Turkey's Birds: 497 Species Live Here
The largest bird observation database in the world, eBird, has recorded a total of 10,957 bird species globally, while in Turkey, the number stands at 497. The top three provinces in Turkey with the most bird species are Hatay, Mersin, and Istanbul.
According to the eBird database, which was established with the mission of collecting the knowledge and experience of birdwatchers worldwide and making this accumulated information available to civil society to support data-driven approaches in science, nature conservation, and education, there are 10,957 bird species living worldwide. Over 1 million 70 thousand birdwatchers globally have contributed to more than 103 million observations, resulting in over 1 billion bird observation records.
Over 156,000 Observation Records in Turkey
According to eBird, which has become a global community with hundreds of partners, thousands of volunteers, and hundreds of thousands of users worldwide, more than 156,000 observation records for 497 species have been made across Turkey by the end of 2024. According to eBird records, Turkey had 495 species recorded by the end of 2023, with two new species being added in 2024.
Two New Species in 2024
The first observation and record of a new species occurred on April 27, 2024, when Andre Yarborough photographed the brown booby (Sula leucogaster) at the Harem Bus Station in Istanbul. The second new species added to Turkey's bird list in 2024 was the green-backed heron (Butorides striata), spotted by Selim Toprak on July 5, 2024, at Tilmen Höyük in Islahie, Gaziantep.
Provinces with the Most Species
Among the 497 species, the province with the most species in Turkey is Hatay with 385 species. It is followed by Mersin with 380 species, Istanbul with 366 species, Adana with 363 species, Samsun with 359 species, Antalya with 354 species, and then Ankara and Bursa with 342 species each.
Other Provinces with Over 300 Species
Other provinces with over 300 species are listed as follows: Gaziantep 338, Şanlıurfa 338, Konya 331, Kayseri 328, Izmir 326, Iğdır 324, Kars 323, Trabzon 323, Van 323, Çanakkale 321, Aydın 316, Balıkesir 311, Denizli 310, Kırklareli 309.
Ranking by Province
Zonguldak 296, Afyon and Kocaeli 294, Edirne 291, Eskişehir, Hakkari, and Sinop 290, Yalova 288, Giresun 283, Ağrı and Niğde 282, Erzurum 281, Malatya 280, Burdur 279, Çorum 277, Bolu 276, Diyarbakır 274, Bitlis, Sivas, and Aksaray 273, Sakarya 268, Isparta 266, Artvin 265, Manisa and Bartın 264, Amasya 262, Nevşehir 255, Adıyaman and Karaman 251, Kastamonu and Osmaniye 247, Ordu 246, Kahramanmaraş 245, Tekirdağ and Tokat 242, Ardahan 239, Kütahya 236, Gümüşhane 230, Kırşehir 228, Yozgat 226, Düzce 225, Elazığ and Erzincan 219, Şırnak 214, Mardin 213, Çankırı and Batman 203. Muş 200, Bayburt 194, Bilecik 189, Bingöl 172, Kırıkkale 166, Uşak 165, Karabük 156, Tunceli 150, Siirt 120, and Kilis 88.
Sensitive Species and Location Privacy
Göççe Coşkun, a birdwatcher and veterinarian who is one of the founders of the Antalya Birdwatching Society, pointed out that some species are being kept as "sensitive" and protected in eBird records. Coşkun explained that to prevent the capture and sale of raptors, particularly the Eurasian Eagle Owl and the Bearded Vulture, to Arab countries, the locations of these species are now kept hidden in the observation records. "To combat illegal wildlife trade and protect these species, the areas where they are observed are now hidden in the eBird system," said Coşkun.
