# Kızılırmak Delta Bird Reserve

Kızılırmak Delta Bird Reserve (Kızılırmak Deltası Kuş Cenneti) is a wetland wildlife reserve in the Central Karadeniz (Black Sea) region of Turkey, about 50 km west of Samsun. It is a Ramsar site, a wetland area designated as of international importance.

## Understand

The River Kızılırmak is the longest river flowing entirely within Turkey. It arises in Eastern Anatolia and flows west before making a grand arc to trend northeast into the Black Sea, 1355 km in all. (The Tigris and Euphrates are longer but cross into Syria and Iraq to drain into the Persian Gulf.) The Kızılırmak brings down lots of silt - kızıl means red - that over the ages has formed a delta 30 km broad. This land is fertile and much of it is farmed, while other parts are woods and wetlands. Its eastern third is now protected as a wildlife park and Ramsar site. Inevitably there are tensions between habitat protection, leisure use such as hunting, and farming. The park is at twin risk from drying out and flooding: ditches for farm drainage are sucking away the wetland, while upstream river management means the Kızılırmak no longer dumps such a load of silt to offset coastal erosion.
The climate is dominated by the Black Sea. Winters are very chilly, summers are hot and there's no shade so use sun protection.
See below for typical animals and plants - use a phone app such as iNaturalist, BirdNET or Merlin to identify obscure species.

## Get in

You really need a vehicle to get here, though it's within cycling range. Most visitors simply day-trip from Samsun.
41.595436.11271 South gate is the usual approach. From the coastal highway D-010 turn off at the village of 19 Mayıs (say "On-dokuz-mayis") and follow İsmet İnönü Cd north through Yörükler. It's 15 km along a good sealed road with cattle ambling along it. The main parking lot and visitor centre are at the south gate. Bicycles may continue but vehicles must stop here and you transfer to the shuttle bus, which runs 12 km to north gate.
41.670436.03432 North gate is approached from the town of Bafra, again by a good though narrow road, Turgut Özal Blv. There's another visitor centre and parking lot, for cars only - motor homes and caravans will be turned back to circle the park and approach via the north gate.
If you're dependent on public transport, dolmuşes ply between Samsun and Sinop and can let you off at Bafra. That's 20 km from the park but over a dozen taxi operators make their living from the park. They'll take you to North gate.

## Fees and permits

Free entry and parking. There is a small fee to take the shuttle bus or tour buggy. No fishing by visitors, a few locals have permits to fish from small boats.

## Get around

The road between the two gates is closed to private vehicles. So you either limit yourself to what's in view within walking distance of the gate, rent a bike / trike (they're in poor repair), take the shuttle bus, or join the hourly tour by electric buggy.
You may only leave the road by marked trails, which are not suitable for bicycles.

## See

* Bird-watching towers stand at the two gates. They're unsuitable for anyone with restricted mobility, and in summer become crowded with visitors.
* Storks' nests are the big brown things perched atop telegraph poles. The storks arrive in spring and return south in autumn.
* Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) were domesticated to till rice fields and for milk, and they play an important role in churning up the wetland and keeping it wet. It's rare for them to be aggressive, they'll back off from a firm hosht - "shoo!".
* Great white egrets or heron (Ardea alba) are a metre tall and easily spotted. A small one may be a juvenile or more likely the little egret (Egretta garzetta) with shorter necks. Those waiting patiently near the backsides of buffalo might be cattle egrets (Ardea ibis).
* Camels are not what you expect in a wetland, but there's a colony of one-humped camels, dromedaries (Camelus dromedarius). Large numbers were imported from Arabia to tote freight, then abandoned to go feral once Turkey mechanised.

## Do

* Birdwatching is what the delta is best known for, but there are plenty of four-legged animals and plants of interest.
* Beaches can be accessed at several points: by a road east from Yörükler, by a dirt track from South gate (just outside the park, so you can cautiously drive down it) and along the park road 3 km from North gate - the shuttle bus stops here.
* Watch the sunset: the beaches are east-facing, but a dirt track from South gate (opposite the track to the beach) brings you to the jetty on Balık Gölü ("Fish Lake"), a tranquil lagoon.

## Buy

The gift shop in the visitor centre sells buffalo cheese.

## Eat

* Tent Cafe at North Gate is open daily 08:00-18:00.

## Drink

Bring your own water, supplies here are overpriced.

## Sleep

* Samsun has lots of accommodation, most visitors day-trip from there. Bafra is a large town but lacks tourist facilities.
* Caravans and motorhomes may park overnight at South gate.
* Kızılırmak Deltası-Bungalow (at South gate), ☏ +90 544 562 33 95. Closed until April 2025. In summer open every day except Mondays. In autumn only open Saturday nights. Open air restaurant closes at dusk, no outside lighting is allowed as it would disturb birds. Kids playground. (updated Jan 2025)
* No camping within the park.

## Connect

The coastal highway has 4G from all Turkish carriers, but the signal is patchy on the roads to the park. As of Jan 2025, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

## Stay safe

Beware traffic, especially shunts when the fellow in front stops to gawp at something. And don't leave valuables visible in your vehicle.
The jandarma are at both gates and respond to emergencies. Use the national police number 112.

## Go next

* Samsun is a large resort 50 km east.
* Sinop is a smaller resort 50 km west.