Located on the world’s most important avian migration routes, Türkiye is a prominent destination for bird watchers. Get your binoculars and logbooks ready for extraordinary birding in Türkiye as we explore the country's ‘Five Most Beautiful Bird Watching Routes!

As autumn approaches, nature prepares. And the avian population is among the most reliable harbingers of a new season. Birds that have summered in Europe and the Balkans now start to migrate from their northern breeding grounds to balmier climates on the African continent, painting the sky with intricate patterns as they fly.

Türkiye, possessing a rare richness in terms of endemic flora and fauna, is located on the most important bird migration routes in the world. With 262 natural parks, 31 nature reserves, 113 nature monuments and 85 wildlife development areas, Türkiye is a prime habitat for birds.

The country is home to as many avian species as all of Europe, and 490 different bird species have been identified in Türkiye to date. The country is indeed a treasure for bird watchers! While countless areas in Türkiye offer fine birding opportunities, a few routes are particularly notable.

Here are the five most beautiful bird watching routes in Türkiye:

Manyas Bird Paradise National Park (Manyas Kuş Cenneti Millî Parkı), Balıkesir

Manyas Bird Paradise National Park is in the Bandırma district of Balıkesir, in the south of the Marmara Sea region. Awarded the Class A European Diploma by the European Council in 1976, the Park is known for its large avian population and successful conservation initiatives.

Set around a lake surrounded by willow trees, reeds and meadows, the Park is home to more than 270 species of birds, including the white pelican (Pelecanusonocrotalus), the little egret (Egrettagarzetta), the night heron and the tern. Manyas is especially preferred by waterfowl as a winter habitat and breeding site. Visitors can take wonderful nature photos and enjoy long strolls around the lake. Rock climbing is also a popular activity in the Park.

Manyas features a specially built tower for bird watching. Restored in 2001, the 17.5-metre-high structure is the largest observation tower in the world and can accommodate up to forty people. Binoculars are also provided to visitors.

İğneada Floodplain Forests (İğneada Longoz Ormanları), Kırklareli

The spectacular İğneada Floodplain Forests, located within the borders of Kırklareli, are known for their  extraordinary biodiversity. İğneada, a rare ecosystem featuring seasonal floodplain forests, marshes, freshwater lakes and coastal dunes, offers activities such as bird watching, camping, glamping, botanical watching and photography.

With 675 plant species, the region is also home to 194 bird species, including the pygmy cormorant, white-tailed eagle, lesser kestrel, and grey headed woodpecker. In addition to flora and avifauna species, mammals such as deer, roe deer, wild boar, wolves, foxes and jackals, as well as wild cats, weasels, badgers, and bats and reptiles can be observed in the region.

Mileyha Wetlands (Mileyha Sulak Alanı), Hatay

Hatay, a city in Türkiye that attracts attention with its cultural diversity and rich cuisine, also hosts the highest number of bird species in the country. To date, 382 avian species have been identified in Hatay, which located on the most important bird migration routes. Five of these species were first observed in Hatay.

Hatay's Mileyha Wetland, an important centre in terms of songbirds, predatory birds, migratory birds, and sea and ocean birds due to its location on the migration route, hosts 289 avian species.

The pied bush chat, a small passerine bird unique to the region between India and Indonesia, was observed for the first time in Türkiye in the Mileyha Wetland this month; numerous birders flocked to Hatay to watch and photograph this bird. The buff-bellied pipit, one of the most easily observed and regularly seen birds in Türkiye, is frequently observed in the Mileyha Wetland. In fact, the Wetland is close to becoming a true bird paradise with its extraordinary diversity of species.

Aras Bird Sanctuary (Aras Kuş Cenneti), Iğdır

Iğdır and the Aras Valley are among the most noteworthy observation points in Türkiye, featuring extraordinary avian diversity. The region, where 325 bird species have been detected to date, is home to 66 percent of the avian species in Türkiye and 60 percent of those in Europe. Of the 490 bird species in Türkiye, 325 have been observed in Iğdır, and 313 recorded in the Aras Bird Paradise during the last sixteen years.

The Aras Bird Sanctuary, in the Tuzluca district, also hosts the Aras Bird Research and Education Centre, one of the world’s leading centres of ornithology. The Centre detects, studies and records at least five to 10 species every year. The penduline tit, Türkiye's rarest bird and recorded only 46 times worldwide, was observed for the first time in Türkiye two months ago.

You can add the Aras Bird Sanctuary, where various bird species can be observed during their migration and breeding periods, to your birding adventure in Türkiye. Bring binoculars, monoculars and telephoto lenses to the Sanctuary; in a landlocked region, the Sanctuary differs from birding areas near a body of water.

Acıgöl, Afyonkarahisar

Acıgöl, formed by a volcanic eruption, features rich mineral waters believed to cure many skin diseases. It is also one of Türkiye's most important wetlands. Located in the Dazkırı district of Afyonkarahisar, the lake attracts great attention from bird watchers; a diverse range of avian species, including flamingos, inhabit the area.

Both local and foreign birders are drawn to the region, which features more than 160 bird species from twenty different families. Acıgöl, a habitat for more than ten thousand birds, is one of the world’s few breeding sites for flamingos.

In addition to flamingos, the lake is home to terns and ruddy shelducks. It is an ideal locale for ornito photography and visitors have captured wonderful images of brightly coloured flamingos.