I am an avid world birder with a focus in Turkey and Ecuador. I am fascinated by the idea of watching birds and conserving nature at the same time. As a leading birding figure in my country, I have contributed to the early development of birding by forming and managing bird organizations, publishing bird books, and promoting bird data. As a conservationist, I collaborated with major conservation organizations for species and site conservation projects. I am passionate about gathering, managing, and publishing data generated by the citizen-science project, eBird. I am very keen on geographical information systems (GIS) and data management tools to present bird data attractively.
I own a consultancy company (KAB Ecology) that manages ecological surveys and produces ecological impact reports for projects in Turkey and abroad. I have good communication skills across different geographies and strive to connect people with birds and nature.
Interests
- Ecological Surveys
- Biodiversity Conservation
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Citizen Science Data
- Latin America
Projects
- Books: Field Guides in Turkish, Turkish names of the birds of the world. IBAs of the Tropical Andes
- Maps: Distribution maps in Birds of Turkey.
- Broadcasting: Şehir Kuşçusu (Radio Program on Urban Birding) @NTV Radio
- Data: Manager of eBird Turkey, Turkish Breeding Bird Atlas
- Clubs: Turkish Bird Records Committee, Istanbul Bird Watching Club, METU Birdwatching Club
Education
- MSc, Ecology – University of East Anglia, UK
- BSc, Biology – Middle East Technical University, Ankara
Professional
- KAB Ecology (2019 – )
- Independent Ecological Consultant (2009- )
- Licensed Tourist Guide (2008-2015)
- BirdLife International, Quito (2002-2005)