Hadoram Shirihai is Israel's foremost ornithologist, co-author of Handbook of Western Palearctic Birds, and the author of books including the acclaimed Sylvia Warblers and A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife.

While his work, especially on tubenoses, has taken him to virtually every corner of the globe, his love of deserts and bird migration means that he is still to be found at Eilat, the watchpoint at the head of the Red Sea that he brought to the world's attention, virtually every spring.

The scientific name of the Desert Tawny Owl (Strix hadorami), a species that attracted his attention and research from when he was a schoolboy, honours his devotion to Middle Eastern ornithology.