III. Hula Nature Reserve

The current Nature Reserve covers only a fraction of the formerly large lake and extensive marshland area. Its surrounding marsh is unique, in this region, due to its extensive beds of African Papyrus. Despite its relatively small size, the reserve still holds significant populations of breeding water birds, especially herons and the only remaining breeding Marbled Ducks in Israel. White Pelican, Glossy Ibis, Ferruginous Duck and Clamorous Reed Warbler are some of the more notable species regular on the reserve. Pygmy Cormorants forage in the area, and wintering birds include the Black Stork, the rather scarce Ruddy Shelduck, Red-crested Pochard and White-headed Duck


Picture 2. Hula Nature Reserve aerial infra red photo

During the drainage of the Hula an area of 320 ha was set aside to preserve a representative area of the swamp and lake. This area, the first nature reserve in Israel, helped partial rehabilitation of the original habitats, but not the ecosystem as a whole, nor did it succeed in preventing the extinction of certain species (e.g. Nymphaea alba), some being endemic (e.g., Discoglossus nigriventer Paz, 1975