Current status and distribution of diurnal raptor species in the south-eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey

The status and distribution of diurnal raptor bird species were analysed in the south-eastern part of Turkey based on studies and records between 1994 and 2014. Our information about raptor species is very limited in the south-eastern Anatolia Region. The study showed that of 42 diurnal raptor species listed in Turkey, 37 of these species were found in the studied region; 9 of them are certainly, 4 probably and 1 possibly breeding in the area - according to the breeding criteria of the EBCC - while 17 of them were transitory migrating or wintering birds for the region, and the breeding/migratory status of 6 is unknown. Habitats lost and fragmentation related to agricultural intensification together with pesticide applications are the main hazards threatening wildlife including raptors in the region. So as to increase knowledge on raptors in south-eastern Anatolia and evaluate their populations, a coordinated education and research program is essential.