Although the monotype Hypocolius seen a few times in Israel, it’s rather rare here. As a finding tip, I would recommend on other places: From Persian Gulf eastward to north-west India it should be easier.
Business and family trips to Europe contributed five bird families to my project:
115. Family #235: Longspurs and Snow Buntings (Calcariidae) | Snow-Bunting (ticked in Denmark, photographed in Norway)
The boat from Kilmore Quay takes to Great Saltee Island, where Alcidae first seen: Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre and Razorbill:
116. Family #54: Auks, Murres, and Puffins (Alcidae) | Razorbill, Ireland
117. Family #209: Dippers (Cinclidae) | American Dipper (photographed in US, White-throated Dipper ticked in Ireland)
118. Family #195: Long-tailed Tits (Aegithalidae) | Black-throated Bushtit (photographed in India, Long-tailed Tit ticked in Poland)
119. Family #205: Treecreepers (Certhiidae) | Short-toed Treecreeper (photographed in Spain, Eurasian Treecreeper ticked in Poland)
Eilat north beach, near the Jordanian border, is the best land hotspot for seabirds in Israel. The Red Sea, as an extension of the Indian Ocean, provides on one hand countless hours of nothingness, and a few moments of glory on the other hand. Moments like these were those with three Red-billed Tropicbirds, on the telescope field, which are very rare here.
109. Family #58: Tropicbirds (Phaethontidae) | Red-tailed Tropicbird (photographed in Madagascar, Red-billed Tropicbird ticked in Israel)
Twitching was not a common term in the early 80’s, but some surveys like autumn raptors migration in Kafer Kasem fields, or spring migration survey in Eilat (photo above with Hadoram Shirihai & Yaron Baser) along with other trips through out the country, contributed some good bird families to the list. Bearded Reedling and Wallcreeper are worth mentioned as they are half of the 4 Palearctic endemic (monotype) families.
62. Family #47: Painted-Snipes (Rostratulidae) | Greater Painted-Snipe
63. Family #52: Pratincoles and Coursers (Glareolidae) | Collard Pratincole
64. Family #179: Grassbirds and Allies (Locustellidae) | Savi’s Warbler
65. Family #203: Wallcreeper (Tichodromidae) | Wallcreeper
66. Family #59: Loons (Gaviidae) | Arctic Loon
67. Family #62: Southern Storm-Petrels (Oceanitidae) | Black-bellied Storm-Petrel (photographed in Australia, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel ticked in Israel)
68. Family #63: Northern Storm-Petrels (Hydrobatidae) | Leachs Storm-Petrel
69. Family #181: Bearded Reedling (Panuridae) | Bearded Reedling (photographed in Spain)
70. Family #207: Wrens (Troglodytidae) | Eurasian Wren (photographed in Spain)
71. Family #202: Kinglets (Regulidae) | Firecrest (photographed in Italy, Goldcrest ticked in Israel)
There are other birder around! Learning from others experience, especially from the legendary Ehud Dovrat – these bird families have been added:
47. Family #18: Sandgrouse (Pteroclidae) | Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse
48. Family #19: Bustards (Otididae) | Macqueens-Bustard
49. Family #21: Cuckoos (Cuculidae) | Great-Spotted Cuckoo
50. Family #23: Nightjars and Allies (Caprimulgidae) | Nubian Nightjar
51. Family #67: Boobies and Gannets (Sulidae) | Northern Gannet (photographed in Ireland)
52. Family #79: Barn-Owls (Tytonidae) | Barn Owl
53. Family #80: Owls (Strigidae) | Long-eared Owl
54. Family #149: Old World Orioles (Oriolidae) | Eurasian Golden Oriole
55. Family #179: Penduline-Tits (Remizidae) | Eurasian Penduline Tit
56. Family #204: Nuthatches (Sittidae) | Western Rock Nuthatch
57. Family #194: Bush Warblers and Allies (Scotocercidae) | Streaked Scrub-Warbler
58. Family #185: Reed Warblers and Allies (Acrocephalidae) | Eurasian Reed Warbler
59. Family #201: Laughingthrushes and Allies (Leiothrichidae) | Arabian Babbler
60. Family #231: Accentors (Prunellidae) | Alpine Accentor (photographed in Switzerland)
61. Family #237: Old World Buntings (Emberizidae) | Striolated Bunting
Autumn 1977, Migration survey at Zaranik, North Sinai. Mediterranean shore contributed 3 new bird families:
44. Family #14: Flamingos (Phoenicopteridae) | Greater Flamingo
45. Family #53: Skuas and Jaegers (Stercorariidae) | Parasitic Skua
46. Family #64: Shearwaters and Petrels (Procellariidae) | Sooty Shearwater
Visiting wet sites, especially fish ponds, opened my mind to 11 new common bird families. During years Ma’agan Michael ponds provide some “firsts for Israel” and other rarities.
