With bird migration season coming to an end, birdwatchers across the country were treated to a surprise visit of extremely rare white-throated robins that appear to have made their way to Israel all the way from Iran.
A tiny population of the rare bird breed, also known as "irania", is believed to live in Israel on the summit of Mount Hermon and very rarely can be observed in other parts of the country during migration season.
This year, however, at least 70 species of this breed have been observed all over the country. From Acre in the north, through the West Bank area, the Jerusalem mountains, the Negev, the coast, and even in Israel's southernmost city of Eilat and the Arava region.
Amir Balaban, from the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, said that such an unusual pattern of migration occurs once every few decades, but never quite on the same scale as this year.
"Migratory routes are affected by climate conditions, jet winds, depressions and heatwaves. Sometimes the eastern migration route moves west, apparently. That is why we have gained all this beauty,” said Balaban.
The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel added that the irania is a bird of particular beauty and singing capabilities, which often incubates in the small bushes and thorny growths of Mount Hermon, usually at a height of two thousand meters or more.