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From days of old, birds have aroused man's curiosity. Their vivid colours, joyful singing, and above of all, their ability to fly, have excited man's imagination. Israel is unique for its large variety of habitats, as well as being located along one of the principal global bird migration routes. As a result, more than 500 different avian species may be found in Israel.
The Israel Ornithology Center, the Israel Raptor Information Center and the Israel Bird Ringing Center, which are part of the Society for the Protection of the Nature in Israel, organize the greater part of ornithological activities in Israel. These activities concentrate on three main fields: nature conservation, research and education.
Over the years, as a result of intensified education in nature conservation and the increase in the number of active bird-watchers, the number of bird species seen in Israel has risen constantly.
The birds appearing on this series of stamps belong to the Passeriformes, or as they are commonly called - songbirds. This group includes over 5,000 species, of which 192 may be found in Israel.
Trumpeter Finch Rhodopechys Githagineus
This small desert finch is named for its call which sounds like a toy trumpet. In the summer the male's plumage can be seen from afar with its bright red bill, pink forehead and underparts and brownish-grey feathers tinted various shades of pink. In the winter these bright colours fade, and its plumage is brownish-grey and its bill yellow.
The Trumpeter Finch is about 13 centimetres long and weighs about 15 grams. It can usually be found on the ground looking for food such as seeds, green leaves and insects, hopping between rocks and crevices, stopping every so often to look around. This bird is resident in mountainous desert areas in Israel, such as the Eilat Mountains, the Negev, the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea basin. It is a rare chance visitor in the Golan Heights and on the Hermon slopes. It builds its nest on the ground between rocks or under bushes, and the entrance is sometimes paved with small stones.
