Ornitho -Tourism and Antalya

The goal of this study is to evaluate the bird richness along with the bird watching activities in order to put forward the ornithotourism potential of Antalya. Bird watching is an in-situ activity to monitor, recognize and protect birds in their natural habitats. Antalya has different types of habitats such as long coastal band, wetland, woodland, mountainous and scrub areas. The province looks like a natural museum and/or laboratory for ornitho-tourism activities. Many protected areas have been declared as National Park and/or Special Protected Area due to the biodiversity and habitat richness of the region. During the surveys conducted in Antalya from 1988 to 2009, a total of 316 bird species was observed. It was seen that the region is important both for overwintering as well as a stopover for resting and feeding during bird migration. The region is also important for breeding of many birds. The bird diversity and protected areas of Antalya region seem to us very important factors which can attract many local and foreign tourists as a whole year activity.