33. Family #8: Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl (Anatidae) | Eurasian Teal
34. Family #15: Grebes (Podicipedidae) | Little Grebe
35. Family #32: Rails, Gallinules, and Coots (Rallidae) | Eurasian Coot
36. Family #36: Cranes (Gruidae) | Common Crane
37. Family #69: Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) | Great Cormorant
38. Family #70: Pelicans (Pelecanidae) | Great White Pelican
39. Family #77: Osprey (Pandionidae) | Western Osprey
40. Family #41: Stilts and Avocets (Recurvirostridae) | Pied Avocet
41. Family #49: Sandpipers and Allies (Scolopacidae) | Curlew Sandpiper
42. Family #43: Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae) | Eurasian Oystercatcher (photographed in Denmark)
43. Family #92: Rollers (Coraciidae) | Eurasian Roller
Wandering around home, I discovered my next new 14 bird families:
19. Family #13: Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies (Phasianidae) | Chukar
20. Family #27: Swifts (Apodidae) | Common Swift
21. Family #39: Thick-knees (Burhinidae) | Eurasian Thick-knee
22. Family #44: Plovers and Lapwings (Charadriidae) | Northern Lapwing
23. Family #65: Storks (Ciconiidae) | White Stork
24. Family #73: Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns (Ardeidae) | Cattle Egret
25. Family #74: Ibises and Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) | Glossy Ibis
26. Family #78: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites (Accipitridae) | Common Buzzard
27. Family #91: Bee-eaters (Meropidae) | European Bee-eater
28. Family #55: Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Laridae) | Black-headed Gull
29. Family #104: Falcons and Caracaras (Falconidae) | Eurasian Kestrel
30. Family #180: Larks (Alaudidae) | Crested Lark
31. Family #211: Starlings (Sturnidae) | European Starling
32. Family #196: Sylviid Warblers, Parrotbills, and Allies (Sylviidae) | Lesser Whitethroat
Like many other kids, who saved their pennies in children saving program, I received an encouraging gift from the bank: Our County’s Birds Guide, with the beautiful paintings of Walter Ferguson, describing the 100 commonest birds of Israel, and this White-breasted Kingfisher on the cover:
Like many other Kids’ book shelves, this booklet was laying there useless. But one day, as I wondered around my parents’ garden, I noticed a colorful bird. I urged into the house, picked the booklet, and probably identified my first Great Tit, without understanding that this moment will change my life forever.
At that times of course, I had no idea what is a species, genus or a family, but actually, all these early birds, were the foundations of my life project – Bird Families of the World.
These are my first 18 families:
1. Family #16: Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae) | Laughing Dove
2. Family #84: Hoopoes (Upupidae) | Eurasian Hoopoe
3. Family #90: Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) | White-throated Kingfisher
4. Family #102: Woodpeckers (Picidae) | Syrian Woodpecker
5. Family #107: Old World Parrots (Psittaculidae) | Rose-ringed Parakeet (introduced)
6. Family #166: Shrikes (Laniidae) | Masked Shrike
7. Family #167: Crows, Jays, and Magpies (Corvidae) | Eurasian Jay
8. Family #190: Swallows (Hirundinidae) | Barn Swallow
9. Family #191: Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) | White-spectacled Bulbul
10. Family #192: Leaf Warblers (Phylloscopidae) | Common Chiffchaff
11. Family #214: Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae) | European Stonechat
12. Family #213: Thrushes and Allies (Turdidae) | Common Blackbird
13. Family #223: Sunbirds and Spiderhunters (Nectariniidae) | Palestine Sunbird
14. Family #233: Wagtails and Pipits (Motacillidae) | White Wagtail
15. Family #234: Finches, Euphonias, and Allies (Fringillidae) | European Goldfinch
16. Family #232: Old World Sparrows (Passeridae) | House Sparrow
17. Family #178: Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice (Paridae) | Great Tit
18. Family #184: Cisticolas and Allies (Cisticolidae) | Graceful Prinia