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Israel's new state bird: the hoopoe.
Last update - 17:08 29/05/2008
After five months of suspense, the hoopoe is crowned Israel's state bird
By Zafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel, Hoopoe, finch 

The wait is over: after five long months of campaigning, the hoopoe has beat out nine other finalists to secure the title of Israel's state bird. The winner was announced on Thursday at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.

The hoopoe (duhifat, in Hebrew) won 35 percent of the votes, beating out the warbler (ten percent) and the finch (9.8 percent).

The national bird selection process, sponsored by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) began about five months ago. Voters chose from a list of 10 species on the SPNI website.
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Surveys show that 46 percent of the votes for the winning bird came from Israel Defense Forces soldiers.

In Thursday's celebratory ceremony, President Shimon Peres delivered a speech highlighting the importance of preserving endangered birds. He specifically referred to the vulture, after which he changed his name from Persky to Peres, which means vulture in Hebrew. The president said he would ask France and Germany, two countries that specialize in breeding the bird of prey in order to release it to nature, to cooperate with Israel on preservation.

Dr. Yossi Leshem, the Tel Aviv University ornithologist who helped initiate the campaign to choose a state bird, said that the election of city birds is next on the agenda. Tel Aviv has already announced that it will adopt the swallow as its municipal avian mascot and set up nest installations around the city.


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      1.   Finch`s Reaction Reprinted Inside 14:56  |  Jay A Friedman 29/05/08
      2.   state bird 14:56  |  shimon 29/05/08
      3.   Preposterous! 15:20  |  Daniel 29/05/08
      4.   Not sure naming any bird a good idea. The Arabs might start 15:31  |  bird lover 29/05/08
      5.   Dodo for a dead duck ! 15:37  |  Sean 29/05/08
      6.   Dang, I was rooting for the Bulbul 15:41  |  Mark Sherer 29/05/08
      7.   Jay typical leftie 15:46  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 29/05/08
      8.   A response to Sean from Ireland - #5 15:47  |  Kate 29/05/08
      9.   I would have thought 15:48  |  Bob Tolliday 29/05/08
      10.   any info on nature eco/tourism tourism in Israel 15:48  |  Steve 29/05/08
      11.   # 3 Daniel how about a cock o two ? 15:57  |  SJ 29/05/08
      12.   Steve 16:06  |  x-ray 29/05/08
      13.   Steve (and SJ) 16:10  |  Daniel 29/05/08
      14.   Mahmoud Darwish on the Hoopoe 16:28  |  Jim 29/05/08
      15.   the bird 16:32  |  Aidel 29/05/08
      16.   The Sufi`s Choice Too 16:33  |  Rowan 29/05/08
      17.   To Sean on his island from a "failed state" 16:49  |  Ehud 29/05/08
      18.   Birds and spirits 17:36  |  Edmond. Cohen 29/05/08
      19.   Hoopoe is crowned Israel`s state bird 17:45  |  Shoshanaci 29/05/08
      20.   Nice lookin` bird. 18:43  |  Che Vive 29/05/08
      21.   To Ehud No 17 18:45  |  Sean 29/05/08
      22.   What a lovely little bird. Would love to hear it chirp. 18:46  |  AliciaYasmeen 29/05/08
      23.   To Kate No8 18:49  |  Sean 29/05/08
      24.   HooPoe a non-violent Bird - this is a good thing 18:56  |  Hoopoe 29/05/08
      25.   #10 - Steve 19:27  |  MichaelF 29/05/08
      26.   Thanks Shoshanaci 19:33  |  Daniel 29/05/08
      27.   Steve 19:45  |  negev 29/05/08
      28.   birding in israel 19:50  |  JBO 29/05/08
      29.   Sean 20:03  |  Connie 29/05/08
      30.   To Sean 20:08  |  Ehud 29/05/08
      31.   The Hoopoe is not Kosher. (see Leviticus 20:21  |  L A 29/05/08
      32.   #28 : not "hoo poo" - "hoo poe"! 20:22  |  Rowan 29/05/08
      33.   Great day for the hoopoe 21:13  |  Daniel 29/05/08
      34.   #17 Total number of poor in Israel 1.5 million 21:39  |  "What`s in a name" 29/05/08
      35.   #17 Total number of poor in Israel 1.5 million 21:40  |  "What`s in a name" 29/05/08
      36.   #17 Total number of poor in Israel 1.5 million 21:40  |  "What`s in a name" 29/05/08
      37.   # 5 Sean 21:44  |  SJAS 29/05/08
      38.   Sean 5 from Derry, Northern Ireland suffering from jealousy? 21:54  |  Brendan Behan 29/05/08
      39.   official bird 22:52  |  Shoshannah 29/05/08
      40.   #31: Not planning on eating it 00:25  |  Steve 30/05/08
      41.   THE VULTURE. MR PERES loves the enemy. Jews? - devour them? 00:48  |  Alon -Chiloni 30/05/08
      42.   environmental 05:13  |  deb 30/05/08
      43.   STEVE here are some bird watching sights and info 09:47  |  Gil 30/05/08
      44.   Doochifath 11:04  |  Nyctamere 30/05/08
      45.   Poor Sean! 11:59  |  MazalUK 30/05/08
      46.   To Sean 17:46  |  Ben 30/05/08
      47.   it works 00:20  |  mohamed 01/06/08
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