This is a visual catalogue of weapons and aircrafts spotted in Gaza in the form of a birder’s field guide.

Every Spring and Fall, half a billion migratory birds from over 400 species fly through the skies of Israel and Palestine to traverse between Eurasia and Africa. Being the only land bridge between the three continents, this narrow corridor of airspace sees a scale of avian migration unparalleled almost anywhere else.

Birding, or bird identification, is one of the most transparent processes: birds can be identified by their plumage, behavior, environment, and experienced birders can tell the bird by their song alone. Military aircrafts, on the other hand, hold opacity in their perception. They are created to be invisible, revealing themselves only when they choose to be seen. But only if we let it. Aircrafts can, too, be identified from silhouettes and sound (see Department of the Army’s Visual Aircraft Recognition). Using a combination of journalistic outlets such as The New York Times, Al Jazeera, as well as independent organizations such as Airwars and Bellingcat, I created a list of aircrafts and weapons, ranging from cargo planes to quadcopters, that have been sighted or used in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

The bird field guide is of familiar size and dimensions, a portable form of publication that allows easy access and everyday carry. The field guide demystifies and counters the gaze from the sky. By creating a field guide, I argue that as civilians, we hold the power to become the arbiters of visibility. It is a necessary act—and all we have to learn is how to see.