Photo safari captures best view of İzmir Bird Sanctuary


Next week from Oct. 28-30, a photo safari, an adventure designed to reveal the natural life in İzmir's Bird Sanctuary on Turkey's Aegean region will take place for professional photographers. The photo safari will be a chance to discover bird life around the area and a photo competition will take place afterward to select the high-quality works. To select the participants, the interested photographers have sent sample work for assessment.Stretching along an area of 8,000 hectares in the city's Çiğli district, the İzmir Bird Sanctuary houses 205 bird species ranging from flamingos, blackbirds, Dalmatian pelicans, kingfishers, rallidaes and ruddy shelducks. Each year, the area hosts around 50,000 birds, a visual feast for photographers. For visitors, there is an observation tower to closely observe the birds through binoculars and an information center to learn more about the wildlife there. Visitors can also have a bike ride around the bird sanctuary.The place mainly attracts visitors for its flamingo population. A breeding island at the İzmir Bird Sanctuary was artificially formed after a natural one eroded away. Since then, the breeding area has been the nursery for more flamingo chicks.