Hidden owl family spotted on an Ashdod cliff

Guy Levian, deputy head of the Marine Unit at Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority, was driving home after work near Ashdod when he noticed a little owl, known in Hebrew as the owl of ruins, standing alone on a cliff. As an amateur photographer, he stopped to take a picture, but after a few minutes he saw movement beside the male, then a female appeared with four fledglings. He realized he had found a nesting area and stayed still at a distance, using a long lens so he would not disturb the birds or the nest.

Levian said he got “an exciting glimpse” into the owl family’s life, watching them eat and play together, calling it “a magic not everyone gets to see.” He added that when people respect nature, keep their distance and observe from the side, they see its true beauty without harming it.

The owl of ruins is a small nocturnal bird of prey found in rural and natural areas in Israel. It is active at dusk and even during the day, often perching on fences, power poles, stone piles and abandoned buildings, which explains its Hebrew name. It has a stocky body with brown, gray and white camouflage, a broad head and large yellow eyes that give it an almost human look. When alarmed or curious, it bobs and moves its head up and down.

Dr. Dotan Rotem, an open-space ecologist at the Nature and Parks Authority, said the owl is an efficient hunter that feeds mainly on large insects, small rodents, reptiles and even small songbirds. He noted that in ancient times and Greek mythology it was associated with Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, and that its scientific name, Athene noctua, reflects that link. He warned that the species now faces secondary poisoning from agricultural pesticides and habitat loss, and said protecting large natural areas as well as extensive farmland is essential. Rotem also stressed that this is nesting season, when fledglings are leaving the nest but still depend on their parents for food, and said nests should never be approached, especially while adults are incubating or caring for young.