Pelican Migration in Emek Hefer – Viker Lookout and Agamon Hefer

Around 40,000 pelicans fly over Israel during migration. The best places to see them in Emek Hefer are Viker Lookout and Agamon Hefer.

Update: my latest visit to Emek Hefer was on 8.11.2025. There were pelicans at Viker Lookout. However, I did not see pelicans at Agamon Hefer.

Note: check out Zoos and Aquariums in Israel ‎for additional information about animals and wildlife.

Are there Migrating Pelicans Now?

Let’s start with the most common question: when and where can we see migrating birds? Bird migration occurs during fall and spring (usually March – April and October – November). The best way to find out whether pelicans are visiting is to check Birdsbase.com. Using this link, you can see the list of recent pelican observations.

You can also check social media. Here are several useful links:

• Viker Lookout location on Instagram and Viker Lookout tag on Instagram – scroll down to the most recent posts and check the dates.
• Agamon Hefer location on Instagram and Agamon Hefer tag on Instagram – scroll down to the most recent posts and check the dates.
• Pelicans tag on Instagram – scroll down to the most recent posts and check the locations and dates.
• Agamon Hula constantly updates their Facebook page. And if there are pelicans at Agamon Hula, there is a high chance they are also staying at other places in Israel.

What is the best time of the day to see Pelicans?

Migrating pelicans fly during the day, and in the evening, they look for a place to sleep. Thus, the best time to see them is in the morning or the evening (starting an hour before sunset). But from my experience, there is a higher chance of seeing them in the morning at Viker Lookout (maybe because of feeding times). Therefore, visit in the morning, preferably before 9:00.

Where do Pelicans Love to Stay?

When pelicans migrate, they are looking for shelter and food. Thus, they prefer ponds with fish. Their favorite places in Emek Hefer are Viker Lookout and Agamon Hefer. There are several other places in northern Israel where pelicans love to stay: Agamon Hula, Hula Nature Reserve, Ein Afek, and Maagan Michael.

Pelican Feeding

There are pelican feedings at Viker Lookout. But unfortunately, there is no timetable. The only place where I saw notifications is on Emek Hefer Facebook page. There are many notifications on this page. Moreover, they are told about feeding only several hours in advance. Thus, it is not easy to get to a pelican feeding.

The Common Pelican

The weight of the common pelican is 8 – 11 kg, with a wingspan of 2.5 – 3 meters. That makes them the largest migratory bird to cross Israel. And around 40,000 pelicans fly over Israel twice a year, in Spring and Autumn.

Pelican Migration

If you have been following my blog for some time, you know Israel is a good place for bird lovers. That is because Israel lies on the migration path of many birds (you can read more about bird migration at Bird Ringing at Ein Afek).

Emek Hefer

Hefer Valley is part of the Sharon area in the central coastal plain of Israel. Significant parts of Hefer Valley are dedicated to agriculture. And farmers understood long ago that millions of migrating birds could harm agriculture. For example, a pelican eats 1 kg of fish a day. And a squadron of five thousand pelicans eats 5 tons of fish daily.

As a result, they created feeding places for birds. This form of “tax” benefits both parties. Birds know where to find food, and other fields and fish tanks remain unaffected. Moreover, if the feeding place becomes a tourist attraction, tourists pay for the food (a win-win situation). For example, when you enter Agamon Hula, you pay several NIS for the crane project. The money goes to buy corn for hundreds of thousands of migrating cranes.

Interactive map of the area:

There are two main pelican feeding places in Israel. The first is at Agamon Hula, and the second is at Viker Lookout.

Viker Lookout – Mishmar Hasharon Reservoir

Viker Lookout is a lookout point at Emek Hefer. It is one of the best places in Israel to watch pelican migration.

The easiest way to reach this lookout is to use this Waze link.

I created a dedicated article for this place. You can find all the information at Viker Lookout.

Here are several photos from Viker Lookout:

Agamon Hefer

Agamon Hefer is near Viker Lookout (see the map at the beginning of this post). And I created a dedicated article for Agamon Hefer. In this context, I wanted to mention that I have visited Agamon Hefer about 10 times in recent years. Still, I have never seen any pelicans there, even during the migration season. Nonetheless, I am mentioning this place since I saw photos of pelicans from there.

And since we are traveling along the Alexander River, I want to mention another animal-related attraction. It is Turtle Bridge at Alexander River, the place to see Nile Softshell Turtles.

Common Questions