• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Country/territory: Israel

IBA Criteria met: A4i, A4iv, B1i, B1iv (1994)
For more information about IBA criteria please click here

Area: 35,000 ha

Protection status:

Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel

Site description
A largely agricultural area (orchards, wheat, legumes, cotton), stretching from Karkur to Tira, c.10 km inland from Netanya near the Mediterranean coast. There are some fish-ponds and reservoirs scattered within the valley.

Key biodiversity
See box for key species. Three species of heron and egret breed, and non-breeding summer visitors include Casmerodius albus, Ardea cinerea, A. purpurea, Ardeola ralloides, Ciconia ciconia, Platalea leucorodia, Plegadis falcinellus and Fulica atra. Wintering numbers of Grus grus have fluctuated but have not been less than 100 since 1980. Other notable wintering species include Circus aeruginosus (25). Large flocks of Pelecanus onocrotalus occur on passage.

Non-bird biodiversity: Flora: Linaria pelisseriana, Verbascum berytheum.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Hefer valley. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/01/2021.