TR088
Çıldır Lake


Country/territory: Türkiye

IBA criteria met: A1, A4i, B1i (2004)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 20,810 hectares (208.10 km2)

Doga Dernegi
IBA conservation status
Year of assessment (most recent) State (condition) Pressure (threat) Response (action)
2016 good high low
For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here


Site description (2000 baseline)
A freshwater lake (max. 12,350 ha, max. depth 22 m) situated in a volcanic depression between Kýsýr and Akbaba mountains. Extensive marshes and damp pastures border the lake to the north-west, otherwise it is surrounded by hill pasture and has very little fringe vegetation. Four islands are vegetated with low shrub. Human activities include stock-grazing; water is used for hydroelectric power generation and irrigation.

Key biodiversity
Pelecanus sp. formerly bred on the islands. There are recent records of P. onocrotalus and occasional records of P. crispus, but breeding has not been proven for either species. Melanitta fusca is also thought to breed.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Çıldır Lake (Türkiye). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/çıldır-lake-iba-türkiye on 23/12/2024.