Israel’s autumn spectacle: Mass migration of birds coincides with Rosh Hashanah

When we celebrate Rosh Hashanah in the Land of Israel, the heavy summer heat finally subsides, and the days become more pleasant.

One of the most remarkable signs of autumn in Israel is the mass migration of birds. The country forms a natural bridge for several major migration routes linking Europe and Asia with Africa. In autumn, the birds move southward; in spring, they return north.

Each species has a precise migration window and a fixed route. The season of Rosh Hashanah, falling between late September and early October, coincides with the peak of this movement.

The Bible also references bird migration and its remarkable precision. Jeremiah uses it as a metaphor for faithfulness, contrasting it with the unfaithfulness of the people:

"Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift, and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord." (Jeremiah 8:7, NIV)

Studies estimate that roughly half a billion birds cross Israel twice a year. The figure is staggering, yet most residents barely notice. There are several reasons:

• Migration is swift, and many birds are small, passing overhead almost unnoticed.

• Most small species migrate at night, when people are asleep. Occasionally, one may appear in a garden in the morning, only to vanish by the next day.

• Large birds, such as raptors, often soar at great altitudes, invisible without binoculars.

Though often overlooked, bird migration poses a serious hazard to aviation. Numerous accidents have been caused by birds colliding with aircraft at high altitudes. The Israeli Air Force has invested heavily in monitoring raptor migration, developing systems to prevent such accidents.

In earlier years, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel collaborated with the Air Force to conduct surveys, mapping migration routes and timing. Enthusiasts from across the country joined, and even today in autumn, birdwatchers gather at known observation points, scanning the skies for migratory flocks.

The story of the Raptor Migration survey

On Yom Kippur in 1977, a young man named Ehud Dovrat went to observe migratory songbirds in the fields of Kafr Qasim near Rosh HaAyin. Songbirds are best observed at dawn, before the heat drives them into hiding.

After recording his observations, Ehud sat down to rest. Glancing upward, he suddenly saw hundreds of small black dots circling high above. A journalist later described how Ehud, startled, put down his coffee cup, rubbed his eyes, and looked again – the dots were still there, gliding steadily southward.

In the following days, he returned to the same spot and saw more raptors, though their numbers varied, until the migration abruptly ceased. He had to wait a full year to witness it again, at the same location and within the same brief time window.

Over the years, he gathered other birdwatchers to join him. Each autumn, they would sit with binoculars and folding chairs, counting the migrating raptors. The story spread internationally, eventually drawing visitors and sparking what became known as the Kafr Qasim Migration Survey.

As the years passed, the survey grew more structured. Observation points were set up from east to west to track flocks shifting routes with the winds. Within a short period, counts reached the hundreds of thousands.

The species most frequently observed was the European honey buzzard, which crosses Israel in vast numbers but is almost unknown to Israelis since it flies high and rarely lands. Another surprise was the lesser spotted eagle, also little known locally, which passes between Europe and Africa each year.

When the numbers came, the birders in Europe were very skeptical. In 1983, about 140,000 lesser spotted eagles were counted over Israel. This number is four times higher than the population recorded in Europe! The European birders had to come to see with their own eyes to believe.

Just as Israel has long been a land bridge for nations and armies, it remains a vital bridge for birds. Unlike people, they are unconcerned with wars or treaties. Year after year, they know their appointed seasons and observe the time of their migration.

Click on these links to read more about birdwatching in Israel and annual bird migration.