Karasu Wetland in the city of Iğdır, which was formed by the glacial waters of Mount Ağrı in the east of Türkiye, was revitalized with migratory birds coming from Africa in the spring.
In Iğdır, one of the richest provinces in terms of bird diversity in Türkiye, there is bird activity in every season.
Karasu Wetland, located north of Mount Ağrı between the Karakoyunlu and Aralık districts of Iğdır, is home to many wild animals in the region.
The wetland, which is fed by glacial waters coming from the summit of the mountain throughout all four seasons, hosts bird species as well as predators, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish.
As a result of observation studies carried out by Iğdır University, the Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, the KuzeyDoğa Association, Ağrı Mountain Nature Community and volunteers, it was determined that more than 200 bird species live in the wetland.
Toward the end of last year, the birds migrated to the Southern Hemisphere with the cooling weather and returned to Karasu with the warming of the temperatures.
Karasu, which offers the opportunity to see more than 40 species together in a normal daily observation, attracts the attention of ornithologists and nature lovers with this feature.
Iğdır University Avian Science Application and Research Centre Director Emrah Çelik told Anadolu Agency (AA) that with the arrival of winter, a migration movement from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere has started.
Explaining the importance of the wetland for the region and migration routes, Çelik said: "Karasu Wetland has a very important place. Every year, many different bird species come to this area with the arrival of spring, establish colonies and also carry out breeding activities. In this sense, Karasu is an important stop for Iğdır."
Stating that this wetland is also extremely important in terms of bird tourism, Çelik said: "The green bee-eater, which is rare in our country, is seen in Karasu Wetland. In addition, many bird species, especially summer migrants and passerine species also use the area intensively. It is an important region in terms of bird tourism because Iğdır has a microclimate climate, and this feature increases ornithological activity at all times of the year. For this reason, it is possible to do ornithology (bird science) in this area at all times of the year."
Referring to the number of species observed in the wetland, Çelik said: "As a result of our studies so far, there are approximately 200 species in the Karasu Wetland. Of course, we think that this number will increase in the future because Iğdır is both on bird migration routes and offers habitats to species with its wetlands."
