Operation finch in the heart of Nablus: Israeli soldiers rescued songbirds in Samaria
IDF reservists identified protected songbirds being held illegally
Reservists from the IDF's Paratrooper Brigade rescued protected birds this week during an operation in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus.
During searches for weapons, the fighters identified cages with finches, which are protected birds that were being kept illegally.
The birds were in poor condition and kept in small, crowded cages.
The fighters gathered the finches in a cage and covered them so that they would not be detected.
Israel's Nature and Parks Authority says the finch is considered one of the most popular songbirds among hunters.
Demand for the colorful songbirds has led to a decrease in their number in recent decades due to hunting and trade.
Finches are used as bait when hunting, and often suffer from leg fractures and wing injuries. Many of them are even discarded and then suffocate and die.
The finches are usually captured for breeding and hybridization, to produce a hybrid bird known as a “bandook.”
An inspector in the Nature and Parks Authority consulted with a raptor ecologist and provided treatment to the birds over the weekend after they had not eaten for a long time.
Once they became stronger, they were returned to the wild.
Kan.org.il is the Hebrew news website of the The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation
