THREATS TO BURDUR LAKE ECOSYSTEM, TURKEY AND ITS WATERBIRDS, PARTICULARLY THE WHITE-HEADED DUCK, OXYURA-LEUCOCEPHALA

Burdur Lake, a closed-basin saline lake in south-west Anatolia, Turkey , is internationally important for its wintering waterbirds. It is the most important wintering site in the world for the white-headed duck Oxyura leucocephala, a globally threatened species. It has also held i nternationally important numbers of 10 other waterbird species. The la ke is threatened by the construction of an industrial complex and airp ort on the northern shore. Falling water levels (from construction of upstream dams), sedimentation (from catchment erosion), organic pollut ion (from food processing and sewage) and inorganic effluent (from a s ulphur mine) represent long-term threats to the lake system. Illegal h unting from the shore has a serious impact upon white-headed ducks, wh ich concentrate close inshore and show little escape response in the p resence of hunters. White-headed duck numbers have fluctuated consider ably since 1967 with a peak (incomplete) count of 10,927 in February 1 991. By January 1995, numbers had declined to 2805. Numbers of black-n ecked grebe Podiceps nigricollis, white-fronted goose Anser albifrons and tufted duck Aythya fuligula have declined. Numbers of large gulls of the Larus argentatus group which prey upon white-headed duck have i ncreased, possibly due to pollution. For 10 of 16 waterbird species re gularly observed at the site, highest numbers were recorded before 197 4. Recommendations for the conservation of the lake are presented. Cop yright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Limited.