Tuz Gölü records highest flamingo chick count in five years

Tuz Gölü, Turkey's second‑largest lake and a famed "flamingo paradise," saw 12,800 flamingo chicks hatch this year – the highest number in the past five years. The surge follows unusually strong rainfall that raised water levels in the closed basin spanning the Aksaray, Ankara and Konya provinces.

Doğa Kuş Bakışı ve Ekoloji Derneği president Fahri Tunç said the rain‑driven water increase led to a rapid rise in the flamingo population and an unexpected boom in chick numbers, adding that the lake now resembles a natural studio for observing the birds. Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum confirmed the figures, noting the record hatch count as a positive sign after previous drought concerns.

The chicks are expected to begin fledging in September and October, creating striking aerial displays over the lake's southern breeding grounds near Eskil district. Authorities emphasized the need for continued protection of the habitat against external threats.