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Overview
The cultivated land, fish-ponds and reservoirs around Kefar Ruppin kibbutz, in Israel attract an outstanding range of birds including waterfowl, waders, herons and storks, gulls and terns as well as many passerine species.
Birds
Notable Species
Intensive watching has shown this to be an excellent site for rarities and species such as Pygmy Cormorant, Pallas's Gull, Little Bustard and Citrine Wagtail appear to be regular in winter.
As well as Pygmy Cormorant and Pallas's Gull the reservoirs and fish ponds attract various herons and egrets, both storks, Little Crake and Baillon's Crake, Whiskered Tern and Great White Pelican. White-breasted Kingfisher and Pied Kingfisher are common and a variety of ducks can be seen. Passerines include Clamorous Reed Warbler and regular passage Citrine Wagtail.
The fields, mainly to the north and west of the kibbutz, hold regular wintering Little Bustard, passage pratincoles, Stone-curlew, Spur-winged Plover and possibly Sociable Plover. Black Francolin is fairly common and passerines on the fields include a variety of larks, pipits and wheatears.
Rarities
More exceptional rarities have included Velvet Scoter, Demoiselle Crane, Pacific Golden Plover, Kittlitz's Plover and Isabelline Shrike.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Great Cormorant, Pygmy Cormorant, Great White Pelican, Little Bittern, Black-crowned Night Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Black Stork, White Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Mallard, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, European Honey Buzzard, Red Kite, Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Steppe Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Osprey, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Merlin, Black Francolin, Little Crake, Baillon's Crake, Little Bustard, Stone Curlew, Collared Pratincole, Black-winged Pratincole, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Spur-winged Plover, Sociable Plover, White-tailed Plover, Great Black-headed Gull, Armenian Gull, Whiskered Tern, Ring-necked Parakeet, Barn Owl, Eurasian Scops Owl, White-breasted Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed Lark, Red-rumped Swallow, Red-throated Pipit, Water Pipit, Tawny Pipit, Citrine Wagtail, Desert Wheatear, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Penduline Tit, Woodchat Shrike, Common Jay, Dead Sea Sparrow, Desert Finch, Ortolan Bunting, Corn Bunting
Other Wildlife
To do
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
To do
Access and Facilities
Kefar Ruppin kibbutz lies close to the Jordanian border and can be reached by leaving Bet She'an eastwards following signs for Newe Etan or Kafar Ruppin. Follow the road sharply south as it approaches the border and the road ends at the kibbutz after about 5km.
Contact Details
Kfar Ruppin Beit Shean Valley 10850, Israel
Phone: 972-4-606-8396
Fax: 972-4-648-0612
[email protected]
External Links
Birdwatching Centre, Jordan Valley
Content and images originally posted by Steve