Team Spectacled (s) – Israeli Youth Team

Sketch by Liza Chepurko.

Sketch by Liza Chepurko.

As a team, we first met each other thanks to youth birding program of the Society of Protection of Nature in Israel. Klil and Asaf are both from Jerusalem and met one another at the first COTF in 2013. They met Ori and Dvir on a trip to the northern Negev in the winter of 2016. From the first moment, it was clear that we were going to compete together as a team. It’s important for us to be in the same group because we think there is nothing like good connections and friendship. Furthermore, we all care about the natural world and we want to do all we can to protect it, especially its birds. We know that participating in COTF is one of the best ways we can do that.

As a team, we have some key principles.  The most important ones are:

  1. To do our birding without harming the place and its birds and animals.
  2. To be as honest as possible: it’s important for us that our birding will be the reliable as possible.

Please donate to our team and help us to help the BIRDS!!!

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puffin_Klil

Scops Owl_Ori

Meet the Team:

Ori Davidor

My name is Ori, and I’m 14 years old.

3 years ago I discovered the birding world, and I fell in love with the birds.

I like to go on birding trips in the country, and participate in ringing activities.

I met Asaf, Dvir and Klil in the winter of 2016 in the NW Negev with the youth birding club and it was clear to all of us that there is good connection between us and we are going to participate in the COTF as a team.

Asaf Leurer

I am 16 years old and am from Jerusalem. This is going to be my fourth year competing in the race. I discovered the birding world when I was five and my Grandfather’s sister, who was the most talented and smart person I knew, showed me pictures of birds from a German book. Since then, my love of birds has become bigger and I got my first pair of binoculars, then the second one, my first camera and so on.  In my five years of birding, I learned to watch birds all over the country but mostly in Jerusalem (the city which holds the record of “the city with the longest list of species I have seen”). Although the Ma’agan Michael coast and the endless fields, pools and birding park of Eilat are infact my favorite birding places in Israel. This year is going to be my second year as a member in TEAM SPECTACLEDS and I have set myself two goals: the first one is to raise as much money as possible and the second one is to have fun (and well… i would also be very happy to get a Desert Warbler as a present this year, dear Santa…)

Dvir Rudnicki

My name is Dvir Rudnicki and I’m 15 years old.

I discovered the birdwatching world when I was in second grade and I went to the Jerusalem Bird Observatory with a classmate. I was really excited when I saw birds up close for the first time, and from that moment I began being interested in birds. At first, I joined several birdwatching trips of the SPNI, and then I took the next step and joined the Tel Aviv Youth Birdwatching Club This year is my fourth year at the COTF, and I’m sure it will be amazing. The most important part of the race, for me, is raising money, to make sure that our kids will still be able to see the birds that are so important to us today.

Klil Zaitlin

I am 14 years old and am from Jerusalem. I have been  birding since the age of 5.  I love birding and traveling across the Israel and other countries, especially in places with unique views and wildlife. I aspire to get better in birding and last year i took it a step forward and challenged myself to see as many species of birds in one year as I could and to gather as many unique experiences as possible.

it will be my 5th time in the Champions of the Flyway bird race and i will compete with the Spectacleds team for the 2nd time. I’m looking forward to the race and I’m hoping to get the best from that day, to see many species and also to be able to enjoy all the unique wildlife and scenery