Hula Valley Live Bird Cam 1, Northern Israel

Charter Wildlife Cams streams this live bird camera from the Hula Valley in northern Israel, one of the country's most important wildlife sites, at the Hula Nature Reserve.

The Hula Valley lies in the Upper Galilee, between the Golan Heights and the Naftali Mountains, and was once covered by a large lake and swamps. Most of the wetland was drained in the 1950s for farming. In 1964 a small part became the Hula Nature Reserve, the first nature reserve in Israel, and later the Agamon Hula area was partly reflooded to restore habitat.

The valley sits on one of the world's great bird migration routes, linking Europe and Asia with Africa. Hundreds of millions of birds pass over Israel each spring and autumn, and the Hula is a key resting and feeding stop. Its most famous visitors are the common cranes, tens of thousands of which spend the winter here, filling the sky and fields at dawn and dusk. Pelicans, storks, raptors, herons, ducks and many smaller birds also visit, while water buffalo, nutria and jungle cats live in the reserve.

Autumn and winter, from about October to March, are the best seasons to watch. Israel runs two hours ahead of UTC in winter.

The stream is provided by Charter Wildlife Cams.