650 baby flamingos banded at İzmir Bird Paradise for monitoring and conservation efforts

At İzmir Bird Paradise, around 650 of the thousands of flamingo chicks born this year on the artificial breeding island were banded by experts and volunteers to collect data on their migration routes, habitats, and lifespans. The Gediz Delta, one of only two breeding grounds for flamingos in Türkiye, hosts a 6.5-decare artificial incubation island established in 2012, where thousands of chicks hatch every year. The young flamingos spend time together in wetlands known as “crèches” and occasionally return to the island where they were born. After hatching, the chicks—covered in black and grey feathers—are fed with brine shrimp, known scientifically as *Artemia salina*. The İzmir Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks takes special security measures during the incubation period to ensure the birds are not disturbed.