In recent days, approximately 140 storks reached the Jewish Agency's Hula Lake Park, even though the wintry conditions indicate that the season is not yet over. The birds were observed drying their feathers during brief breaks of sunshine.
According to estimates, around 600,000 storks will pass over Israeli skies in the coming months as part of the spring migration.
According to the prevailing theory, the males are the first to migrate, hurrying back to their nesting sites to prepare and reinforce the nest ahead of the females’ arrival.
Inbar Shlomit Rubin, field manager at Hula Lake Park, said: “The male storks challenge themselves during the spring migration. They have a mission to return to the nesting areas and impress the females with a large, strong, well-organized nest. That is why they sometimes reach us exhausted and even insist on migrating in difficult, stormy weather. The lake provides them with a safe resting place to regain strength for the rest of the journey."
Hula Lake Park is one of Israel’s most important habitats along the bird migration route and serves as a critical stopover for migratory birds, thanks both to its abundant food supply and to the safe space it offers for rest and energy replenishment.