70 percent of Turkey’s bird species recorded in Iğdır

* Photo and news: Anadolu Agency (AA)

Click to read the article in Turkish

Turkey's eastern province of Iğdır, located at the border with Iran, Nakhchivan and Armeni̇a, is one of the most important spots in Turkey in terms of the diversity of bird species it has been harboring.

Located along the world's important migratory routes, the province is preferred by birds thanks to several opportunities it has been offering. It is also frequented by the birds migrating between Africa and Asia.

The bird ringing and detection efforts made by the North Nature Association across Iğdır and at the Aras Bird Ringing Station in Tuzluca district's Çıyrıklı village have so far detected 340 bird species in the area. The most recent one has been the "crested honey buzzard."

Iğdır, one of the smallest provinces of Turkey, accounts for 5 per thousand of Turkey's total surface area. But when the number of bird species is concerned, it is seen that 340 species have been detected in Iğdır province and 306 species in the Aras Bird Sanctuary.

North Nature Association Chair Prof. Çağan Şekercioğlu from Koç and Utah universities has spoken to Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter and underlined that Iğdır is a province which is quite rich in diversity of bird species. "Even though it covers only 5 per thousand of Turkey's total surface area, with the 340th bird species that we have lately detected, we have so far detected Turkey's 70 percent of bird species in Iğdır," Şekercioğlu has explained. (EMK/SD)