email a friend
printable version
TR063
Kulu Lake
Location Turkey, Konya
Central coordinates 33o 8.00' East  39o 5.00' North
IBA criteria A1, A4i, B1i, B2, B3
Area 2,431 ha
Altitude 950 m
Year of IBA assessment 2004

Doga Dernegi (Partner Designate)



Ornithological information The IBA is important for breeding waterbirds. In winter the lake normally freezes but occasionally holds significant numbers of wildfowl.

Site description A shallow brackish lake situated north-west of Tuz lake (site 072), 5 km east of the town of Kulu. Fed mainly by the Kulu stream, the lake is largely devoid of fringe vegetation, except for a small freshwater area in the south. Most of the nine islands are covered with grass in spring and early summer. Non-irrigated arable land, barren steppe and cattle-grazed grass plains surround the lake.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons winter  1992  9,718 individuals  -  B1i  Least Concern 
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea non-breeding  -  2,000-3,000 individuals  -  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala non-breeding  -  140-200 individuals  -  A1, A4i, B1i  Endangered 
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala winter  -  200-290 individuals  -  A1, A4i, B1i  Endangered 
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala breeding  -  20-30 breeding pairs  -  A1, B1i, B2  Endangered 
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus non-breeding  -  1,000-4,600 individuals  -  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo passage  2001  3 individuals  -  B1i  Least Concern 
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta breeding  -  250 breeding pairs  -  B1i  Least Concern 
Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii non-breeding  1994  100 individuals  -  B1i  Least Concern 
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola passage  -  100-300 individuals  -  B1i  Least Concern 
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus breeding  -  490-1,190 breeding pairs  -  B3  Least Concern 
Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica breeding  -  171-473 breeding pairs  -  A4i, B1i, B2  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Kulu Golu Other Area 700 protected area contains site 2,431  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Wetlands (inland) Standing brackish and salt water  100%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture 10%
not utilised 90%

Management considerations Untreated waste water from Kulu enters the lake and the town's rubbish is dumped in the Kulu stream. Plans exist to improve access to the lake and to construct a road and watch towers around it, in order to promote tourism. This would undoubtedly threaten gulls and terns (Laridae) breeding on the islands, and breeding ducks. Hunting pressure would also increase.

Protection status National High International None860 ha of IBA covered by SÝT (Kulu Gölü, 860 ha).

Contribute  Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.

Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Kulu Lake. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife