Alaçatı Wetland of Çeşme, Turkey is a lagoon-like intertidal estuary covering approximately 250 acres, which is formed by a natural watercourse flowing north-south from the Kutlu Aktaş Dam to the Aegean Sea.
The area abounds in halophiles marshes, dunes and shallow water channels, and a great variety of maquis or scrubland vegetation
The fertile vegetation is enriched with rare endemic plants, such as pilularia minuta, a species of fern, rockroses – cistus monspeliensis and delicate Mediterranean orchids – neotinea lacteal. Glasswort – salicornia europea (collected and served in local fish restaurants as a traditional meze or starter) and perennial spiny rushes – juncaceae acutus, are also found across the wetlands. Most importantly, they provide food for and shelter breeding birds.
Alaçatı Wetland is
HOME
for 150
bird species
Due to its unique location and diverse climate and geography, Turkey is home to an astonishingly rich biodiversity, including an estimate of 487 different bird species recorded by 2020.
Over a 6-year period 150 of these bird species have been recorded in the Alaçatı Wetland area, with 44 species observed throughout the year, 28 sighted only in the winter and 65 migratory bird species. Of the 63 bird types on the Çeşme peninsula 24 breed exclusively in the Alaçatı Wetlands.
Breeding Bird Species
Below is a list of bird species exclusively breeding in Alaçatı, Çeşme recorded until 2020 by Sezai Göksu, an expert of the Alaçatı Wetland Area, bird watcher and photographer:
Black-winged stylt • Kentish plover • Little sint • Dunlin • Calidris • Wood sandpiper • Green sandpiper • Marsh sandpiper • Ruff • Bee eaters • Red rumped swallow • Barn swallow • Common house martin • Western yellow wagtail • Spotted flycatcher • Eurasian blackcap • Zitting cisticola • Garden warbler • Olive tree warbler • Willow warbler • Lesser grey shrike • European goldfinch • Cretzschmar’s bunting • Mallard
The Çeşme Peninsula Bird Inventory
Sezai Göksu:
He started bird photography haphazardly in 2012 and has worked principally at Alaçatı and Izmir but also in other areas in Turkey and abroad. In 2016-2017 he joined the Turkish Breeding Birds Atlas project as a volunteer. For further information about Sezai Göksu, who has provided in-depth knowledge and detailed documentary on Alaçatı wetland bird species, please visit www.kusgozlemi.com
