The environmental NGO KuzeyDoga Society (URL: http://www.kuzeydoga.org) has been monitoring and ringing birds at Aras and Kuyucuk Research stations in northeastern Turkey's Kars and Igdir provinces. We have so far recorded 313 bird species in the Kars region, over two-thirds of the country's species, including most of eastern Turkey specialties. 158 bird species have been ringed, both numbers are still rising, and new species to Turkey are possible in this exciting region that borders Armenia and Georgia. The list of ringed and observed birds is here: (URL: http://kuzeydoga.org/index.php/birdlist). We are looking for experienced and licensed bird ringers and experts who can conduct systematic bird counts, including songbird, waterfowl, wader, and raptor monitoring. Experience with Turkey/Middle East/Eastern Europe birds is preferred. Interested applicants need to email their bird ringing and/or bird monitoring resume to (EM: onder@kuzeydoga.org). The ornithology program is part of the Kars-Igdir Biodiversity Project led by ornithologist, ecologist and conservationist Dr. Cagan Sekercioglu (URL: http://www.sekercioglu.org), senior scientist at Stanford University Biology Department and the president of KuzeyDoga. As a result of our multi-year efforts to protect and monitor the region's bird diversity while benefiting local people from ecotourism, KuzeyDoga was honored to receive from HRH Princess Anne the 2008 Whitley Gold Award, the most presitigous grassroots conservation award of the United Kingdom (URL: http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/website/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1252&Itemid=32).
Our conservation and ecotourism efforts have culminated this spring in the designation of Lake Kuyucuk as Turkey's 13. and eastern Turkey's first RAMSAR wetland, and Kuyucuk's election as Turkey's 2009 European Destination of Excellence by the European Commission. Aras Station (950 m a.s.l., 40º 07' N, 043º 35' E) is in a wetland by the Aras river and is surrounded by reeds and willows. Kuyucuk Lake (1627 m a.s.l., 40º 45' N, 043º 27' E) is a bird-rich steppe lake surrounded by wheat fields and alpine meadows. Photos can be seen on (URL: http://www.kuyucuk.org/ and http://picasaweb.google.com/kuzeydoga/ArasIstasyonArasStation#).