Aktas Golii: a new pelican breeding 
site on the Turkish-Georgian border 
by Murat Yarar 
On 14 and 15 July 1995 with the permission of the General Staff in 
Ankara I visited Aktas Golii, Ardahan province, on the Turkish border 
with Georgia. Aktas Golii (or Hozapin lake) is a shallow, lava wall 
lake of volcanic origin situated in a closed basin at an altitude of 1794 
metres (Environmental Foundation of Turkey 1993). The lake covers 
2700 ha, of which 1400 ha lie within Turkey. There are 12 unhabited 
islands, all on the Turkish side, partially reed-fringed. There are also 
some reedbeds along the shoreline, elsewhere the lake is bordered by 
grassland and fields. There are several other lakes in the vicinity, the 
largest of which is (Jildir Golii, 15 km to the south. Several others are 
within Georgian territory e.g. Hanceli, Sargamo and Paravani lakes. 
Since the lake is situated in a restricted border area under military 
control, it is relatively undisturbed. There are only three villages on 
the Turkish side, with one directly beside the lake. 
From an ornithological point of view the lake is poorly known. The 
site is not included in the inventory of Important Bird Areas (Ertan et 
al 1989). The late Nihat Turan mentions breeding pelicans (not identi- 
fied to species). Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea, Velvet Scoter 
Melanitta fusca and Common Crane Grus grus at the lake, whereas 
White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus is mentioned as occurring there (in 
Environmental Foundation of Turkey 1993). All these observations 
probably date from the 1960s and 1970s. The only foreign birdwatch- 
ers knovm to have visited the area are van der Ven and Gheyselinck. 
Their observations from autumn 1980 and 1981 include numerous 
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis, White Pelican, Ruddy 
Shelduck, various ducks Ams sp. and Velvet Scoter (120 birds). 
Four hours were spent in the evening and afternoon of 14 and 15 July 
at the lake, birdwatching solely from the lakeshore. The most out- 
standing observation was the discovery of breeding Dalmatian Pelican 
Pelecanus crispus with White Pelicans on two of the islands. 
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