In the Lake Tuz Special Environmental Protection Area, located in central Türkiye across the provinces of Aksaray, Kırıkkale and Konya, 4,300 flamingo chicks have hatched this year.
The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change is conducting the Lake Tuz Special Environmental Protection Area Species and Habitats Research, Protection and Monitoring Project to conserve and protect endangered species and ensure their survival for future generations.
As part of this project, flamingo population monitoring is being carried out in Lake Tuz, one of the most important wetlands in the world for flamingo nesting.
This year, various methods and observations in the lake have determined that there are 4,300 flamingo chicks in the nursery area.
Professor Ahmet Karataş from Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University’s Faculty of Science and Arts, who coordinates the project, stated that Lake Tuz is one of the most important breeding areas for flamingos.
Karataş explained that flamingos, a bird species native to the Mediterranean Basin, prefer saline wetlands and are found in lakes and marshes from Spain to Kazakhstan. Lake Tuz is the largest breeding colony within these areas. Foreign bird watchers first discovered a breeding colony in Lake Tuz in the 1990s. The breeding area is located in the inner part of the lake, where chicks emerge from nests on sandbanks slightly above the water. These chicks have been counted for approximately 20 years through the project run by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.
Karataş noted that the number of flamingo chicks has decreased this year, saying: “Our study shows that the number of chicks has reached 4,300 this year. This is the number of chicks that have hatched this year. The environment is experiencing severe drought. Our region is one of the driest places in Türkiye. Additionally, there is agriculture involving water-dependent plants in the area. Groundwater levels have significantly dropped.”
Karataş also recalled that there were mass flamingo deaths in Lake Tuz in 2021.
He added that thanks to some measures and the ministry’s efforts, water was brought into the area: “Last year, approximately 12,000 chicks hatched, this year, around 4,300 chicks are ready to fly, animals can adjust themselves based on the environmental conditions, food sources and other factors.”
“Some species may even reduce their numbers to protect themselves in such situations. Numbers can vary from year to year. Our 20-year data shows that chick numbers can range from 3,000 to 20,000.”
