Over the past decade, flamingos have gone from rare visitors to regular migratory birds in Israel. They are typically spotted at the Hula Lake during the transitional seasons of spring and fall, and in recent years, some have even begun staying through the winter.
Typically arriving from regions with saline lakes and algae-rich ponds, such as Turkey and Iran, flamingos are not usually drawn to freshwater habitats like Hula Lake. That’s what makes this summer’s phenomenon all the more remarkable: dozens of flamingos, including some juveniles, have remained in the park throughout the summer. This prolonged and unexpected stay defies both their migration pattern and habitat preference.
Photo: Inbar Shlomit Rubin, KKL-JNF
Inbar Shlomit Rubin, Field Manager at the KKL-JNF Hula Lake, shared: "This is a unique phenomenon in Israel that once again highlights how Hula Lake continues to surprise us and serve as a home to an extraordinary diversity of wild birds. The presence of flamingos in the lake is surprising in itself, but their decision to stay through the summer—that’s especially unexpected. Every morning when we see them out in the field, our hearts swell. Maybe we’re truly witnessing a new era: cranes in the winter, flamingos in the summer."
Yaron Charka, KKL-JNF’s Chief Ornithologist, also commented on the phenomenon: "The Hula Lake is a dynamic habitat that changes with the seasons and over the years. The rising presence of flamingos here, currently reaching a record of over 100 individuals, is part of these changes. We hope this trend continues to grow, as part of the pink future that awaits the lake."