Istanbul home to 13 seagull species seen in Turkey: Expert

ISTANBUL

Istanbul, a Turkish metropolis with nearly 16 million population, has been hosting countless numbers of birds, in particular water birds such as herons and cormorants, however, over a dozen of seagull species are leading with their population size in the city surrounded by seas.

The smallest of them in Istanbul, which is home to 13 out of 17 seagull species seen in Turkey, is about 30 centimeters and the largest is 80 centimeters, according to Ergün Bacak, an academic and ornithologist from Istanbul University.

He stated that the great black-backed gull, known as one of the rarest winged visitors of the city, is very fond of Istanbul and is seen in the same region every winter, near Haydarpaşa Breakwater, a cape on the Kadıköy district on the Asian side.

The most common seagull species seen in the city is the silver gull, according to Bacak.

“Silver gulls, which we can see everywhere in the summer and winter, are so intertwined with residents that we often witness them breeding on roofs and feeding on cat and dog food,” he noted.

The expert said that another seagull species seen in Istanbul all year is the Mediterranean gull.

“They are distinguished from the others by their white feathers in autumn and winter, and their black heads up to their necks during the breeding season,” he added.