email a friend
printable version
IL005
Lake Kinneret and Kinerot
Location Israel
Central coordinates 35o 35.00' East  32o 48.00' North
IBA criteria A4i, B1i, B2
Area 32,800 ha
Altitude
Year of IBA assessment 2001

Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel



Ornithological information 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.

Site description Lake Kinneret (16,500 ha) is the largest and only natural freshwater lake in Israel. It is 209 m below sea-level.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus resident  1991  present [units unknown]  -  B2  Least Concern 
Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris winter  1991  5-8 individuals  good  B2  Vulnerable 
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus winter  1991  1,150 individuals  good  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea winter  1991  307 individuals  good  B1i  Least Concern 
Great Egret Casmerodius albus winter  1991  153 individuals  good  B1i  Least Concern 
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo winter  1991  4,100 individuals  good  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus non-breeding  1991  present [units unknown]  -  B2  Least Concern 
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus winter  1991  4,758 individuals  good  B1i  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Betiha Nature Reserve 1,050 protected area contained by site 1,050  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Grassland   minor
Wetlands (inland)   major
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial)   major
Shrubland   minor

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
nature conservation and research 2%
tourism/recreation major
agriculture major
fisheries/aquaculture major

Other biodiversity None known to BirdLife International.

Management considerations 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.

References Carp (1980), Geller (1983).

Contribute  Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.

Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lake Kinneret and Kinerot. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife