Twice a year, over 500 million birds fly through Israeli airspace on their migration between Europe, Asia, and Africa. Israel sits on one of the busiest bird migration corridors in the world, and the Hula Valley, a restored wetland in the upper Galilee, is where many of them stop to rest, feed, and stage one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on the planet.
The Draining and the Restoration
In the 1950s, Israel drained the Hula Lake and marshes to create agricultural land and fight malaria. It worked, but at an ecological cost that became clear within decades. The exposed peat soil caught fire, sank, and degraded. In the 1990s, a portion of the wetland was restored, creating the Agamon HaHula, a man-made lake surrounded by shallow marshes that quickly became one of the most important bird habitats in the Middle East.
The Birds
The numbers are staggering. Over 400 species have been recorded in the Hula Valley. In autumn, tens of thousands of cranes arrive from Europe, fed daily with tons of corn by local farmers who discovered that feeding the cranes is cheaper than replacing the crops they eat. The sight of thousands of cranes taking flight at sunrise, their calls echoing across the valley with Mount Hermon in the background, is one of the most unforgettable wildlife experiences in the world.
Pelicans, storks, herons, raptors, and hundreds of smaller species pass through seasonally. The Hula is a birdwatcher’s paradise, but you do not need to be a birder to be moved by the spectacle.
Visiting the Agamon
The Agamon HaHula offers cycling paths, tractor-drawn wagon tours, and walking trails around the restored lake. Observation hides are positioned at key points, and the visitor center provides information on which species are present at any given time.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
Hoshen Tours includes the Hula Valley in upper Galilee itineraries with Tel Dan, Safed, and Rosh Pina. The best months for migration are October-November and March-April.