En route to Africa, flamingos make stop near Haifa

Migration route takes birds to Atlit reservoir before flying south for the winter

Flamingos heading to Africa for the winter have made a migration stop in Atlit, south of Haifa.

The birds, returning from Europe, have been spotted in the reservoir.

With a location at the nexus of three continents, and a climatic diversity that ranges from arid desert in the south to a cooler mountainous region in the north, Israel draws about 500 million birds annually from 550 species.

The entire continent of North America, which is 1,000 times Israel’s size, sees barely twice as many species.

Flamingos (aka Phoenicopterus Roseus) are pictured at a reservoir in Atlit, north of Tel Aviv on October 13, 2020 (JACK GUEZ / AFP)

Flamingos (aka Phoenicopterus Roseus) are pictured at a reservoir in Atlit, north of Tel Aviv on October 13, 2020. (JACK GUEZ / AFP)

Flamingos (aka Phoenicopterus Roseus) are pictured at a reservoir in Atlit, north of Tel Aviv on October 13, 2020. (JACK GUEZ / AFP)

Flamingos (aka Phoenicopterus Roseus) fly over a reservoir in Atlit, north of Tel Aviv on October 13, 2020. (JACK GUEZ / AFP)

Flamingos (aka Phoenicopterus Roseus) are pictured at a reservoir in Atlit, north of Tel Aviv on October 13, 2020. (JACK GUEZ / AFP)

Flamingos (aka Phoenicopterus Roseus) are pictured at a reservoir in Atlit, north of Tel Aviv on October 13, 2020. (JACK GUEZ / AFP)

JTA contributed to this report.

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