its predecessor, the KQS)is the only long-term, systematicallyrun, multi-station soaring-birdmigration survey in the Middle East,and its regional importance isimmense. For some species, notablyLevant Sparrowhawk, virtually theonly significant and reliable infor-mation about breeding populationscomes from raptor migration censuswork, principally in Israel(KQS/NVS in autumn and Eilat inthe spring). It is evident, from thesesurveys (see Alon 1998; Yosef 1998;Shirihai et al. 2000), that significantdeclines of several species haveoccurred in recent years, includingboth open-country raptors – mostimportantly Short-toed Eagle,Steppe Buzzard and Steppe Eagle –and woodland breeders – principallyLesser Spotted Eagle. Conversely,White Stork, Honey-buzzard andLevant Sparrowhawk populationsappear to have remained stable.

Acknowledgments

We would particularly like to thank the many experiencedbirders who volunteered their time and provided us withthe results of their observations; it would have beenimpossible to prepare this paper without theircommitment and effort throughout this surveyprogramme.We are grateful for financial support providedby the Israel Air Force, which enabled the Northern ValleysSurvey to take place. Thanks are also due to theClimatology Branch of the Israel Meteorological Service forproviding climate data.

References

Allen, P. E., Goodrich, L. J., & Bildstein, K. L. 1996.Within-and among-year effects of cold fronts on migratingraptors at Hawk Mountain, PA, 1934-1991. Auk 113:329-338.

Alon, D. 1998.Where have 30,000 Lesser Spotted Eaglesgone? In: Abstracts of 5th World Conf. of WWGBP: 33-34.Johannesburg, South Africa.

–– In press. Details required, Details required, Detailsrequired, Details required, Details required, Detailsrequired, Details required, Details required, Detailsrequired.

––, Leshem,Y., Dovrat, E., & Tsovel, A. 1992. Autumnmigration of soaring birds across Samaria andNorthern Valleys (1982–1991). Torgos 10: 3-73.



101. Male Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus, northern Israel,October 2002. A fairly common passage migrant, through northern

and western Israel.

Had

oram

Shi

rihai

Bednarz, J. C., Klem, D. Jr., Goodrich, L. J., & Senner, S. E.1990. Migration counts of raptors at Hawk Mountain,Pennsylvania, as indicators of population trends, 1934-1986. Auk 107: 96-109.

Dovrat, E. 1991.The Kefar Kassem raptor migration surveyautumn 1977-1987: a brief summary. In:Yekutiel, D.(ed.), Raptors in Israel: passage and wintering populations.IBCE, Israel.

Dunn, E. H., & Hussell, D. J.T. 1995. Using migration countsto monitor landbird populations: review and evaluationof current status. In: Powers, E. D. (ed.), CurrentOrnithology.Vol. 12.Wiley & Sons, New York.

Granit, B. 2003.The Crested Honey Buzzard in Israel –distribution and identification. Torgos 30: 66-71.

Hagemeijer,W. J. M., & Blair, M. J. (eds.) 1997. The EBCCAtlas of European Breeding Birds: their distribution andabundance. Poyser, London.

Hake, M., Kjellén, N., & Alerstam,T. 2001. Satellite trackingof Swedish Ospreys Pandion haliaetus: autumnmigration routes and orientation. J. Avian Biol. 32: 47-56.

—, — & — 2003. Age-dependent migration strategy inHoney Buzzards Pernis apivorus tracked by satellite.Oikos 103: 385-396.

Kerlinger, P. 1989. Flight Strategies of Migrating Hawks.University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

–– & Gauthreaux, S. A. 1984. Flight behaviour of Sharp-shinned Hawks during migration. I: overland. AnimalBehav. 32: 1021-1028.

Kjellén, N., Hake, M., & Alerstam,T. 2001.Timing and speedof migration in male, female and juvenile OspreysPandion haliaetus between Sweden and Africa asrevealed by field observations, radar and satellitetelemetry. J. Avian Biol. 32: 57-67.

Leshem,Y., & Yom-Tov,Y. 1996a.The magnitude and timing

of migration by soaring raptors, pelicans and storksover Israel. Ibis 138: 188-203.

— & — 1996b.The use of thermals by soaring migrants.Ibis 138: 667-674.

— & — 1998. Routes of migrating soaring birds. Ibis 140:41-52.

Meyburg, B., Scheller,W., & Meyburg, C. 2000. Migrationand wintering of the Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquilapomarina: a study by means of satellite telemetry.Global Env. Res. 4: 183-193.

—, Matthes, J., & Meyburg, C. 2002. Satellite-tracked LesserSpotted Eagle avoids crossing water at the Gulf ofSuez. Brit. Birds 95: 372-376.

Shamoun-Baranes, J., Leshem,Y.,Yom-Tov,Y., & Liechti, O.2003. Differential use of thermal convection by soaringbirds over central Israel. Condor 105: 208-218.

Shirihai, H. 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press,London.

— & Christie, D. A. 1992. Raptor migration at Eilat. Brit.Birds 85: 141-185.

—,Yosef, R., Alon, D., Kirwan, G. M., & Spaar, R. 2000.Raptor migration in Israel and the Middle East: asummary of 30 years of field research. IBCE, Israel.

Tsovel, A., & Alon, D. 1991. Soaring bird migration surveyin the Northern Valleys of Israel. In:Yekutiel, D. (ed.),Raptors in Israel: passage and wintering populations. IBCE,Israel.

Titus, K., & Fuller, M. R. 1990. Recent trends in counts ofmigrant hawks from northeastern North America.J.Wildl. Management. 54: 463-470.

Yosef, R. 1998. Evaluating visual migration surveys: a casestudy of the Steppe Eagle at Eilat, Israel. In: Abstracts of5th World Conf. of WWGBP, Johannesburg, South Africa:44.



Dan Alon, Barak Granit, Judy Shamoun-Baranes*, Yossi Leshem and Hadoram Shirihai, IsraelOrnithological Centre, SPNI, Atidim Industrial Park, PO Box 58020, Tel Aviv 61580, IsraelGuy M. Kirwan, 74 Waddington Street, Norwich NR2 4JS

* present address IBED, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam,The Netherlands

Notice: Volunteer surveyors are required for the Autumn 2004 Migration Survey in Northern Israel.We are looking for experienced birders only, willing to participate for a minimum of four weeksbetween 15th August and 15th October. All living expenses will be provided. If you are interested,please contact Zev Labinger, 18A Narkisim Street, Tivon 36073, Israel; e-mail:[email protected]

Soaring bird migration over northern Israel in autumn

Documents