Rarely seen bird species spotted in Şanlıurfa

ŞANLIURFA

A rare sighting of a mountain plover in the Birecik district of Şanlıurfa has captivated observers, who were able to capture images of the elusive migratory bird.

Birdwatcher and photographer Mustafa Çulcuoğlu captured striking images of the rare mountain plover while working in the rural areas of Birecik district.

Following Çulcuoğlu’s post about the presence of the species in the area, local bird enthusiasts rushed to the district.

More than 10 bird watchers who came to the area were able to photograph this rare species under Çulcuoğlu’s guidance.

Yakup Yener, president of the Gaziantep Photography Art Association, said that Şanlıurfa is rich in bird diversity.

Yener explained that they rushed to the location as soon as they heard about the mountain plover's presence, saying, “We searched the field for a long time. Just as we were about to give up, we spotted it at the last moment.”

Ertan Tiryaki, founder of the Gaziantep Birdwatchers Platform, shared that he had previously traveled to Istanbul twice in search of the species without success, but expressed his joy at finally spotting it, marking it as the 417th bird species recorded in Türkiye.

Durmuş Konar, who has worked in Şanlıurfa for 10 years and been a birdwatcher for 13, remarked that despite having observed over 300 bird species, he had never encountered the mountain plover. He expressed feeling incredibly fortunate to finally spot it after years of curiosity.

Çulcuoğlu, who first captured images of the species, explained that he spotted it about 10 days ago and had been guiding many observers since then, adding that he expects more birdwatchers from across Türkiye to join those already arriving from Şanlıurfa, Gaziantep and nearby provinces.