Israel Ramsar wetland
Ein Afek Nature Reserve
243 bird species recorded; the most in April and from September to November.
AVRAMGR · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
148 species in January.152 species in February.159 species in March.182 species in April.142 species in May.102 species in June.113 species in July.147 species in August.173 species in September.177 species in October.173 species in November.160 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
VU
VU
VU
VU
VU
VU
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
243 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 243Speciesrecorded more than once
- 149Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 8ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 59,497Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 25Raptors
- 4Owls
- 34Waders
- 15Gulls & seabirds
- 17Ducks & geese
- 19Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 1Flamingos
- 92Songbirds
- 33Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 243 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors25 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Greater spotted eagleAquila clanga
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Long-legged BuzzardButeo rufinus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Lesser spotted eagleAquila pomarina
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
- Eastern Imperial EagleAquila heliacaVU
- Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Steppe eagleAquila nipalensis
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- Eleonora's FalconFalco eleonorae
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
Owls4 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Eurasian Scops OwlOtus scops
- Little OwlAthene noctua
Waders34 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Spur-winged LapwingVanellus spinosus
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Greater Sand PloverCharadrius leschenaultii
- Black-winged PratincoleGlareola nordmanniNT
- Terek SandpiperXenus cinereus
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- White-tailed LapwingVanellus leucurus
Gulls & seabirds15 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Armenian GullLarus armenicus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
- White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Pallas's GullIchthyaetus ichthyaetus
- Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Black TernChlidonias niger
Ducks & geese17 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- White-headed duckOxyura leucocephala
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Marbled TealMarmaronetta angustirostrisNT
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Cairina moschataCairina moschata
Herons, ibises & grebes19 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Microcarbo pygmaeusMicrocarbo pygmaeus
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Great White PelicanPelecanus onocrotalus
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
- African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicus
- Striated HeronButorides striata
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black storkCiconia nigra
- Common CraneGrus grus
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds92 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- Graceful WarblerPrinia gracilis
- Common MynaAcridotheres tristis
- Yellow-vented BulbulPycnonotus xanthopygos
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Great titParus major
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Clamorous Reed WarblerAcrocephalus stentoreus
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Palestine SunbirdCinnyris osea
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Eastern Olivaceous WarblerIduna pallida
- Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Masked ShrikeLanius nubicus
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Isabelline wheatearOenanthe isabellina
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Lesser Grey ShrikeLanius minor
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Eastern Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus orientalis
- Rufous-tailed Scrub RobinErythropygia galactotes
- Siberian stonechatSaxicola maurus
- Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola
- Cretzschmar's BuntingEmberiza caesia
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- Thrush NightingaleLuscinia luscinia
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Moustached WarblerAcrocephalus melanopogon
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Collared FlycatcherFicedula albicollis
- Rüppell's WarblerSylvia ruppeli
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Eastern Orphean WarblerSylvia crassirostris
- Black-headed buntingEmberiza melanocephala
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Barred WarblerSylvia nisoria
- Desert wheatearOenanthe deserti
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
- Eastern Subalpine WarblerCurruca cantillans
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
Other birds33 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- White-breasted KingfisherHalcyon smyrnensis
- Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Pied KingfisherCeryle rudis
- Syrian WoodpeckerDendrocopos syriacus
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- CootFulica atra
- European SwiftApus apus
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- Chukar PartridgeAlectoris chukar
- Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachus
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Alexandrine ParakeetPsittacula eupatria
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- Porzana parvaPorzana parva
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Baillon's CrakePorzana pusilla
- Namaqua DoveOena capensis
- Corncrake, corn crakeCrex crex
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- Little SwiftApus affinis
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in April and from September to November.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan16°/11°130 mm
- Feb17°/12°103 mm
- Mar18°/13°59 mm
- Apr21°/15°29 mm
- May24°/18°12 mm
- Jun27°/21°5 mm
- Jul29°/23°3 mm
- Aug30°/24°2 mm
- Sep29°/23°5 mm
- Oct26°/21°28 mm
- Nov23°/17°67 mm
- Dec18°/13°115 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Ein Afek Nature Reserve.
Wetland nature reserve in Israel
Ein Afek Nature Reserve is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Israel.
243 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 59,497 open records.
The most recorded are the Hooded Crow, the Graceful Warbler and the Spur-winged Lapwing.
54 species come for the summer, 81 for the winter and 14 only pass through.
8 are threatened worldwide, including European Turtle Dove, Curlew Sandpiper and Common Pochard.
The most species are recorded in April and from September to November.
Get there and watch
- חניון לילה הכלניותcampsite · 13 km · 4 within 10 km
- חוף התמריםplace to stay · 8.2 km · 17 within 10 km
- Qiryat Bialiknearest town · 3.2 km in a straight line
- Uri Michaeli Haifa International Airport (HFA)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 8 km in a straight lineCar hire at TLV airport (Tel Aviv)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1marked trails within 4 km
- 6viewpoints within 5 kmתצפית האגם הגדול, עמדת משמר, מצפור תל אפק and 3 more
- 71car parks within 3 km
- 5restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 4campsites within 10 kmחניון לילה הכלניות, חניון לילה טללים and 2 more
- 17places to stay within 10 kmחוף התמרים, Akko Beach Hotel, ארגמן and 14 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Ein Afek Nature Reserve.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas59 mountains within 25 kmMount Atzmon547 m · 15 kmHar Halutz729 m · 21 kmHar Sene698 m · 22 kmHar Eshkar695 m · 22 kmTel Harashim690 m · 22 kmHar Pelekh796 m · 23 kmHar Kammon598 m · 23 kmHar Shezor886 m · 24 km
Coastya2 beaches within 10 kmH̱of Yammit · 5.1 kmH̱of Qiryat H̱ayyim · 5.9 km↗
Cavernyas6 caves within 20 kmHaYonim Cave · 13 kmCave of Elijah · 14 kmOrnit caves · 15 kmBottom "Hilazon" cave · 15 kmSefunim Cave · 18 kmTefen cave · 18 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Other places nearby.
Ein Afek Nature Reserve
Israel
- 83Birdyas Score
- 243Species
- 149Migrants
- 8Threatened
Jerusalem Bird Observatory
Israel · 119 km
- 76Birdyas Score
- 234Species
- 143Migrants
- 4Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q110677260) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 59,497 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Coastya, Cavernyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit 
lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit