Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
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.
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.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
DSÝ plans to increase the lake volume by means of stream diversion. A second power-station will then be constructed, and the area of irrigated land will be increased. It is unclear what implications these works will have for the wetland system. Disturbance by visitors to the breeding islands may account for the disappearance of
Pelecanus sp. which formerly bred. Further tourism development of the Akçakale area should be carefully planned.
National None
International None
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 22/11/2024.
