A North American wading bird that normally migrates between the Arctic and South America has been recorded for the first time in Türkiye, at the mouth of the Manavgat River in Antalya province, local news site Haber Antalya reported on Monday.
The bird, a buff-breasted sandpiper (*Calidris subruficollis*, known in Turkish as çayırkoşarı), was first spotted on the morning of 25 October by Dutch birdwatcher Jourdy Houkes in the Ulualan area of Manavgat. Members of the Antalya Bird Observation Community (Antalya Kuş Gözlem Topluluğu) went to the site after his report, confirmed the identification and recorded it on photo and video.
Country list rises to 506 species
According to the report, the sighting takes Türkiye’s list of recorded bird species to 506 and Antalya province’s to 361. Birdwatcher Emin Yoğurtcuoğlu flew in from Istanbul to see the bird and joined other observers at the river mouth that evening.
Mustafa Erturhan, head of the Turkish Bird Records Committee, said some individuals of the species lose their way during migration and end up in Europe, and that the Manavgat bird is among the easternmost European records.
Gökçe Coşkun of the Antalya Bird Observation Community called the record important for the province and said the river mouth hosts many rare birds during the spring and autumn migrations. He said the bird has a limp in its left leg but no visible wound, and is able to stand, walk, feed and fly.
A long way from home
The species breeds on the Arctic tundra of Alaska and Canada and spends the winter on the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay, feeding on insects in short grassland, pastures and fields, the report said. It is classed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, having been moved up from Near Threatened in 2024 because of population decline, based on a BirdLife International assessment.
Manavgat for nature lovers
Manavgat is better known to visitors for its natural sites such as Tazı Canyon, whose day-use area has just been put out to tender. The record highlights the river mouth’s value for migrating birds, which local birders say peaks in spring and autumn. For more on the region, from this year’s olive harvest to practical information for newcomers, see our guide to living in Antalya.
Sources
Photo: Stephan Sprinz / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
