Birdwatching is observing birds, which are the most colorful creatures of the earth in terms of their physical characteristics, behaviors and lifestyles, in order to get to know, understand, explain and share about them.
Bird watching is the most common type of wildlife watching. In terms of geography, Turkey is a region where many and various bird species come during seasonal transitions.
It is necessary to know the geography well for Bird watching. Turkish Geography expert, photography and film artist Nuri Chorbacioglu is an expert with the knowledge, skills and equipment that will set the horizon and guide the field of bird watching and bird photography in Turkey.
Bird watching is a very different feeling that cannot be explained with words, both for scientific use and as a hobby for birds, where the magnificent color, sound, movement and enthusiasm for living are combined.
Nuri Chorbacioglu says that birdwatching colors the soul, body and eyes of the observer, the colorful feathers of the birds, their magnificent flights, harmonious glides, the most beautiful songs, the chirping sounds that leave behind the songs that attract birdwatchers.
Bird watching is included in special interest tourism.
Special interest tourism is leisure time activities that people do. Making use of free time and spending money for this purpose creates a market for the tourism industry. Bird watching is also included in this type of tourism. Nuri Chorbacioglu is one of the pioneers of special interest tourism activities with his agency.
Bird watching has become an important activity that does not harm the environment. The number of bird watchers is increasing day by day.
Travels and activities for bird watching and bird photography gain an important place in world tourism while growing with increasing momentum. Today, 100 million citizens in the United States are detained for bird watching.
Bird watching trips are called ''avitourism''. It is known that there are nearly 500 bird species in nearly 200 bird areas in Turkey. Turkey is an important center for bird watching.
A significant portion of birdwatchers in Turkey consists of young people from higher education and income groups. It is seen in the researches that these young people spare at least 3 days to participate in bird watching activities more than 5 times a year.
Because most birdwatchers are educated and high-income people, they work with local guides at the birdwatching sites. Nuri Chorbacioglu is one of the expert local guides on Sultan Reeds and Cappadocia.
Nuri Chorbacioglu says that in regions where the number of bird watching trips and visits increases, the efforts of the local people to protect bird species increase accordingly.
It is seen that bird watchers live in the developed parts of Turkey and they can do their activities alone as well as watch birds in large groups.
It is understood from observers who have reached 30 years that bird watching has become an increasing passion over time. There are even those who observe 200 days a year. There are also those who travel abroad for bird watching. Bird watchers must read and carry books for more information.
Çorbacıoğlu spends an average of 1500 dollars for bird watching equipment. There are also those who approach 10 thousand dollars for this figure. It is seen that most of those who stay in the tent during the observation do trekking and photography.
Bird watching activities in Turkey can now be categorized as “avitourism”.
Bird watching first starts with loving birds. Along with this love comes curiosity. An important stage for bird watching is the research stage that follows love and curiosity.
Answers are sought by research assistants to such questions as where the observations can be made most efficiently, where they are made today, which bird watchers are where, which types of birds come to which regions during seasonal transitions and migrations, how long they stay there, evenings, drinking, living arrangements and can be observed and viewed from the most important points.
It is the fascinating features of birds that attract people who do birdwatching to this job, factor, occupation, hobby. A wide variety of migratory birds to Turkey with their many species present magnificent shows with their colorful physical features and lives in different seasons.
The chirping sounds of the birds, their songs, their songs, the nightingales' supplication to the roses is the concert of a magnificent nature orchestra.
By realizing the never-ending dreams of people, the birds that fly freely in the vast sky, glide and perform acrobatic movements whenever they want, reveal their charms.
Those who take the path of bird watching admiring all these beauties are now watching the path of these beauties, looking for their voices in every corner.
Those who want these bird shows to never end and the bird orchestra concerts to continue all the time, bird watching gives birth to nature friendliness and empathy. They make friends with the birds, adopt them, give them names, and witness their marriage.
With bird watching, the birdwatcher becomes a watchman, guard and watch over the eggs of those birds in the couple's nest even keeping their pedigree.
It is seen that some people are interested in different kinds of birds, observe them, fall in love with that species and turn it into a philosophy of life.
Those who live by the sea and on the beaches observe and take care of the seagulls, and those living in the interior, the sparrows, doves and swallows. Some even make the crows, which they hear as being smarter, the subject of this observation.
Birds are the most natural parts of our lives. Wherever you look around you, you see birds. There are birds everywhere and at all times, but only those who love, wonder, research and protect them and their beauty are aware of them.
Many people do not know, even though they see them, that there are many sparrows, crows, nightingales, doves, flamingos, and seagulls right next to us in Turkey. There are so many worlds and lives in front of our eyes, especially the birds sing and turn over our heads, but only birdwatchers and bird photographers can see this view properly.
You can come across a wide variety of birds in your garden, in parks near you, in the air, around streams and lakes, in forests close to the landscape, perched on the bird watching window every day.
Observing birds is difficult due to insufficient light, too little or too much lighting, and natural environment obstacles.
There will be a lot of work for your ears. First of all, you recognize the birds by their own voices, decipher the owner of the voice, the interpretation of its song, and the message it conveys. From the window, the garden, the park, you can gradually leave the city, open to the steppes and forests and wetlands that contain a wide variety of species, distance, features.
Along with your ears, your eyes will also have important duties here. You can start to get help from binoculars in order to watch this colorful world in steppe, forest and wetlands, the concert of the orchestra you want never to end, and the beauties of the visual feast presented.
After you buy the binoculars, you will be eager to jump to the telescope stage to observe the details of this world, these rich life features. You will get your wish in a short time.
While you are bird watching, you should also obtain the equipment you provide to protect yourself. You should dress in a way that will protect you from cold, heat, rain and snow, and make sure that your shoes have the features that will protect you from all kinds of ground, seasonal conditions, heat, and that they will not hurt you while walking.
You must have hats for summer, winter, spring and autumn, sunscreen, fly repellent, water, snacks, salt, sugar, painkillers and medicine boxes for the medicines you use all the time.
While bird watching, do not disturb or harm the environment, do not forget that guests and priority are their right at their place. Never harm their private lives, especially the work, family, spouse of the birds you observe in their own homes and other living things in the habitat.
Do not interfere with the routine flow of the life of birds and other creatures while observing,
Behave in the same way as you would when you are a guest, at the place and time you observe. Just as you treat your host, home, property, and host with respect, treat the world of living things with respect.
Do not harm the habitat of any living thing, especially birds, do not scare them, do not make noise, do not target them, do not use them as a target, by accepting that they are also special, that their habitat belongs to them and is their property.
Do not remove even the smallest stone, do not damage branches, hollows, trees. You do not know under which stone, branch or leaf there are lives, nests, eggs, and how many cubs are waiting for their mother with their mouths open.
Do not approach the nests, do not scatter them, do not frighten them, do not force the birds to flee. Do not hold the nest, egg or bird in your hands, never kiss or caress, even to love.
Do not shine a light such as lanterns, spotlights, lamps, headlights on birds and their nests. Remember how the light pollution around you disturbs you, how much it interferes with your sleep, and how your health deteriorates when you cannot sleep.
To do bird watching, to run bird photography business, respect the birds and the place you are visiting, and abide by the ethical rules.
The regions where the most bird species coexist in Turkey and which are considered the most important for birds are as follows: