Turkey Ramsar wetland
Lake Kuş
223 bird species recorded; the most from April to May and in September.
Biologicalkitty88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
This month here
131 species in January.110 species in February.103 species in March.142 species in April.152 species in May.105 species in June.73 species in July.104 species in August.143 species in September.126 species in October.67 species in November.102 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.







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- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
223 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 223Speciesrecorded more than once
- 127Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 7ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 9,352Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 19Raptors
- 5Owls
- 28Waders
- 17Gulls & seabirds
- 23Ducks & geese
- 17Herons, ibises & grebes
- 3Storks & cranes
- 1Flamingos
- 87Songbirds
- 23Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 223 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors19 species
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Greater spotted eagleAquila clanga
- Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
- Long-legged BuzzardButeo rufinus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- Lesser spotted eagleAquila pomarina
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
- Eleonora's FalconFalco eleonorae
Owls5 species
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Eurasian Scops OwlOtus scops
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
Waders28 species
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Spur-winged LapwingVanellus spinosus
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
Gulls & seabirds17 species
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Pallas's GullIchthyaetus ichthyaetus
- White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
Ducks & geese23 species
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- SmewMergellus albellus
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- GadwallMareca strepera
- White-headed duckOxyura leucocephala
- Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Bewick's SwanCygnus columbianus
- Red-breasted GooseBranta ruficollisVU
- Lesser white-fronted gooseAnser erythropusVU
Herons, ibises & grebes17 species
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Dalmatian PelicanPelecanus crispusNT
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Great White PelicanPelecanus onocrotalus
- Microcarbo pygmaeusMicrocarbo pygmaeus
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
Storks & cranes3 species
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Black storkCiconia nigra
- Common CraneGrus grus
Flamingos1 species
- Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds87 species
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- Great titParus major
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Eurasian Penduline TitRemiz pendulinus
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Eastern Olivaceous WarblerIduna pallida
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Collared FlycatcherFicedula albicollis
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Red-breasted flycatcherFicedula parva
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Black-headed buntingEmberiza melanocephala
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlus
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- Calandra larkMelanocorypha calandra
- Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
- Western Black-eared WheatearOenanthe hispanica
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Thrush NightingaleLuscinia luscinia
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Bearded ReedlingPanurus biarmicus
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Isabelline wheatearOenanthe isabellina
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Lesser Grey ShrikeLanius minor
- Masked ShrikeLanius nubicus
- Moustached WarblerAcrocephalus melanopogon
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
Other birds23 species
- CootFulica atra
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Syrian WoodpeckerDendrocopos syriacus
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- European SwiftApus apus
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- Middle Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocoptes medius
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species from April to May and in September.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan9°/0°87 mm
- Feb10°/2°74 mm
- Mar14°/3°59 mm
- Apr18°/7°50 mm
- May24°/12°40 mm
- Jun28°/16°33 mm
- Jul32°/18°10 mm
- Aug32°/19°10 mm
- Sep27°/15°43 mm
- Oct21°/10°66 mm
- Nov16°/6°63 mm
- Dec10°/2°92 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Lake Kuş.
Lake in Turkey
Lake Kuş is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Turkey.
223 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 9,352 open records.
The most recorded are the Grey Heron, the Dalmatian Pelican and the Great Cormorant.
68 species come for the summer, 53 for the winter and 6 only pass through.
7 are threatened worldwide, including Common Pochard, Grey Plover and European Turtle Dove.
The most species are recorded from April to May and in September.

Get there and watch
- Aksakalnearest town · 13 km in a straight line
- Balıkesir Airport (BZI)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 64 km in a straight lineCar hire at ISL airport (Istanbul)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.

Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1observation towers within 6 km
- bird hides within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
- viewpoints within 5 km
- car parks within 3 km
- restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- campsites within 10 km
- places to stay within 10 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Lake Kuş.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.



Other places nearby.
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q1891954) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 9,352 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Lakeyas, Riveryas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.



