Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 140, August 2016, pp. 1-21. | Seite 10

10 Ten species of birds were selected after meeting various criteria (e.g. the bird must nest in Israel, and has a link to Jewish heritage). The candidates were: the Griffon Vulture, the Barn Owl, the Lesser Kestrel, the Graceful Prinia, the Whitethroated Kingfisher, the Hoopoe, the Goldfinch, the Bulbul, the Spur-winged Plover and the Palestine Sunbird. The Hoopoe was selected as the National Bird by a majority vote, with the Graceful Prinia coming in second and the Goldfinch third. The President of Israel Mr. Shimon Peres declared the Hoopoe as the National Bird of Israel at an official ceremony held at the President's Residence (Palyam.org). The Hoopoe. Israel Stamp. Date of Issue 27.01.2010. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/b8zoXhWeQyg/TXvjl_dCPGI/AAAAAAAAAoc/5zqwMJ5Y4g4/s1600/Hoopoe%2Bon %2BIsrael%2Bstamp.jpg Hoopoe - The National Bird of Israel (Upupa epops; Hebrew: Dukhifat): The Hoopoe is a beautiful bird noted for its orange "crown" of feathers. It is orange in color, with shades of black and white on its wings and tail, making its flight comparable to that of a large butterfly. The Hoopoe population is resident in Israel and it nests in holes in tree trunks and vertical walls of homes. Its beak is long, thin and curved and its tongue is long and sticky. The Hoopoe gathers food from the ground with the help of its long beak. Its monotone song, "hood, hood" Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 140 – August 2016