Manyas Bird Paradise

Kuş Cenneti - bird paradise - was declared a national park in 1959, one of the first in Turkey, protecting a corner of Lake Manyas where the Sığırcı stream comes in and floods a stand of willow and ash. That flooded wood is the breeding colony: Dalmatian and great white pelicans, pygmy cormorants, night and squacco herons, little egrets, spoonbills and glossy ibis nest in the trees in numbers, and something over two hundred and fifty species have been recorded on the lake as a whole, which sits on a major migration route between the Balkans and Anatolia. There is a visitor centre and small museum, a short boardwalk through the reeds and an observation tower looking into the colony. Water levels and agricultural drainage around the lake have been a long-running concern for the park, and how much of the colony is visible varies with them from year to year.

What you actually see

• The breeding colony - pelicans and herons in the flooded willows.
• The observation tower - the view into the nesting trees.
• The reed boardwalk - the short walk out through the marsh.
• The visitor centre - the small museum and displays.

When to go

March to June for the breeding season, which is when the colony is active and full; October and November for migration. Early morning is best for activity and light.

Honest expectations

Bring binoculars - the birds are at a distance and there is no closer access. Mosquitoes are serious in summer. Water levels vary year to year and can affect how much of the colony is present.

Nearby

Bandırma and its ferry to Istanbul are 20 km north; Gölyazı and Bursa are east.