Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A shallow brackish lake situated north-west of Tuz lake (site 072), 5 km east of the town of Kulu. Fed mainly by the Kulu stream, the lake is largely devoid of fringe vegetation, except for a small freshwater area in the south. Most of the nine islands are covered with grass in spring and early summer. Non-irrigated arable land, barren steppe and cattle-grazed grass plains surround the lake.
The IBA is important for breeding waterbirds. In winter the lake normally freezes but occasionally holds significant numbers of wildfowl.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Untreated waste water from Kulu enters the lake and the town's rubbish is dumped in the Kulu stream. Plans exist to improve access to the lake and to construct a road and watch towers around it, in order to promote tourism. This would undoubtedly threaten gulls and terns (Laridae) breeding on the islands, and breeding ducks. Hunting pressure would also increase.
National High
International None860 ha of IBA covered by SÝT (Kulu Gölü, 860 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kulu Lake (Türkiye). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kulu-lake-iba-türkiye on 23/12/2024.
