Endangered Basra Reed-warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis) recorded for the first time in Turkey (Aves: Acrocephalidae)

Abstract

The Basra Reed-warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis) is an endangered songbird that breeds in the reed beds of southernMesopotamia. Hydrological projects, war, and drought have greatly reduced the breeding habitat of this species, making its futureuncertain. The first Basra Reed-warbler for Turkey was caught in a mist net on 22 May 2018 at the Aras River Ornithological ResearchStation, between the provinces of Kars and Iğdır. This represents one of only a few vagrant records in the eastern Mediterranean, andthe northernmost record to date. It is likely that this bird was an overshooting spring migrant, but the existence of other small breedingpopulations elsewhere in the Middle East could lead to more migrants, or even breeding pairs, occurring in eastern Turkey in the future.Riparian oases such as the Aras River Bird Paradise are vital habitats for millions of migrating birds of hundreds of species and if moreindividuals of Turkey’s first endangered songbird are discovered, it would raise the conservation priority of the region’s wetlands evenfurther.