Birdwatching in Spring

The spring is considered by many as the best time to visit Israel, and for a good reason – hundreds of millions of birds pass through in the course of the great migration and offer us a unique experience.
Generally, THE best birding during the season as regard to the migration occurs in the southern parts of the country and along the Rift valley (where most of the spring tours take place), with the rest of the country playing only a second flute.


Oriental Skylark (Alauda gulgula)- winter visitor and passage migrant, and Cyprus Warbler (Sylvia melanothorax).

The season starts in February, peaks between mid March to mid May, and ends in June.
The early parts of the season may already provide a large variety of species. In it's beginning, one can still observe wintering species along with early migrants. However, the best of Israel’s spring migration occurs between mid March to mid May in which time the variety of species, and sheer numbers are exceptional at any scale.The passing decreases from mid-May on and June tend to be the quietest month of the year.
It is indeed a dynamic and intriguing season, and since the species diversity is changing from day to day, one must pay attention to the timing of the visit, especially if you are interested in a particular species (or set of species).


Two passage migrants - Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus), and Greater Sand Plover(Charadrius leschenaultii).

February
Early February can still provide Social Plover and Saker, mainly around the Western Negev, though birds in active migration may also be observed later in the spring, mainly along the rift valley. Wallcreeper is also still at the wintering sites and can be observed throughout the month, as well as Syrian Serin.
Most of the wintering Pallas’s Gulls will leave towards the end of the month and during the first half of March. This is the last opportunity to find Pale Scops Owl in the desert's brooks, before it disappears from this area during the beginning of March.
The "taste" of the migration grows stronger towards the middle of February when a larger variety of species, in increasing numbers, starts to pass through. Steppe Eagles migrate North during the whole month in a flow that will reach its peak towards the end of the month and during the first half of March (the first ones are actually observed already in January). Greater Spotted Cuckoo starts to appear in greater numbers and is especially prominent towards the end of the month. This is the time to search for Cyprus Warbler in the brooks of the Arava and Negev, which is mostly evident in the second half of the month. Alpine and Pallied Swifts pass in big flocks, mainly above the Jordan valley. Early mornings around Nitzana may provide many desert and migratory birds, among them four species of Sandgrouses, Cream-colored Cursers, and Houbara Bustards. This is also the time to watch the males’ Houbaras performing their impressive display.


The distinctive Pallas's Gull is mainly a winter visitor, but also a scarce passage migrant. The Wigeon is quite common on passage.

March
The spring migration approaches it's peak towards the middle of the month.
Hundreds of thousands of Steppe Buzzards will pass through the country, most of them from the middle of the month on and during the first week of April, and with them raptors of many other species – very prominent is the Black Kite that passes here in tens of thousands. Among the many species of raptors that pass in this period, we will mention the Imperial Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Short-Toed Eagle and Lesser Spotted Eagle.
Spotted, Little and Bailon's Crakes can be found in proximity of fishing ponds, especially from the middle of the month. It's a good time to look for Larks in the Arava and in the Negev – Short-Toed Lark is one of the most common species, others - seen in smaller numbers, are Temminck's, Bimaculated Lark, and possibly even Thick-billed and Dunn’s Larks (depending on year).
Cyprus Wheatear, an endemic breeder of Cyprus, appears in small numbers in Wadis in the desert. Large numbers of Passerines of a variety of species pass in this period – the desert oases and the villages provide good stopover sites for them and excellent birding opportunities for us.
The four species of Sandgrouse (Pin-Tailed, Black-Bellied, Spotted and Crowned) start their breeding season and can be observed as they arrive to the drinking spots in the Western Negev.
Most foreign birders visiting Israel choose the end of March and the beginning of April as their time for visit.

Caspian Plover - fairly rare spring passage migrant.

April
The flow of Steppe Buzzards lessens already in the beginning of the month, as many other species continue to arrive.
Most of the Levant Sparrowhawks pass during the second half of April, which is the time when the Honey Buzzards start to appear. Large flocks of Black and White Storks as well as White Pelicans, that passes here in large numbers already from the beginning of the previous month, stop for a rest in the fields and the water reservoirs.
The transit of the Waders is especially prominent during this period and many species, including Broad-Billed Sandpiper and Terek Sandpiper, appear in the water reservoirs, and with them also Seabirds such as Gull-Billed Terns.
Towards the end of the month, you might observe the amazing transit of the White-Winged Black Tern through Eilat – where 20,000 birds might be seen in a huge flock, many of them stop for a rest in the salt-pans.
In the gardens of the villages and in the desert oases it's possible to observe Corncrakes, which usually is confiding to humans, and enables an especially close observation. In the evening and night hours it's possible to search for the Egyptian Nightar, a rare species that appears in very small numbers along the Rift valley.

Egyptian Nightjar- rare passage migrant.

May
A massive transit of Honey Buzzards is expected in the first days of the month (or, sometimes, in the last days of April) –more than 100,000 Honey Buzzards can sometimes be counted in a single day. Crested Honey Buzzards are recently showing regularly among the endless streams of Honey Buzzards. These are most likely to be seen around the Southern Arava and Eilat mountains.
This is the peak period for a number of Wader species, and also for the Sand Martin and a few species of Passerines, such as Blackcap. Golden Oriole, one of the late migrants, is especially prominent in the desert oases. Rose-Colored Sterling also appears in small flocks or in singles, while Black Tern is observed mainly towards the end of the month in relatively small numbers.


Common Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover are among the common passage migrant waders.

June
This is the best time to look for Terns on the Northern Beach of Eilat – Bridled Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, White Cheeked Tern, the three species of Skua – Arctic, Pormarine and Long-Tailed, and the two species of Shearwater – Sooty and Cory's.A few species of seabirds have been recorded for the first time in Israel in this month, among them the Saunders’s Terns and Audubon's Shearwater.
Sooty Falcon, a late breeder, can be found easily in his breeding sites, along the cliffs of the desert.
As regards to migration there isn't much interesting happening in this period, and it's recommended to devote the time also to the resident species such as White-Throated Robin, which breeds in the Hermon area, and to other species, such as Upcher's Warbler, that are more easily seen on their breeding ground.
The weather in the desert areas in this time is very hot (more than 40 degrees Celsius) and the observation day shortens significantly.


Two species that can be found at Mt. Hemon - Shore Lark, a summer visitor and partial resident, and Crimson-winged Finch which is mostly a summer visitor.

For further information, please consult our checklist and “The Birds of Israel" (Shirihai, 1996), or cotact us directly.

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