We have discovered the identity and images of the alleged Israeli spy — a bird who was captured earlier this week by locals in the Hail area of Saudi Arabia. Local authorities publicly declared the bird to be an Israeli spy.
The bird (a griffon vulture Gyps fulvus) is, according to the tag on the right arm, X63 (not R65 as reported by other sources), fitted with a light blue GPS data logger on the back and banded H05 (in yellow) on the left leg. On the right leg the spy wears a red plastic ring inscripted with ?N and a metal ring that says “Tel Aviv Univ. Israel”. Unfortunately, the images released to the public do not show the head clearly.
Israeli ornithologist Ohad Hatzofe denied X63 is an Israeli spy:
The Israeli foreign ministry has dismissed the spying allegations.
