Young Eurasian Hobby gets a second chance thanks to feather transplant

A young Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) recently arrived at KKL-JNF’s Hula Valley Wildlife Acclimatization Center, in collaboration with Tel-Hai University, after being found on the ground by Ofir, who was hiking in the Dardara area. Ofir quickly brought the bird to the center’s clinic, where the team found it weak, underweight, and showing signs consistent with having been held in captivity. Several of its flight feathers were also broken. The hobby immediately began receiving supportive care and was transferred to a flight cage to rebuild its underdeveloped flight muscles. During this time, the center’s team worked to find a donor to replace the damaged feathers.

Dr. Amos Belmaker from Tel Aviv University’s Steinhardt Museum of Natural History stepped in to help, providing the much-needed feathers. They came from a bird that had died in the wild due to electrocution, and its body had been transferred to the university for research purposes.

For several days the team prepared the equipment and rehearsed the transplant procedure. “We are always happy to try new and, in this case, old techniques to help our patients and give them the best chance of returning safely to the wild,” said Dr. Rona Nadler-Valency, veterinarian and head of the acclimatization center.

It’s a rarely performed procedure that now gives the bird a good chance of regaining full flight and returning to the wild.

“We hope that soon the bird will improve its flight and accept the transplanted feathers as its own,” said Mai Avrahami. “Our goal is to release the hobby before the end of its natural migration period.”

Amos Belmaker, curator of the bird collection at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, added: “There has been a long-standing and fruitful collaboration between the museum and the acclimatization center. Anything we can do to help the birds that come here, we do gladly. If our contribution can give this Eurasian Hobby a new chance in the wild, it is worth everything.”

The Hula Valley Wildlife Acclimatization Center is a joint initiative of KKL-JNF and Tel-Hai University and operates under the authorization of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.