About us
Every spring and autumn, millions of birds fly over Palestine, an important stopover for hundreds of migratory species traveling from their wintering grounds in Africa to their breeding sites in Europe and Asia. The region is one of the world’s busiest flyways.
The birds soar over Palestinians living in “the world’s largest open-air prison” in Gaza – besieged for decades and now subjected to genocide – and over Palestinians living under occupation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. But Israel’s increasingly brutal system of oppression hasn’t stopped Palestinians from raising their heads high to admire the birds filling the sky.
In Gaza, birders Lara and Mandy Sirdah have continued to watch and photograph birds, even during the genocide. Forced to leave their homes in northern Gaza in November 2023 after Israeli expulsion orders, the twin sisters have continued publishing photos of the birds they found in displacement.
Birders of Palestine is an independent project fundraising to support Palestinian birdwatchers. Anyone who donates will receive prints or postcards of photos taken by Palestinian birders. Your support will help birders and their families as they try to survive genocide and ethnic cleansing, and encourage their love for birding.
Frequently asked questions
Are there birds in Gaza?
Yes! Palestine is part of one of the world’s busiest corridors for bird migration. Before the Israeli occupation, Gaza had one of the most important wetlands in the Eastern Mediterranean, a hotspot for birds and biodiversity. But it began to deteriorate when Israel started diverting water upstream and building dams, restricting flows into Gaza.
For decades, Israeli attacks on Gaza have had a devastating impact on people, birds and the environment. The ongoing genocide that began in October 2023 has been the most brutal yet.
Still, the birds fly over Palestine. The Sirdah twins have continued to watch and photograph birds in Gaza, even when they were forcibly displaced by Israeli armed forces. In the West Bank, Palestinians also continue to raise their heads high to watch birds, in defiance of the suffocating restrictions of the Israeli occupation and escalating settler violence.
Why are you fundraising for birders?
Israel’s genocide in Gaza has completely devastated the besieged territory. There are urgent needs for food, medicine and aid (alongside the broader struggle for freedom from occupation, settler colonialism and oppression).
This project was created to support the birders of Palestine. We have been deeply moved and inspired by their determination to pursue their passion for birds, even in the face of genocide, starvation and displacement.
Since October 2023, the birders have lost loved ones, livelihoods and homes. This initiative aims to help them hold on to life. Donations will provide direct support to them and their families, and encourage their love for birding.
Who is collecting the funds? How will they be distributed?
This fundraiser is organised by a journalist who has been working with the birders of Palestine for several years. She first met the Sirdah twins in the spring of 2023 while reporting on birding in Gaza (you can read the article in English and Portuguese). Since then, she has stayed in touch with them and has built connections with other birders across Palestine (read about them here).
Since Palestinians cannot access fundraising campaigns because of the restrictions imposed on them, the funds are being collected in Portugal and will be transferred to the birders. Printing and shipping within Europe will be managed by us, while prints to the US and other regions will be handled by Finerworks, which offers worldwide shipping.
Can I donate a different amount or request prints in other sizes?
Sure. Feel free to reach out by email: birdersofpalestine@proton.me
