From the latest New Scientist:

The Israeli ornithologist Yossi Leshem is no ordinary twitcher. An expert in bird migration patterns across the Middle East, he has turned his passion into a small industry responsible for saving the Israeli air force more than half a billion dollars in hardware – and, no doubt, the lives of several pilots. Fred Pearce hears how he has even turned migrating birds into unlikely emissaries for peace.

Full story. (c/o BoingBoing)