Turkey Ramsar wetland
Lake Kuyucuk
195 bird species recorded; the most in May and in September.
Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data), CC BY 4.0, with relief shading from Copernicus WorldDEM-30
This month here
11 species in January.14 species in February.52 species in March.108 species in April.164 species in May.114 species in June.93 species in July.33 species in August.152 species in September.94 species in October.49 species in November.3 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.
VU
NT
NT
NT
VUNT
NTNT
VU
VU
NTNTNTVUVU
VU
NTNTNT
NT
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
195 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).
- 195Speciesrecorded more than once
- 111Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 8ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 9,659Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 1,623 mAltitudeabove the sea
- 25Raptors
- 2Owls
- 37Waders
- 12Gulls & seabirds
- 17Ducks & geese
- 18Herons, ibises & grebes
- 4Storks & cranes
- 1Flamingos
- 58Songbirds
- 21Other 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 195 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors25 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Long-legged BuzzardButeo rufinus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Lesser spotted eagleAquila pomarina
- Pallid HarrierCircus macrourusNT
- Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
- Eastern Imperial EagleAquila heliacaVU
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
- Egyptian vultureNeophron percnopterus
- Steppe eagleAquila nipalensis
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Eurasian Black VultureAegypius monachusNT
- Griffon VultureGyps fulvus
- Short-toed eagleCircaetus gallicus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
Owls2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
Waders37 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
- Greater Sand PloverCharadrius leschenaultii
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Black-winged PratincoleGlareola nordmanniNT
- Great SnipeGallinago mediaNT
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Terek SandpiperXenus cinereus
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Sociable PloverVanellus gregariusCR
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Spur-winged LapwingVanellus spinosus
Gulls & seabirds12 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
- Armenian GullLarus armenicus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Slender-billed GullChroicocephalus genei
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Pallas's GullIchthyaetus ichthyaetus
Ducks & geese17 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- White-headed duckOxyura leucocephala
- Red-breasted GooseBranta ruficollisVU
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
Herons, ibises & grebes18 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Dalmatian PelicanPelecanus crispusNT
- Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Great White PelicanPelecanus onocrotalus
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
- Microcarbo pygmaeusMicrocarbo pygmaeus
Storks & cranes4 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Common CraneGrus grus
- Demoiselle CraneAnthropoides virgo
- Black storkCiconia nigra
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus
Songbirds58 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Calandra larkMelanocorypha calandra
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Hooded CrowCorvus cornix
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
- Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Isabelline wheatearOenanthe isabellina
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Black-headed buntingEmberiza melanocephala
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Lesser Grey ShrikeLanius minor
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Rock SparrowPetronia petronia
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Mountain ChiffchaffPhylloscopus sindianus
- Shore LarkEremophila alpestris
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Siberian stonechatSaxicola maurus
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Lesser Short-toed LarkCalandrella rufescens
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
- Savi's WarblerLocustella luscinioides
- ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
- Bimaculated LarkMelanocorypha bimaculata
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- Common RosefinchCarpodacus erythrinus
- Eurasian Crag MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
Other birds21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- CootFulica atra
- European SwiftApus apus
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melba
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Spotted CrakePorzana porzana
- Black-bellied SandgrousePterocles orientalis
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eaterMerops persicus
- European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Pallid SwiftApus pallidus
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in May and in September.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan-1°/-12°28 mm
- Feb2°/-9°21 mm
- Mar8°/-4°33 mm
- Apr14°/0°58 mm
- May19°/5°77 mm
- Jun24°/10°63 mm
- Jul28°/13°47 mm
- Aug28°/13°37 mm
- Sep23°/9°25 mm
- Oct16°/3°42 mm
- Nov8°/-4°25 mm
- Dec1°/-9°27 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Lake Kuyucuk.
Lake in Arpaçay, Kars Province, Turkey
Lake Kuyucuk is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Turkey, 1,623 m above the sea.
195 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 9,659 open records.
The most recorded are the Ruddy Shelduck, the Northern Lapwing and the Western Marsh Harrier.
88 species come for the summer, 16 for the winter and 7 only pass through.
8 are threatened worldwide, including Common Pochard, Curlew Sandpiper and Grey Plover.
The most species are recorded in May and in September.
Get there and watch
- Başgediklernearest town · 12 km in a straight line
- Shirak International Airport (LWN)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 34 km in a straight lineCar hire at LWN airport (Gyumri)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
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers 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 Kuyucuk.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas13 mountains within 25 kmBüyükalamet Hill1,670 m · 2.8 kmKarayal Hill · 7.6 kmKarakuz Hill · 7.7 kmZiyaret Tepesi · 14 kmSulak Hill · 14 kmKelez Hill · 17 kmHarman Hill · 18 kmKarnıyarık Hill · 22 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Other places nearby.
Lake Kuyucuk
Turkey
- 82Birdyas Score
- 195Species
- 111Migrants
- 8Threatened
Noravank Important Bird Area
Armenia · 193 km
- 58Birdyas Score
- 109Species
- 78Migrants
- 1Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q17515431) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 9,659 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 |
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?
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