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Site description (1999 baseline):
Site location and context
It is an agricultural area, which follows the environmental system of the western Jerusalem heights, this protected area located to the western northern of Ramallah city, it is far from Ramallah form about 9km to the northern side of Qenya village and on the road that connect between Ramallah to Palestinian villages.
Part of this region located in Ramallah the other part located in Salfeet, this area is used for promenade in the summer and spring, it is considered as one of the most important regions for tourism.
This region is also featured by the plants like the citrus fruits, in addition to the vegetables which depend on the springs that are near the lands, there are also farms.
In this protected area there are a lot of springs and the most important one is Al-Balad spring, which is located in the eastern southern part of the village, its water used for drinking and irrigating the lands. The are also Wadi Al-Dalb spring, which is located in the north of the village, this spring include several springs which flows at all the year in the valley, the water of this spring used for drinking, the branches springs that flow from this spring are: Al-Harashah spring, Kafrieah spring, Al-Janaien spring, all of these springs gathered in Al-Dalb spring and go to the Mediterranean Sea through Wadi Al-Mallaki.
Qenya springs is characterized by the rewinds and the Roman cave existence on the top of the mountains that are around the valley, and the existence of the old olive trees from the Roman era.
The irrigation way that is almost used in this area is by withdrawing the water from the pools and then collecting the water in one pool, in order to distribute it to the planted lands.
It is way for the emigrated birds, because Qenya springs characterized by natural factors like the temperatures, the flora, the trees, and the water. The birds that are registered in this region: the White Stork birds sometimes pass the region, the Yellow vented-Bulbul, in addition to the Eagle which is considered as a resident bird and also breed in the region, also the Great Tit, the Roller, the Doves and the Collard Dove, the Linnet, Chukar, the Hoopoe, the White Wagtail, and European Bee Eater.
Non-bird biodiversity: The animals that live in this area are the Gazella, the hystrix, the pig, the Common Badger, the Fox.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The unawareness of the natural concepts by the visitors during their presence to the region in the spring and summer, which affects the plants and the animals.
The destruction of the region by throwing garbage and destroying its nature.
The existence of the Israeli’s settlements, which take the water from the springs, and this, decreases the water amount from these springs.
The unjust grazing specially on the top of the mountains.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Development of the environmental tourism concepts and managing the tourism activities in the region.
Doing environmental awareness campaign in the region, and clarify the importance of the biodiversity of the site especially for the birds.
Training staffs to continue the preservation of the region, and rehabilitation of some of them to become tourists’ guides for this region.
Organizing grazing by specializing certain are for organized grazing, and the ministry of agriculture is responsible to supervise the grazing process in order to control it in a right way.
Specialized certain places for throwing solid garbage in order to treat the way of throwing garbage, and then handling the garbage in the right ways.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ein Qinia (Palestine). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ein-qinia-iba-palestine on 24/11/2024.
