A bird ringing station was established in Cyprus by ALKU
The first Bird Ringing Station in Cyprus, located in Karpaz (TRNC), has started research and educational activities following the Boğazkent Bird Ringing Station, which studies birds in southern and western Turkey under the coordination of Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University (ALKÜ).
Large-scale projects contributing to global science continue at full speed at Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University (ALKÜ). After the establishment of the Boğazkent Bird Ringing Station in Serik, one of the four stations researching birds along Turkey’s southern and western coastal regions, the first bird ringing station in Cyprus was established. A cooperation protocol was signed between Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University (ALKÜ), the Bird Research and Environmental Education Association (Antalya-KUÇEDER), and the Wildlife Research Institute of Taşkent Nature Park (TRNC). Under this protocol, the first Bird Ringing Station in Cyprus was established in Karpaz (TRNC), and research and educational activities have commenced.
COORDINATOR ASSOC. PROF. KARAARDIÇ: “THE KARPAZ STATION IS VERY IMPORTANT”
Under the coordination of Assoc. Prof. Hakan Karaardıç, a faculty member at ALKÜ’s Faculty of Education, operations began at the Karpaz Bird Ringing Station with the installation of mist nets used to capture birds. On October 4, 2024, the project was launched, and in a short time, 200 birds from 15 different species were captured and ringed. The bird ringing study for the autumn migration period will continue until the end of November. Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Karaardıç provided information on the significance of the Karpaz Bird Ringing Station in Cyprus, stating: “In Eastern European bird migrations, the eastern Mediterranean is a significant geographical barrier, and Cyprus and Turkey serve as stations providing rest, nourishment, and shelter for migratory birds on their long and perilous journeys. Research has been conducted for many years at the Boğazkent Applied Environmental Education and Bird Ringing Station, one of four such stations in Turkey, coordinated by ALKÜ. Feedback from 17 different European countries has revealed that Central and Eastern European populations continue their migration in the spring from southern Turkey, specifically Antalya, toward the north and northwest.
There has been no bird ringing station on the island of Cyprus to date, despite its critical role in bird migration, which has allowed for the collection of important data. The proximity between the Boğazkent Bird Ringing Station (Antalya) in southern Turkey and Cyprus, along with feedback from Israel ringings, highlights the need for at least one bird ringing station in the TRNC. This station, which will contribute to filling gaps in knowledge about Eastern Mediterranean and Eastern European bird migrations and facilitate international research collaborations, is the first to be established in the Karpaz Peninsula (TRNC) under the protocol signed between ALKÜ, KUÇEDER, and the Cyprus Wildlife Research Institute. I would like to thank our Rector, Prof. Dr. Kenan Ahmet Türkdoğan, and the ALKÜ family, who provided great support for the establishment of this station”.
RECTOR TÜRKDOĞAN: “WE CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO SCIENCE AS ALKÜ”
Four bird ringing stations in Turkey, located in Cernek (Samsun), Aras (Iğdır), Eymir (Ankara), and Boğazkent (Antalya), continue their work actively. These stations operate under the coordination of the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP) in cooperation with 19 Mayıs University (Samsun), Iğdır University, Ankara University, Middle East Technical University, and Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University. With the establishment of the Karpaz Bird Ringing Station, this became the second bird ringing station coordinated by ALKÜ. Evaluating this success and effort, Rector Prof. Dr. Kenan Ahmet Türkdoğan stated: “As ALKÜ, we continue to shed light on science and make the greatest contributions. In addition to bird species and migration routes in our country and the world, many pieces of information will emerge from our stations. I wish the Karpaz Bird Ringing Station, which is a significant development for the scientific community, to be beneficial for the world of science, and I thank everyone involved”.
