Examination of the list shows that some 20 species have internationally 
important breeding populations in Turkey and for a further 13 their 
wintering or migrating populations are of international importance. On 
a regional scale (the eastern half of the West Palearctic, including Iran). 
Turkey holds over 60 spedes that are important for their breeding 
populations and 26 for their wintering or migratory populations. 
Furthermore, 14 species are known to be declining, some seriously. 
These are the groups of species for which Turkey has a real responsibility. 
Many of those of international or regional importance are not threatened 
- and hopefully never will be - but if their fortunes were to change 
adversely then the conservation significance of the event would be 
measured in global terms. 
This paper has attempted to identify those species which should form the 
priorities for detennining any future bird conservation action. This is 
only, however, the first step, the next must be to identify the threats to 
those species and their habitats for which the work of Baris (1989) will 
provide an invaluable basis. This will be attempted once agreement has 
been reached on the "Red Data" list in table 1. 
Finally, it is important that the populations of birds listed in table 1 and 
indeed all species that occur in Turkey are adequately monitored. It is 
only in this way that conservationists, whether they be in Turkey or 
elsewhere, will be alerted to potential problems which need to be 
addressed. To illustrate this point I will use two examples: black kite and 
cirl bunting (one on table 1 and one not). It is my subjective opinion, based 
on my own observations, that both have declined markedly as breeding 
birds in Turkey over the past 25 years. If that is the case the collective 
records of visiting ornithologists should be confirming it - or otherwise. 
Furthermore, we should at least be getting some clues as to the reasons 
for any declines (eg habitat loss, effects of poisons etc) . Sadly we are not 
in a sufficientiy advanced stage of record collecting and assessment to 
make this possible. 
