The Woodcocks

We are three experienced Israeli birders, joining forces at COTF for the first time. This is an exciting opportunity for us to help conservation of a species that is an iconic migrant over Israel – the Steppe Eagle. We have witnessed the steady decline in Steppe Eagle numbers during our years of birding in Israel, and we need to support efforts to halt their decline. We will do our best to raise valuable funds for our partners in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and also do our best on race day. Bring it on!

Meet the Team:

Yoav Perlman

Yoav has been part of the COTF organising team since its inception, but this is the first time he’s competed. A birder since childhood, Yoav works for BirdLife Israel and birds every day. Yoav has taken part in many Big Days, including winning the World Series of Birding in 2014.

Barak Granit

Barak is a veteran COTF participant, racing between 2015-2018, winning the Israeli race in 2016 with his previous team The Jehova Chickens and the international race in 2017 with The Wallcreepers.  Barak has been a keen birder since the age of 16, birding throughout the year, every year; only in winter he hibernates. As a monogamic life-form, he spend his days with his partner and together they raise a year old girl, a 15 year old cat and quite recently they gave birth to a Siberian Hamster.

Re’a Shaish

Re’a debuted at COTF two years ago, running with the Palestine Sunbirders.
Birding since 2004, Re’a spent many seasons in the far south of Israel, including two full years working at IBRCE (2010-11, 2017-18). Now based in Jerusalem for school, most of Re’as field time is divided between ringing at the JBO, studying Back-winged Kites in the Hula Valley and looking for dragonflies.