• Archive
• Credits

Write: Zafer Tekin

Turkey’s Birds Of Prey

The fast-paced and mysterious world of predatory birds

Man is a creature who longs to fly even more than the birds, which is perhaps the reason he is so enamored of them. All over the world people by the thousands observe and photograph birds and follow their migrations, in a hobby that has evolved into a passion. Birding in Turkey is a very enjoyable pastime that has come to the fore in recent years. Although some 100 are them are encountered only occasionally, the country is home to 465 registered bird species, all of them in their natural habitat and distributed over the entire country. Taking them together with the birds that fly over on their annual migrations, we could speak of thousands of species.

Among them the predatory species have a special place as unique creatures. At the top rung of the food chain, they help maintain the balance of nature. I would like to share with you some shots I got of these magnificent creatures over the last six years.

LONG-EARED OWLAS
The name indicates, it lives in wooded areas, preferring to nest near sources of water such as lakes and rivers.

WESTERN MARSH-HARRIER
A species that loves solitude, it prefers wetlands for living and hunting.

EGYPTIAN VULTUREE
Specially good at swooping due to its wing structure, it generally feeds on carrion, eggs and small mammals.

WESTERN MARSH-HARRIERA
Elegant in appearance with a white body, it feeds on aquatic creatures, mainly fish.

RED-FOOTED FALCON
This swift predator that winters in Africa hunts small rodents and insects.

BLACK VULTURE
A rather large bird, it feeds on rodents and carrion, in particular the carcasses of animals like sheep and deer.

LESSER KESTREL
Readily adapting to its environment, it can be found almost everywhere.

LONG-LEGGED BUZZARD
An alert and determined hunter, it prefers to hunt in open areas. Turkey is one of several places where this species is observed.