Data Zone
Country/territory: Turkey
IBA Criteria met: A1, A3, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B1iii, B2, B3 (2004)
For more information about IBA criteria please click here
Area: 533,565 ha
| Most recent IBA monitoring assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | Threat score (pressure) | Condition score (state) | Action score (response) |
| 2016 | very high | very unfavourable | low |
| For more information about IBA monitoring please click here | |||
Site description
Two major streams, groundwater, and surface water feed the second largest lake in Turkey (max. 190,000 ha, max. spring depth 1.5 m). Brackish marshes have formed where channels and streams enter the lake. Tuz lake is extremely saline and almost completely dries up during the summer. The lake is surrounded by arable fields, except in the south and south-west where extensive seasonally-flooded salt-steppe occurs. Economic activities include salt extraction.
Key biodiversity
The main Turkish breeding colony of Phoenicopterus ruber is present on a group of islands in the southern part of the lake. Falco naumanni is a common breeder in surrounding villages.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Tuz Lake. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 26/03/2023.
