fethi bengil

The first observation of wild canary is reported at the Adriatic Sea, coasts of Croatia. An individual of the species was observed and photographed on inflatable research boat on 27.10.2009.

Key words: Wild Canary, Serinus canaria, Adriatic Sea, fauna, vagrant.

Between 3 and 18 May, 2008, the status and distribution of breeding birds in Küçük Menderes Delta on the coast of the Aegean Sea in western Turkey was investigated. The 49 km2 large study area was divided into 49 1 × 1 km UTM squares. In all squares, 2-3 point counts, i.e. a total of 139 counts, were conducted. From a total of 54 bird species for which breeding evidence was obtained, 19 species (35%) were classified as possible breeding and 23 (43%) as probably breeding birds, while for 12 species (22%) breeding was confirmed. The current distribution of all breeding species is presented in maps. Crested Lark Galerida cristata, Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti, House Sparrow Passer domesticus and Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida were found in > 50% of all squares. More than 10 breeding species were found in squares containing different aquatic and seasonally flooded habitats along the shore-line of the Aegean Sea and in the surroundings of brackish and freshwater lakes, while in many squares, which contain large portions of agriculturally used land and salt mud-flats, less than 10 breeding species were recorded. Low numbers of breeding waterbirds in the Delta are attributed to the burning of reedbeds during the nesting season and human disturbances, like recreation activities and illegal bird shooting.

The study focuses on the inventorying of avifauna in coastal wetlands of Kucuk Menderes Delta. The area is  one  of  the important  wetlands  in  Turkey  qualifying as an IBA (Important Bird Area) for 2 species and KBA (Key Biodiversity Area) for 13 species. Occurrence and distribution of bird species in Kucuk Menderes Delta were surveyed between October-June 2008. Distribution maps for each bird species were prepared. A GIS-based inventory was created for the study area with output of species distribution maps. These maps were superposed to determine the significance of tetrads in delta which contain most species using GIS analyses. Also, GIS mapping was used for classification of main habitats of study area using satellite imagery.
Such GIS-based inventories may be used for the conservation of the avifauna and to take appropriate decisions for wetland management in coastal zones. With additional layers that demonstrate human usage and other ecological data, the system may be used for monitoring purposes in the future.

We performed monthly point counts for occurrence of bird species in Küçük Menderes Delta between September 2007 and May 2008, for 3 seasons per year. During the observation period 120 bird species that belong to 10 orders and 41 families were recorded. Diversity index and analysis of similarity were applied to time series data. The results were classified using cluster analysis and were ordered using multidimensional scaling for determining seasonal pattern of bird species in delta. As a result, September and May are less similar than other months regarding the species composition. At the same time, there are differences among seasons.