Desert Finches
A country of great tradition and contrasts, Turkey offers a splendid opportunity within the Western Palearctic to encounter birds from both East and West. Add to this the cultural aspects, wonderful hospitality of the Turkish people and warm climate and you have an ideal birding and holiday destination. We concentrate principally on the central areas, which are home to a diverse mix of habitats from huge expanses of wetlands to rocky plateaux that should ensure a very varied mix of species, some of which are at the very limit of their European range. Several subspecies of commoner birds are found in Turkey, adding interest to the more familiar birds. Much of the birding is done from the roadside or on short walks.The exact locations may differ slightly to those in the itinerary, as water courses may have dried up or new ones formed, though habitats will be similar. The days in the mountains will by their nature be a bit more rigorous than elsewhere and we may have to do a bit of rock scrambling both here and at other localities, so a reasonable degree of physical fitness is required for this tour. However, in the mountains, a tractor will assist our climb for Caspian Snowcock and can also be taken back down if required. Please note that this is not known for being a comfortable ride and takes place in semi darkness - but the rewards can be fantastic. Let’s hope the birding gods are on our side on this day. Single rooms are available at some hotels, but not all, and en suite is also unlikely at all accommodation. However, we are using the best available in the areas we visit, and on our previous tours, we found them all to be perfectly acceptable at worst and in some cases the standard was much higher than anticipated. Your principal guide will be Steve Cale, who will be joined throughout by our Turkish ground agent and a driver. You can expect to see 175 - 200 species.
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Introduction
