TURKEY - a report from a birdwatching trip to Central ... - Netfugl.dk

2: Most Spotless shows much longer elongated feathers in throat and hindneck, to create "lion´s
head or Bob Marley dread-locks. This is never as pronounced in Common Starling.
3: Legs often striking bubblegum-pink in Spotless, always greyer pink in Common Starling.
4: Underwing bicoloured in Spotless with black coverts in clear contrast to paler flight feathers.
Common Starling shows uniform underwing.
In Southeastern Turkey (east of Gaziantep and the pains of E Anatolia), the population is regarded
as belonging to ssp. purpurascens, which probably intergrades with tauricus. (Cramp & Perrins
1994) We found differences small; certain birds looking less glossy and thus blacker than North
Anatolian birds, but more studies needed.
267. Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus Rosenstær
2005 18.5 8 Igdir - 18.5 10 Serpmetas - 19.5 1 Van Hills.
2006: 15.5 15 Karaman-Eregli – 17.5 60 Sultan Sazligi – 17.5 90 Sultan Sazligi-Kayseri – 18.5 30
Erzinzan – 20.5 30 Ardesen – 21.5 5 Kars – 21.5 1 Dogubayazit – 22.5 7 Ishak Pasa – 23.5 12 Van-
Tatvan – 23.5 10 Bitlis – 23.5 17 Bitlis-Silvan – 24.5 25 Siverik-Kahta.
2007: 14.5 8 Adana – 14.5 67 Akgöl, Göksu Delta – 16.5 10 Sultan Sazligi – 18.5 15 Maden
Köprubasi -20.5 60 Halikisla – 20.5 80 Tuzluca – 22.5 4 Suceke, Raman Dagi – 22.5 4000 Midyat –
22.5 4 Midyat-Oyali – 23.5 55 Diyarbakir – 23.5 13 Siverik – 23.5 125 Buzak.
In 2005 rather low numbers, but more in 2006 with most in the western part of the visited range,
and with good numbers in 2007.
Breeds irregular in large colonies and flocks of hundreds are reported by many visitors. Notorious
irruptive, with breeding probably occuring widespread in Eastern half Turkey in certain years, none
in others. E.g. sometimes hundreds in Birezik. Among large numbers in recent years are 6000 near
Van May 1981, 3000 nesting near Diyarbakir in May 2001 and 4000+ Midyat May 2007 (Occhiato
2001, Christian Leth pers. comm)
268. Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus Pirol
2005: 16.5 2 Gelinkaya - 21.5 1 Birezik (at the "owl café).
2006: 14.5 1 Göksu Delta – 18.5 5 Erzinzan-Mercan – 18.5 2 Gelinkaya – 18.5 1 Gelinkaya-Maden
Köprubasi – 18.5 5 Ispir -22.5 8 Dogubayazit.
2007: 17.5 1 Tuzla Gölü – 17.5 5 Sarkisla-Sivas – 18.5 2 Erzinzan-Altunkent – 18.5 2 Maden
Köprubasi – 19.5 1 Artvin-Savsat -20.5 1 Halikisla – 23.5 1 Buzak.
269. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus Skovspurv
2006: 22.5 2 Sim Er Hotel, Dogubayazit – 24.5 2 Birezik.
2007: 15.5 5 Kamisli between Pozanti and Demirkazik.
270. House Sparrow Passer domesticus Gråspurv
Common throughout, with frequent gatherings of hundreds in villages and towns.
2005: hundreds everywhere near Göksu and Adana - otherwise 15.5 140 Kayseri. Scarcer in the
North and East, but again common from the SE, most 18.5 75 Igdir- 18.5 100 Ishak Pasa - 21.5
hundreds Birezik - 23.5 200 Imamli - 24.5 700 Tarsus Delta West. - 24.5 500 Tuzla Creek.
2006: Most 14.5 400 Göksu Delta - 15.5 300 Imamli-Mut - 21-22.5 daily max. 100 Ishak Pasa –
23.5 100 South Van Marshes- 24.5 575 Birezik.
2007: Most 14.5 350 Akgöl, Göksu Delta – 15.5 400 Imamli - 15.5 500 Göksu Delta – 16.5 300
Sultan Sazligi – 20.5 200 Ishak Pasa – 22.5 400 Hasankeyf – 22.5 115 Hasankeyf-Midyat – 24.5
200 Kanliavsar- 24.5 100 Damlica – 24.5 200 Birezik – 25.5 350 Birezik plantations – 26.5 140
Havutlu – 26.5 300 Tuzla-Adana.