Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 140, August 2016, pp. 1-21. | Page 9

9 indifferent to the presence of man. It does not appear to migrate far, as it remains all winter in Egypt and in the oases of the Sahara”. The Hoopoe is found in Southern and Central Europe, the whole of Asia, and Northern and Central Africa (Tristram, 1884). The Hoopoe near the beach of Qaysariya (Caesarea), Occupied Palestine on 09.12.2014. Photo by Sofyan Zhalka. Israel’s National Bird As part of Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Education, Tel Aviv University and Israel Discount Bank, initiated a widespread activity to increase people's connection to the landscapes of their homeland through birds. In this manner, Israel joined the ranks of some 90 countries that have already selected their representative national birds (Palyam.org). The Israeli initiative was unique in that the selection was made by the public rather than professionals: 9,500 preschools, 4,000 schools and IDF units participated, while the public was able to vote online and at public venues such as the Safari in Ramat Gan and the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem (Palyam.org). Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 140 – August 2016