Rosh Tzipor Birdwatching Center – Visitor Guide

Rosh Tzipor Birdwatching Center inside Ganei Yehoshua Park in Tel Aviv offers several lookouts around an artificial pond. Moreover, you can hike in the park to the nearby Sheva Tahanot.

Map

Rosh Tzipor Birdwatching Center is located in Ganei Yehoshua Park (also known as Yarkon Park) near the meeting point of the Yarkon and Ayalon rivers.

Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit

Interactive map of the area:

Parking

There is a nearby parking lot inside the park. And the entrance to this parking is from Rokach 78, Ramat Gan. And you can also look for parking on Rokach Street in Ramat Gan.

Opening Hours

Sunday – Saturday: 07:00 – 19:00 (17:00 during winter).

Note: Rosh Tzipor Birdwatching Center is open seven days a week.

Entrance Fee

Free.

About

The new bird-watching center in Rosh Tzippor Forest is located in the Ganei Yehoshua park in the heart of Tel Aviv, at the junction of the Ayalon and Yarkon rivers, and covers 8 acres of trees, green areas, streams, and ponds. The park includes a variety of habitats that attract birds of different species. Site visitors can follow the birds without disturbing their rest through the discreet observation hides built there.

Source: KKL

And here is a short video by KKL telling the story of this place.

Yarkon Park

We started with a short walk in Yarkon Park. And inside the park, you can see different species of birds.

Note: if you wonder where the Yarkon River starts, see Yarkon National Park.

Rosh Tzipor Birdwatching Center

As you enter, you will see that the trail splits into two. And each way leads to a viewpoint.

And inside the viewpoints, you can find information about animals in this park.

And here are several photos:

Rosh Tzipor is not a prominent place. And you can walk across it in less than five minutes. And we probably spent an hour there. But unfortunately, we did not see many birds. Thus we decided to take a walk in Ganei Yehoshua. And the first bird that we saw was the hoopoe.

Hoopoe – Israel’s National Bird

In May 2008, in conjunction with the country’s 60th anniversary, the hoopoe was chosen as Israel’s national bird.

President Shimon Peres announced the Hoopoe as Israel’s new national bird. The Hoopoe won an election held by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, which concluded on Thursday after months of voting. 155,000 people participated in the nationwide election.  

The Hoopoe (Photo: Israel Fichman)The road to choosing Israel’s national bird was long but entertaining. Last December, over 1,000 bird lovers participated in a seminar held at Tel Aviv University. They were asked to select 50 nominees for the title out of a long list of various candidates. That list was then narrowed down to the bulbul (Pycnonotidae), the red falcon, the goldfinch, the biblical vulture, the spur-winged plover, the honey-sucker, the warbler, the white-chested kingfisher, and the white barn owl.  

The Hoopoe raked in 35% of the votes nationwide and won first place in Ynet’s election with 20% of the net-surfer vote. Peres commended the election and said that “today more than ever, we need green scenery, fresh air, and the beautiful, multi-colored birds that flock here.” He added that “ornithology is one of the main assets of our small country.” The president also remarked that 500 million birds pass through Israel’s skies annually. “For such a small country, that’s a world record,” he concluded.  

Source: ynet

We headed to the nearby Palm viewpoint. From the top, you can see surrounding cities and Rosh Tzipor Forest.

Rosh Tzipor Forest

Rosh Tzipor Forest, which forms part of Ganei Yehoshua, extends over an area of about 500 dunams (approx. 125 acres) adjacent to the meeting point of the Yarkon and Ayalon rivers. The forest is planted mainly with eucalyptus and North Indian rosewood trees (Dalbergia sissoo). It takes its name from the fact that, when viewed on the map, this area has the shape of a bird’s head; of course, now that a birdwatching center has been included on the site, the label is even more appropriate. 

KKL-JNF began to plant this forest in the 1950s. Work continued in the 1980s, and with time transformed the site into an urban woodland. Two circular 2km routes, one for pedestrians, the other for bicycles, and other non-motorized forms of transport, make their way through the forest. KKL-JNF has also provided a square for events, a lookout point, and an adventure park, for which Ganei Yehoshua has supplied playground equipment. Rosh Tzipor Forest is home to the Seven Mills (Sheva Tahanot) site, where the most westerly of the flour mills driven by the waters of the Yarkon River until 1936 was discovered. Seven pairs of millstones found inside one of the buildings belonging to the flour mill give the site its name. On the edge of the forest is Tel Gerisa (Napoleon’s Hill), whose summit offers a magnificent view of the Gush Dan area.

Source: KKL

Since we wanted to make a circular trail, we headed to Bird Head Bridge near Ayalon Highway.

The plan was to cross to the other side of the Yarkon River at the Bird Head Bridge and cross the river again at Sheva Tahanot.

On the way, we passed through Park Lake and the nearby TLV Balloon.

Our visit was during January, and when we reached Sheva Tahanot, we saw that the gates were closed. Sheva Tahanot was closed due to floods. Thus we had to return to Bird Head Bridge.

One last tip, when walking in Yarkon Park, look above. You might think it is a simple lamp post, but you never know who sits on it.

Additional Birdwatching Places

If you love birds, check out the following places:

• My favorite places to see bird migration:
  • Agamon Hula
  • Viker Lookout
  • Pelican Migration in Emek Hefer
  • Flamingo Migration in Israel
• Lovely short family hikes to see birds:
  • Agamon Poleg – Short Birding Family Trip around Lake Udim
  • Agamon Hefer – Visitors Guide – Bird Watching Park near Netanya
  • Hod HaSharon Park – Park by Ecological Lake
  • Taninim Stream Nature Reserve
  • Hula Nature Reserve and Agamon Hula versus Hula Nature Reserve – Which one is Better?
  • Rosh Tzipor Birdwatching Center
  • Ein Afek Nature Reserve and Bird Ringing at Ein Afek Nature Reserve
• For people who love parrots:
  • Parrot Farm in Kfar Hess

Additionally, see Zoos and Aquariums in Israel‎ – Full Review (Overview of 30+ places)

Summary

Rosh Tzipor Birdwatching Center is a lovely addition to Ganei Yehoshua Park in Tel Aviv. And if you are planning a visit to Yarkon Park, keep this place in mind.

Have you been to Rosh Tzipor Birdwatching Center? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

That’s all for today, and I will see you in future travels!

Stay Tuned!

For additional points of interest nearby, check out Tel Aviv.

Additional Resources

Here are several resources that I created to help travelers:

• Trip Planner with Attractions and Itineraries is the page that will help you create your perfect travel route.
• What is the Best Time to visit Israel? To answer this question, we will consider the weather, prices, holidays, festivals, and more.
• Information and Tips for Tourists to Israel will answer the most common questions tourists have about Israel (including safety, passports, weather, currency, tipping, electricity, and much more).
• Israel National Parks and Nature Reserves include a complete list, top ten, map, tickets (Israel Pass, Matmon, combo), and campsites.
• If you are looking for things to do, here are the pages for Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Sea Of Galilee, Akko (Acre), Eilat, Nazareth, Safed (Tzfat), and Makhtesh Ramon.