The initiative to choose the bird belongs to employees of the ornithological center of the Environmental Protection Department at the Ministry of Ecology of Israel. In their opinion, such events should make Israelis 'look around'. The selection of the symbol bird took place in two stages. First, Israelis were asked to choose the ten most common birds from 350 species known to a wide audience. In addition to the hoopoe, the finalists included: eagle, owl, red falcon, short-toed thrush, warbler, goldfinch, woodpecker, white-breasted kingfisher, and sunbird. The hoopoe won with a large margin, receiving 35% of the votes. Second place went to the warbler with 10.3%, and third to the goldfinch, which received 9.8% of the votes.
Israeli media suggest that the hoopoe achieved such high popularity not so much because this bird species is often found in the expanse of Israel. This bird (in Hebrew, hoopoe is 'duchifat') gave its name to one of the battalions of the Israel Defense Forces. However, in religious circles in Israel, they note that the reason for the bird’s high popularity is its crest. According to some Israelis, it resembles a headdress that the hoopoe never takes off, just like religious Jews constantly wear kippahs.
Different peoples at different times had ambiguous attitudes toward the hoopoe. In the Old Testament, the hoopoe is considered an unclean bird and forbidden for consumption, but in the Qur'an, the crested bird is respected because it revealed the secrets of prophecy to King Solomon. Additionally, in the Qur'an, the hoopoe is involved in the story of Solomon's visit by the Queen of Sheba. It is said that Solomon threatened to severely punish the hoopoe for not finding it among his other birds. But the hoopoe, returning to Solomon, explained its absence by saying it had been far away. There it saw a woman who rules the kingdom of Sheba: she sits on a magnificent throne but worships the Sun. Solomon sent the bird with a letter to the unknown queen, trying to set her on the righteous path. After reading the letter, the queen decided to send a gift to Solomon and later personally visit him.
The hoopoe is also revered in neighboring Egypt. According to folk tradition, it was considered the only bird that returns the love received from parents by caring for them when they grow old. In the Middle Ages, however, the hoopoe was considered a dirty bird that rummages in filth and thus a symbol of sinners. Russian classics also mentioned this bird. Maxim Gorky wrote that '...the hoopoe is a completely stupid bird and cannot be trained under any circumstances.'
Despite the small size of the State of Israel, about 540 species of birds live here permanently. Among them are sparrows and pigeons, two species of wagtails, blackbird, common starling, goldfinch, chaffinch, greenfinch. In addition, geographically Israel is located at the crossroads of two continents — Eurasia and Africa. Every year, about 500 million birds fly through the territory of Israel to the south and then to the north, including starlings, storks, and turtle doves. There are special parks in Israel where you can observe migratory birds. Thanks to the conditions created for birds, many of them do not seek to leave the convenient territory, but want to settle in the Jewish state forever. In order not to disturb the balance, park staff often have to artificially force the migratory birds to continue their journey, scaring them away with shots into the air.