Use of Barn Owls and Common Kestrels for Biological Pest

Control in Agriculture on Both Sides of the Jordan River:

Interdisciplinary project combining regional cooperation, conservation,
farming, and education

A barn owl perched on a nest box A barn owl from Kibbutz Sde-Eliyahu, promoting organic
holding a recently caught rodent in the farming while using a commercial sign as a hunting post of
fields of Kibbutz Sde-Eliyahu. rodents. (Photo: Uria Shachak)
(Photo:Uria Shachak)

Kestrel nestling waiting their parents to supply dinner in the entrance of a

kestrel nesting box. (Photo: FLIP DE NOOYER.FOTO NATURA.FLPA)

Female kestrel holding a recently caught rat.

(Photo: Ronen Vaturi)
Jordanian Team Israeli Team
Dr. Sawfan Fauzi Al Hussein – Veterinary Dr. Yossi Leshem – Director,
Surgeon, Jordan International Center for the Study
Mr. Baker Hassan Bara’kat – Agricultural of Bird Migration, Tel Aviv
Engineer in the Jordan Valley, Jordan University and SPNI, Israel
Mr. Shauli Aviel – Barn Owl
Project Leader, Kibbutz Sde
Eliyahu, Israel
Motti Charter- Kestrel expert,
PhD student, Tel Aviv University,
Israel
Mr. Assaf David – ECF, Translator and PhD
Student, Hebrew University, Israel

The project is built around the people to people activities through cooperation between Jordanians and Israelis

Background:
The Jordan Valley is world renowned as an area rich in human and natural history. This region, which
includes Israel and Jordan, has undergone a massive expansion of agriculture over the past 50 years.
Modern agricultural techniques have significantly increasing yields that have also resulted in significant
negative impacts to the environment such as decreased biodiversity and ecological imbalance. Modern
agricultural methods depend heavily on the use of chemicals for enriching poor soil and controlling pest
plants and animals (herbicides/pesticides). Rodents constitute one of the most damaging groups of pest
animals within the Middle East with damage reaching up to 35% of certain crops such as wheat. In the
long-term, rodenticides are ineffective, problematic, costly, and have severe negative impacts on the
environment: pollute soils and water sources, damage ecosystems, and have secondary poisoning health
effects on wildlife and humans. The danger to wildlife is particularly poignant in this region being
located along a major bird migration route of global significance where it is estimated that over 500
million birds pass through twice a year. An new and innovative technique of using raptors (barn owls
and kestrels) as biological pest controllers of rodents has be implemented successful into modern
agriculture in Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu and later other location in Israel. This method has not only benefited
farmers, but also the neighboring citizens, and wildlife by reducing rodent damage without using deadly
pesticide. The goal of this project is to install a similar system in Jordan through cooperation and using
the years of experiences gained by their Israeli neighbors.
Objectives:
1. Significant reduction in the quantity of rodents in the Jordanian agricultural fields.
2. Cooperation between Jordanian and Israeli agriculturists, researchers and educators, “People to
People” activities.
3. Reduction in the use of pesticides in the agricultural fields.

The 2005-2006 breeding seasons will be used as a pilot year for the project to examine the
cooperation and its implementation with the Jordanian farmers with hope to continue and
enlarge the project in the years to come. We see this project as a win win situation for
Jordanians, Israelis, and Wildlife.

Jordanian farmers use a telescope in one of the birding activities

Jordanian look on as Israeli project
leader, Shaul Aviel check a barn owl nest
box

Phase 1: Need to be completed before the first meeting

a) Building 23 nesting boxes (15 for Barn Owl, 8 for Kestrel): The nest boxes need to be
built as soon as possible in order that they will be erected in Jordan early this breeding
season to give the barn owls and kestrels enough time to find them and later nest in
them. If the boxes are erected too late we will miss this nesting seasons since the
raptors will not nest in them. The boxes and poles will be ready to be sent within two
weeks. Building the boxes and receiving the proper permits to bring to Jordan
are keys to the projects success at its initial stage.
b) Determine who will be the Jordanian partners:
• Researcher- The Jordanian researcher should join all meeting and assist in
picking the nest boxes location and after their erection. A researcher from Jordan,
BirdLife International or some other academic institution will be selected to
accompany the project with a research study (of the rodent, Barn Owl and Kestrel
populations etc.). Israelis will give academic guidance so that the Jordanian researcher
will be able to independently lead the research during the first season. He will be
responsible for monitoring boxes, collecting pellets and later dissecting them.
 • Farmers- It is vital that Jordanian farmers that will participate in the project
will be selected and agree to participate in the project by first meeting.
• Jordan School- In parallel with agricultural and research activities, an
educational and awareness program will be undertaken in the farming community as
well as in the Jordanian schools. The Kfar Ruppin School (Yariv the Principal is
already enthusiastic) has already shown interest and a partner school in Jordan needs
to be selected. A poster written in Arabic will be produced and handed out to the
school children and farmers.

