Birdwatcher platform records 497 species in Türkiye
ISTANBUL
Türkiye’s bird diversity, cataloged on the world’s largest birdwatching database, eBird, has reached 497 species by the end of 2024.
Established to consolidate and provide data for science, conservation and education, eBird has become a global community with over 1 million participants and 100 million bird observations annually. Globally, eBird records a total of 10,957 bird species.
In Türkiye alone, birdwatchers contributed to over 156,000 observations in 2024. Hatay leads with the highest number of species, with 385 recorded, followed by Mersin with 380 species and Istanbul with 366 species.
Türkiye’s birdwatching hubs further include coastal provinces like Adana where 363 species have been recorded, Samsun with 359 species and Antalya with 354 species.
Even inland cities such as the capital Ankara, Bursa and Kayseri are crucial contributors to the country’s bird diversity. Ankara and Bursa each host 342 bird species, while Kayseri is home to 328 species.
Notably, two new bird species were added to Türkiye’s records this year: a brown booby (Sula leucogaster), photographed by Andre Yarborough at Istanbul’s Harem Bus terminal on April 27, and a striated heron (Butorides striata) observed by Selim Toprak at Tilmen Höyük in the southern province of Gaziantep on July 5.
Gökçe Coşkun, a veterinary surgeon and founder of the Antalya Birdwatching Group, highlighted the precarious status of certain species, particularly birds of prey like the saker falcon and the lanner falcon.
To combat illegal wildlife trade, eBird now conceals sensitive location data for these species.
“Regions where these birds are observed are hidden to protect them from illegal poaching, especially for trade in Arab countries,” Coşkun explained.
Sparrows at risk
While Türkiye’s birdwatching culture highlights the diversity of species and the enthusiasm of its participants, it also draws attention to troubling trends affecting urban bird populations, particularly sparrows.
The urban sparrow, a species classified as of “least concern” in Türkiye, is experiencing a sharp population decline in cities like Istanbul.
Reduced green spaces, habitat loss and modern architectural trends are key contributors.
According to bird expert Ergün Bacak, sparrows have fewer nesting options as traditional roof eaves vanish due to urban redevelopment.
“What changed? Green spaces disappeared, architecture evolved and sparrows lost their feeding and nesting grounds,” Bacak said.
“If we don’t act, sparrows could vanish from cities entirely, surviving only in villages and small towns,” he warned.
Modern practices, including excessive pesticide use and urban light pollution, exacerbate the problem.
Bacak emphasized the urgent need to track species like sparrows systematically.
“We notice the absence of large birds more easily, but sparrows vanish silently. We used to hear them often, but now their chirping has faded.” he observed. Bacak also called for thoughtful urban planning to protect bird habitats.
With conservation efforts lagging, species like the turtle dove and ferruginous duck are already categorized as vulnerable in Türkiye.