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Birding Hot-Spots of Israel Hadoram Shirihai, Reuven Yosef, Dan Alon and James Smith
Every spring thousands of birdwatchers from around the world set out on the annual pilgrimage to the birdwatchers Mecca of the Middle East - Southern Israel. They come to watch a spectacle, a show of numbers in the avian world, with which few other places in the world can compare. The mass migration of million of birds, representing a couple of hundreds of species, and their concentration at this bottleneck is second to no other site in the world. However, many birders are often so overwhelmed by Southern Israel, and Eilat in particular, that they risk missing many other species and birding hotspots throughout the length of Israel. Here we highlight some of major birding sites in Israel, and hopefully ensure a wider appreciation of this marvellous country, which is able to offer an extensive vacation and a choice from a wide range of subjects. Israel is a small country (28 946 km2) located on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The neighbouring countries are Lebanon to the north, Syria in the north-east, Jordan to the east and Egypt to the south-west. The northernmost point of the country is the snow-covered Mount Hermon, the southernmost is the eastern arm of the balmy Red Sea. It is here that the three world "Old World" continents meet Europe, Asia and Africa. The result is an exceptionally diverse flora and fauna, especially avifauna. This land bridge forms one of the major routes for birds migrating between Eurasia and Africa and hundreds of millions of migrant pass south through Israel on their way to Africa in the Autumn, and north to Europe and Asia in Spring. Israel's location on the edge of the Western Palaearctic also offers species that are considered exotic in the region and yet are regularly observed another special attraction for birders. The country can be visited at most times of the year, but the most popular periods for birding are the spring (March to May), autumn (September to November) and Winter (December to February). In all cases, the resident species such as raptors, large varieties of Middle Eastern and desert specialities such as the five species of sandgrouse, and many species of larks and wheatears can be seen at all times. Birds such as Spotted Eagle and Sociable Plover may still be found. This period also coincides with some of the most spectacular soaring bird migrations of storks, pelicans and over 30 species of raptors. Of the latter, over a hundred thousand may pass by some migration points in just a few hours. The autumn migration can be an extremely interesting period because of the greater Asiatic component of species. The Eilat region, Dead Sea area, Bet Shean Valley and Hula Valley offer ,undoubtedly, the best attraction to migrants in the Syrian-African Rift Valley during both migration seasons. Winter is especially interesting in northern Israel where hundreds of thousands of birds such as White Pelicans, White-headed Ducks, Greater Spotted and Imperial Eagles, Common Cranes and Great Black-headed and Armenian Gulls winter in the rich fish ponds of the Bet Shean, Hula and Jezreel Valleys. In addition, the Golan Heights and especially Mount Hermon, host a wide range of interesting scarce wintering species such as Radde's Accentor, Wallcreeper, Red-fronted Serin and Pine Bunting. The Northwest Negev offers a mixture of vast cultivated areas and transitional habitats, from natural steppe to semi-desert. This is an area with a wealth of birds that includes large concentrations of raptors, Houbara Bustards, Cream-coloured Coursers, and at least four species of sandgrouse. The open areas often hold Pallid Harriers, Imperial Eagles, Long Legged Buzzards, Lanner and Saker Falcons, as well as Sociable Plovers and Finsch's Wheatears. Pin-tailed and Spotted Sandgrouse can occur in large flocks during the winter months. Presented here are the major birding hotspots of Israel, beginning with the snow-capped peaks in the north, through central Israel, the Negev and Judean Deserts, and finally to the shores of the Red Sea and Eilat. Contact infoDaphna Abell |
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