Turkey's Igdir oasis of natural life teeming with birds

IGDIR, Turkey 

This is a fascinating time of the year to document one of Igdir's most distinctive inhabitants: birds.

Under the shadow of Mount Agri, Igdir in eastern Turkey captivates onlookers, photographers and nature aficionados from across Turkey and the world with its diverse wildlife and the potential it offers for researchers.

Home to 325 of the 486 known bird species in Turkey, Igdir at spring is bustling with life with the arrival of migrant birds.

Eurasian bitterns, teals, sparrow hawks and honey-buzzards, Egyptian vultures, Black kites, Little grebes as well as Black-crowned night herons, Little egrets, Ruddy Shelduck, garganeys, pallid and Montagu's harriers and shikras are among the hundreds of bird species found in Igdir.

Ornithologists and photographers gathered in Igdir to celebrate the rich natural heritage of the city.

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Turkey's Igdir oasis of natural life teeming with birds

Home to 325 of the 486 known bird species in Turkey, Igdir at spring is bustling with life with the arrival of migrant birds.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Cagan Sekercioglu, an associate professor of biology at Koc University in Turkey and Utah University in the U.S., said Igdir offers great potential to ornithologists and other wildlife researchers despite its small size.

"Despite covering only 2% of Turkey's land and having no sea, Igdir hosts 70% of the bird species in Turkey. Aras Bird Paradise stands out as the richest wetland for birds in particular," said Sekercioglu.

Another academic at Igdir's Ornithology Application and Research Center, Aysegul Coban said after 13 years of ornithology research in the area, they found that Igdir is a migration route for birds.

"After years of research, ornithologists found that birds use Igdir as a rest stop during their migration on a regular basis. It shows the importance of the city as a global bird migration route," said Sekercioglu.

Writing by Vakkas Dogantekin