Posters written in Arabic will be made and handed out to Jordanian farmers and children

Phase 2: Meetings
a) First Meeting: Mid December in Jordan
Main goal: Participants will get to know one and other, see the study site, and determine
where the nest boxes will be erected. 2000 dunams comprising two lots will be located in
the area east of the Jordan River opposite the Beit She’an Valley; preference will be
given to landowners from the team we met in the past and are willing to participate in the
project. With the assistance of the Jordanian farmers locations for the nest boxes will be
selected and marked on a map of the farm land (Jordanians should bring a map to the first
meeting). If possible, potential GPS coordinates of the nest sites will taken and later
placed on maps along with the locations of the Israeli boxes on the other side of the
border.
A discussion will take place to determine how to move forward with the educational
campaign. The subject is of high importance especially as Moslems relate negatively to
the Barn Owl, since they believe that owls bring bad luck. Additionally, the opposite may
b a problem with kestrels, which are small falcons that people like to raise as pets and use
in falconry. Such prejudices of the owl can be changed by acquaintance with the positive
contributions of the owls to farmers. Our hope is that farmers will protect their new
acquired natural resource from people that will fear (barn owls) and want raise them
(kestrels). Disturbances to breeding pairs could results in the pairs leaving and not
returning to re- nest in the future. The farmers will learn that by protecting the raptors
they will receive direct benefits of reduced rodent damage.

Second Meeting: End December/ beginning of January in Jordan

Main goal: 15 nesting boxes for Barn Owls and 8 for Common Kestrels will be erected in
the project area in designated location that were defined during the first meeting. The
pole of the boxes is 3.5 meter high and need to be placed in the ground 1 meter so that
the nest box will be 2.5 m. above the ground. During the erecting of the boxes, the
Jordanian researcher will learn from his Israeli counterpart’s methods of monitoring
hunting kestrels and barn owls. Additionally a small survey will of hunting kestrels will
be conducted to determine the size of the local population.

32 page color manuals written in Arabic and Hebrew on how to use the
raptors in biological pest control will be handed out to the farmers.

Third Meeting: February/ March in Israel

Main goal: To learn about the success of the project in Israel and technical aspects of box
maintenance. During this day we will take field trips in Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu and
neighboring farms to demonstrate the size of the pest control project in Israel and the
potential of a similar project in Jordan.
Lectures on barn owls, kestrels, and pellet dissection will be given. Pellets are the
undigested portions of prey such as hair, bones and feathers that form a small round
pellet that are regurgitated by the raptors around the nest. Pellet dissection is a tool used
by researcher to determine the prey of raptors and will provide to the farmers with an
accurate display of how the barn owls and kestrels assist them. The Jordanian researcher
will collect and dissect pellets in order to learn not only about the raptors diet but also on
the rodent populations. The raptors are generalist and their diet represents the rodents in
the study site. In order to combat the rodents it is important to learn as much as we can
about their biology.
Farmers from the Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu will participate in the discussions and lectures.
Additionally, participants will visit the biological pest control factory, Bio Bee to learn
more about their activities.
The principal of the Kfar Ruppin School will come to discuss how to proceed with the
educational aspects. A Pen pal program through using email or a forum in the website of
the International Center for the Study of Birds Migration: www.birds.org.il, will be set up.

Fourth meeting: April in Jordan.

Main goals: Nest boxes will be checked for the first time together with the farmers and
researchers. The Jordanian researcher will discuss his progress and describe the activity
of nesting/ hunting kestrel and barn owls. A trip will be taken to the local school were a
lecture will be given to the school children. A stuffed kestrel and barn owls along with
movies will be shown to excite the children about their new neighbors.

Fifth meeting: August

Main goals: Summary of the project successes, failures, and future goals will be
discussed. The Jordanian researcher will present his findings. Special interest will be
given to the educational campaign to determine if the residents accepted the barn owls.
A new working plan will be drawn for the next year with hope to continue the project.