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Site description (1999 baseline):
Site location and context
Natural protectorate, which has fantastic characteristics, it also has historical characteristics, its environmental system represents the desert and depression, it is considered as wetland region and filled of towering mountains and it is full of springs which cover this region, this is why this region considered as one of the most beautiful regions in Palestine at which the water flows from the rocks and form small or large waterfalls that feed the life aspects in Jerusalem wild region.
The visitors who like to walk can reach Wadi Al Qilt through the mountain way at which it starts from Anata Village - south north of Jerusalem - and the visitor continues the way by going to the south till he reach to Al Fawaar springs near Al Kaan Al Ahmar then to Al Qilt spring and to Saint Jarojues monastery to set at the end of the way in Jerico city.
The visitor also can reach to this Wadi by going to the way that connect between Jerusalem and Jericho city and then in the north this two ways met with each other in a way leads to Al Qelt spring. This area is full of agrologic sites.
This area considered a unique area for the Palestinians from the past because it is full of ruins. The tourists visit this area asking form calamity and comfort because it is far from the noise of the city in addition to the unique system that this area lives in every day.
The Griffon Vulture that is founded in Wadi Sowanet, and the spring visitor Lesser Kestrel that breed in the depression area it is registered in as a resident bird by all the year, and the Lapwing, the White Stork considered as migrated bird and pass the area in a large amount reach to 500 birds and the Honey Buzzerd with him at which its number reach till 3000 birds.
There are a lot of resident birds species like: House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Blackbird, Fan-tailed Raven, Common Smallow, Collared Dove, White-breasted Kingfish, European Bee-Eater Cattle Egret, Eagle Owl, Bonellis’ Eagle, Tristran’s Grackle, and the Palestine Sunbird.
Non-bird biodiversity: The animals that can be founded in this region are the rocky hyrax, Gazella and the wolf.
There are a lot of plant in this region like lasting wild plant like trees, and the seasonal plant like little wild grasses especially at springtime.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The most important dangerousness in this region is:
The building of Israeli’s settlements that change this area to a residential area than natural area.
The digging of well by the Israeli authorities in the region to pump to the settlements sites and this affect the nature of this region from its biological diversity.
The hunting or collecting the little birds from the hobbyist of hunting birds. It is considered as the most direct dangerous aspect for the life of birds.
The unjust grazing.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
The building of efforts to manage and watch the region.
The development of environmental tourism concepts in the region.
The declination of the region as a place of great ruins.
The organization and the managing of the grazing and the natural resources like the water in this area.
Environmental survey for the regions to know the biodiversity that exist in these regions and its characteristics.
The rehabilitation of the region as natural protected region and setting of managed plans for the region.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Wadi Al-Qelt (Palestine). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/wadi-al-qelt-iba-palestine on 23/11/2024.
