Aras River Bird Sanctuary

The Aras River Bird Sanctuary (Aras Kuş Cenneti) is located in the village of Yukarı Çıyriklı in the Tuzluca district of Iğdır, along the banks of the Aras River. This sanctuary and research center is situated on the Caucasus-Eurasian bird migration route. It is the first bird migration research station in Eastern Anatolia, and research and education activities have been ongoing since the fall of 2006. Bird ringing activities at this station continue for six months each year. A total of 332 bird species have been recorded in the province of Iğdır, which represents 68% of Türkiye’s bird species, making Iğdır one of the most important bird regions in Türkiye. The Aras River Bird Sanctuary is located in the Aras Valley, bordered by the Aras River (Aras Nehri) on one side and the Aras Mountains (Aras Dağları) on the other, along one of the world’s most crucial bird migration routes, the Africa-Eurasia flyway.