The Tzoraa valley is part of the Soreq river valley and situated west of Beit-Shemesh. Most of the area is agricultural. Ringing takes place in wetland habitat around the Soreq river and in agricultural fields and orchards.
The activity began in autumn 2004, since then we have ringed up to 40,000 birds.
Our main ringing sites are a reservoir and the bushes surrounding it, the alfalfa fields, roosting sites of swallows and wagtails in reed beds and of seed-eaters in citrus orchards.
The most common species: Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava), Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus), Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), Linnet (Carduelis cannabina), Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), Sand Martin (Riparia riparia) and Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis).
After a period of ringing we understood the importance and uniqueness of the site for migrant birds, especially during the autumn migration.
Until today we have had controls from other sites within Israel, from Europe and Africa.
