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The site was identified as important in 2004 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala	EN	breeding	1998	2 breeding pairs	A1, B2
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons	LC	winter	1993	19,400 individuals	A4i, B1i
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	LC	winter	1996	345 individuals	B1i
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	winter	1993	39 individuals	B1i
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	breeding	1994	6 breeding pairs	B1i
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	passage	1994	9,550 individuals	A4i, B1i
Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus	LC	breeding	1989-1996	10 breeding pairs	B2
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	breeding	1998	50-70 breeding pairs	B2
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus	LC	breeding	1989-1996	15 breeding pairs	B3
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	breeding	-	12 breeding pairs	A1
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1993	21,327 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2004) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2004. The most recent assessment (2016) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Wetlands (inland)	very poor (< 40%)	very poor (< 40%)	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Most of site (50-90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species)	No management planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1992	Esmekaya Sazligi	SIT (Law on Protection of Cultural and Natural Assets No. 2863)	100
2002	Tuz Golu OCKB	Specially Protected Area of Marine Importance (Barcelona Convention)	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland	Humid grasslands	63
Other		35
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Water fringe vegetation	2

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
not utilised	60
water management	20
agriculture	10
hunting	10

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Eşmekaya Marshes (Türkiye). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/eşmekaya-marshes-iba-türkiye on 23/11/2024.