Traffic jam: Thousands of migratory birds stuck in Israel due to bad weather

The exceptionally cold and rainy weather that hit Israel these last few days did not only impact Israel's permanent residents but also thousands of migratory birds who got stuck here on their way north, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) said on Wednesday.

The thousands of birds, including storks, pelicans, cranes and birds of prey, got stuck in the Hula Valley in northern Israel due to the cold and wet conditions, which make it harder for them to fly.

Now they are waiting until the end of this cold weather system to continue their journey to their summer domiciles.

Why can't they just keep on flying?

Inbar Shlomit Rubin, KKL-JNF field manager in the Hula Valley explained: "When it rains, the birds must keep their down feathers dry. The outer feathers are built in such a way that prevents the rain from entering and actually preserves body heat in the best way in nature."

This traffic jam had not been completely unexpected, however. "Spring migration is full of surprises, every moment looks and sounds different. I hope that winter is not officially over, as rainy days create a 'traffic jam' of migrating flocks, and the sights are fabulous!" Rubin said in February.

During the spring, migration hormones manifest in migratory birds like cranes, which impact their behavior, signaling that the migration time is approaching.

Around 100,000 common cranes come to Israel every year from Russia and eastern Scandinavia, with about 40,000 of them staying for the winter, according to the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI). 

The birds that don't stay for winter head south to Africa, usually south of the equator.

In the summer, however, the cranes have their nesting season, and many more begin to appear in Israel during October after the summer ends.