Israel bird observatory
Jerusalem Bird Observatory
234 bird species recorded; the most in April.
מקף־עברי · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
102 species in January.129 species in February.164 species in March.184 species in April.155 species in May.103 species in June.97 species in July.121 species in August.152 species in September.165 species in October.148 species in November.109 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.
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
234 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).
- 234Speciesrecorded more than once
- 143Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 4ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 238,937Recordsopen records within 2 km
- 796 mAltitudeabove the sea
- 27Raptors
- 5Owls
- 11Waders
- 6Ducks & geese
- 12Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 133Songbirds
- 37Other 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 234 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors27 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
- Lesser spotted eagleAquila pomarina
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Steppe eagleAquila nipalensis
- Long-legged BuzzardButeo rufinus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Egyptian vultureNeophron percnopterus
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Greater spotted eagleAquila clanga
- Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
- Eastern Imperial EagleAquila heliacaVU
- Eleonora's FalconFalco eleonorae
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Crested Honey BuzzardPernis ptilorhynchus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Griffon VultureGyps fulvus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
Owls5 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Eurasian Scops OwlOtus scops
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Northern Eagle OwlBubo bubo
- Little OwlAthene noctua
Waders11 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Spur-winged LapwingVanellus spinosus
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemus
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Great SnipeGallinago mediaNT
Ducks & geese6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Cairina moschataCairina moschata
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
Herons, ibises & grebes12 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Chinese Pond HeronArdeola bacchus
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Great White PelicanPelecanus onocrotalus
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Great White EgretArdea alba
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Black storkCiconia nigra
- Common CraneGrus grus
Songbirds133 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Yellow-vented BulbulPycnonotus xanthopygos
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- Great titParus major
- Palestine SunbirdCinnyris osea
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Common MynaAcridotheres tristis
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Graceful WarblerPrinia gracilis
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Eastern Olivaceous WarblerIduna pallida
- Eastern Orphean WarblerSylvia crassirostris
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Masked ShrikeLanius nubicus
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Thrush NightingaleLuscinia luscinia
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Barred WarblerSylvia nisoria
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Olive-tree WarblerHippolais olivetorum
- Eastern Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus orientalis
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Collared FlycatcherFicedula albicollis
- Pale Crag MartinPtyonoprogne obsoleta
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
- Tristram's StarlingOnychognathus tristramii
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Rüppell's WarblerSylvia ruppeli
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Red-breasted flycatcherFicedula parva
- Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Eurasian River WarblerLocustella fluviatilis
- Half-collared FlycatcherFicedula semitorquata
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Cretzschmar's BuntingEmberiza caesia
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- Upcher's WarblerHippolais languida
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Eastern Subalpine WarblerCurruca cantillans
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
- Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Brown-necked RavenCorvus ruficollis
- Lesser Grey ShrikeLanius minor
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- White-throated robinIrania gutturalis
- Rufous-tailed Scrub RobinErythropygia galactotes
- Cyprus WarblerSylvia melanothorax
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- Moustached WarblerAcrocephalus melanopogon
- Isabelline wheatearOenanthe isabellina
- Common RosefinchCarpodacus erythrinus
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Desert FinchRhodospiza obsoleta
- Siberian stonechatSaxicola maurus
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Hume’s leaf-warblerPhylloscopus humei
- Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Eyebrowed thrushTurdus obscurus
- Paddyfield WarblerAcrocephalus agricola
- Syrian SerinSerinus syriacusVU
- Pine BuntingEmberiza leucocephalos
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- Cinereous BuntingEmberiza cineraceaNT
- Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
- BlackstartOenanthe melanura
- Phylloscopus nitidusPhylloscopus nitidus
- Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola
- Rock BuntingEmberiza cia
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- Menetries's WarblerSylvia mystacea
- Red-fronted SerinSerinus pusillus
- Indian SilverbillEuodice malabarica
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- Olive-backed PipitAnthus hodgsoni
- Streaked Scrub WarblerScotocerca inquieta
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Common Rock ThrushMonticola saxatilis
- Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
- Black-throated AccentorPrunella atrogularis
- Black-headed buntingEmberiza melanocephala
- Rock SparrowPetronia petronia
- Pale RockfinchCarpospiza brachydactyla
- Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
- Sunda Zebra FinchTaeniopygia guttata
- Mourning WheatearOenanthe lugens
Other birds37 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Syrian WoodpeckerDendrocopos syriacus
- White-breasted KingfisherHalcyon smyrnensis
- European SwiftApus apus
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Chukar PartridgeAlectoris chukar
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachus
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- Corncrake, corn crakeCrex crex
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- CootFulica atra
- Red JunglefowlGallus gallus
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Porzana parvaPorzana parva
- Little SwiftApus affinis
- Yellow-collared LovebirdAgapornis personatus
- BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatus
- Indian PeafowlPavo cristatus
- CockatielNymphicus hollandicus
- Oriental Turtle DoveStreptopelia orientalis
- Pied KingfisherCeryle rudis
- Fischer's LovebirdAgapornis fischeriNT
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
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.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan16°/7°88 mm
- Feb17°/8°62 mm
- Mar20°/9°37 mm
- Apr24°/12°21 mm
- May28°/15°5 mm
- Jun31°/18°1 mm
- Jul33°/20°1 mm
- Aug33°/21°0 mm
- Sep31°/20°2 mm
- Oct28°/17°14 mm
- Nov23°/13°46 mm
- Dec18°/9°83 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Jerusalem Bird Observatory.
Urban bird observatory in Israel
Jerusalem Bird Observatory is a bird observatory in Israel, 796 m above the sea.
234 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 238,937 open records.
The most recorded are the Yellow-vented Bulbul, the Blackcap and the House Sparrow.
67 species come for the summer, 57 for the winter and 19 only pass through.
4 are threatened worldwide, including European Turtle Dove, Red-footed Falcon and Eastern Imperial Eagle.
The most species are recorded in April.
Get there and watch
- Official informationAccess, hours and rules from those who manage the place.Official site↗
- חניון לילה הקסטלcampsite · 6.3 km · 8 within 10 km
- מבוא ירושליםplace to stay · 1.0 km · 257 within 10 km
- West Jerusalemnearest town · 1.3 km in a straight line
- Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 40 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
- 3bird hides within 6 kmמסתור
- 5observation towers within 6 kmמגדל אסתר, Sha'ar Tekumat Yisrael, Sha'ar Yetzia m'HaChomot and 2 more
- 14marked trails within 4 kmשביל ישראל, Via Crucis, שביל הצבאים and 11 more
- 14visitor centres within 6 kmIndie Travelers Center, לשכת מידע בעיר העתיקה, PASSIA and 11 more
- 70viewpoints within 5 kmWestern Wall Observation Point, תצפית יהודאי, מצפור תומר and 67 more
- 365car parks within 3 km
- 311restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 8campsites within 10 kmחניון לילה הקסטל, חניון לילה האקליפטוסים הר איתן, חניון לילה סעדים and 5 more
- 257places to stay within 10 kmמבוא ירושלים, קיסר, מלון מגדל ירושלים and 254 more
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Jerusalem Bird Observatory.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas131 mountains within 25 kmCalvary · 1.9 km↗Mount Zion765 m · 2.2 kmTemple Mount743 m · 2.5 km↗Mount Herzl834 m · 2.5 km↗Moriah768 m · 2.8 kmMount of Olives826 m · 3.9 km↗Mount Scopus826 m · 4.0 km↗Mount Nabi Yunis1,026 m · 24 km
Darkskyas2 dark-sky places within 30 kmPlanetarium WilliamsBortle 9 · 0.8 kmJudaean DesertBortle 6 · 13 km↗
Cavernyas7 caves within 20 kmGrotto of the Holy Cross · 2.3 kmWell of Souls · 2.8 kmGrotto of Gethsemane · 3.2 kmStone vessels' cave · 4.7 kmB'nai B'rith cave · 17 kmAvshalom Cave · 18 kmHa-Teomim cave · 18 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
Jerusalem Bird Observatory
Israel
- 76Birdyas Score
- 234Species
- 143Migrants
- 4Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q2895560) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 238,937 open bird records within 2 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, Darkskyas, Canyonyas, 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
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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