Champions of the Flyways (COTF), is an annual bird racing event held in the southern part of Israel centered around Eilat. It is an event operating on a global scale, involving teams of birders from every part of the world regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or religious and cultural background. All participants are united as part of a single family dedicated to tackling some of the most pressing conservation issues affecting migrating birds across the planet.
Essentially, COTF involves teams of birders spending a designated 24 hour period within a clearly bounded area to see/hear as many species as possible. Unlike other such events, COTF encourages teams to share information and is conducted in a much more open way with teams posting real time updates online so that anyone can participate virtually in the event. Teams that enter the race are entirely self funded, taking part solely with the aims of raising awareness of that years specific issue, bird conservation in general and to raise funds to support this important work. In 2023 teams come from South America, North America, Africa, the Middle East and all parts of Europe – a truly international event.
Since its inception in 2014, COTF has raised over $350,000 to help fund projects related to illegal killing, trapping and exploitation of migrating birds. This year (2023), the event is raising funds to help combat the illegal killing of Red-breasted Geese (Branta ruficollis), in their wintering grounds and migratory flyways in Bulgaria and Kazakhstan. More about the specific aims for this project can be found here.
I had the pleasure of being able to watch one of these colourful geese at Cley here in Norfolk in early 2022 and recorded that as part of the 220 for 2022 challenge which you can read here. It just goes to show that the life of birds can only be measured on a global scale, rendering thoughts of colloquialism mute. To continue to ensure we in the UK can enjoy the occasional visit of such vagrants, we have to take action on a much wider canvass.
I’ve also had the pleasure of visiting Israel during spring migration when thousands of birds use the flyways to pour out of Africa and populate their breeding grounds in Europe. It is a humbling spectacle to witness spiralling flocks of raptors passing northwards in their thousands. We have to support those people that spend their time protecting the flyways, for witnessing the wholesale slaughter of migrating birds is truly heart wrenching and must cease.
A major focal point for the COTF event is The International Bird & Research Centre Eilat (IBRCE) It is a magical place providing much needed fresh water and cover for resident and migrating species. We spent a couple of days there during April 2015 and saw some amazing birds, you can read about that here.
Images: Top Set (clockwise) – Migrating White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) , White-crowned Wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga), Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis), Lesser-spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina). Bottom Set (clockwise) – Black Stork (Ciconia negra), Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus), Levant Sparrowhawk (Accipiter brevipes).
A local birder, Mike Dawson, is taking part this year as a member of the Go Go Geese team. If you would like to sponsor Mike’s team, or the event as a whole, visit their Just Giving page. Any donations to this cause, and to future projects, will make a real difference to bird conservation along the migration flyways, helping to ensure local people who care have the funding to address issues of major international concern.
