Current view: Text account
Site description (1994 baseline):
Site location and context
Lake Kinneret (16,500 ha) is the largest and only natural freshwater lake in Israel. It is 209 m below sea-level.
See box for key species. The lake holds many wintering waterbirds, and was listed as a wetland of international importance by Carp (1980). The surrounding hills, particularly to the north (e.g. Nahal Amud), hold good numbers of landbirds, including
Anthus similis.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Bet Zaida Nature Reserve forms a 4-km strip on the north-east shore of the lake. The lake is among the main recreational areas in northern Israel, and disturbance from this source constitutes the main threat to the site, though this is not a major problem in winter.
Data-sheet compiled by S. Blitzblau, reviewed by R. Frumkin.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Kinneret and Kinerot (Israel). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-kinneret-and-kinerot-iba-israel on 23/12/2024.
