Mass Flamingo Deaths Return to Tuz Lake Amid Ongoing Water Crisis

Tuz Lake, Türkiye’s second-largest lake and a vital stopover for migratory birds, has once again become the scene of tragedy as approximately 2,000 flamingo chicks died this year due to insufficient water access during the migration and nesting season.

Located at the intersection of Konya, Ankara, and Aksaray, Tuz Lake is a closed basin with no natural outlet, making it especially vulnerable to changes in water levels. Nicknamed the “flamingo paradise,” the lake annually hosts up to 22,000 flamingos, which rely on its shallow waters for nesting each spring and summer before migrating to warmer climates in autumn.

Uncontrolled Irrigation Blamed for Water Loss

Recent field inspections revealed a mass die-off of newly hatched flamingos in key breeding areas. Authorities concluded that unregulated agricultural irrigation diverted water from the main sources feeding the irrigation canal that supplies the flamingo nesting grounds. Compounding the crisis, groundwater levels have dropped, reducing flow from wells meant to maintain the canal.

This year’s fatalities echo a similar event that occurred four years ago, after which the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change drilled emergency wells to stabilize the ecosystem. Despite these efforts, continued mismanagement of water resources has rendered such interventions ineffective.

The latest figures confirm that 2,000 chicks have died—a grim indicator of ecological imbalance and the growing threat to one of Türkiye’s most unique and sensitive bird habitats.