Introduction The varied climatic and topographical conditions in Turkey mean that there is a great diversity of habitats. Therefore, the ornithological importance of Turkey has been revealed by many researchers both locally and generally (Ergene, 1945; Kumerloeve, 1961, 1967, 1969; Vielliard, 1968; Parr, 1981; Murphy, 1984; Beaman, 1986; S›k›, 1988; Kiziro¤lu, 1989; Martins, 1989; Eames, 1990; Kasparek, 1992; Ayvaz, 1993; Kirwan and Martins, 1994, 2000; Biricik, 1996; Turan and Erdo¤an, 1998; Kaya et al., 1999; K›l›ç, 1999, 2001; Karakafl and K›l›ç, 2002). Although Turkey has a rich bird potential, it was reported that there is no homogeneity between regions in ornithological studies (Yarar and Magnin, 1997). It is known that South-eastern Anatolia has great importance for many animal groups because of the semi- arid and fresh water ecosystems. Furthermore, this region, due to the large reservoir areas of dams which have been constructed in recent decades, is of special importance. The South-eastern Anatolia Project (GAP) will cause an increase in the watery land, which will likely cause some changes in the climate and flora of the region; therefore, this project will change the number and kind of bird species in the region, and both positive and negative effects on the avifauna of the region have been predicted (Ünlü et al., 1997). The determination of bird species will help us to evaluate and compare the changes in the bird fauna of the region in the future. Materials and Methods Between February 2000 and February 2002, the bird species of Dicle Dam and near surroundings were observed by ornithological observations. Using line Turk J Zool 28 (2004) 301-308 © TÜB‹TAK 301 The Birds of Dicle Dam (Diyarbak›r) Recep KARAKAfi*, Ahmet KILIÇ* Dicle University, Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Biology, 21280, Diyarbak›r - TURKEY Received: 14.01.2003 Abstract: The birds of Dicle Dam, which is located 50 km north-east of Diyarbak›r city centre, were studied between February 2000 and February 2002. During the observation period 116 bird species that belong to 15 orders and 38 families were determined and listed. Among these species defined, 44 of them certainly and 26 presumably breed in the area, while 46 of them are transitory migrating or wintering birds for the region. Three species are globally under threat. The determination of bird species will help in the evaluation and comparison of possible changes regarding the bird fauna in the future. Key Words: Bird, Avifauna, Diyarbak›r, Tigris, South-eastern Anatolia Region Dicle Baraj› (Diyarbak›r) Kufllar› Özet: Diyarbak›r flehir merkezinin 50 km kuzeydo¤usunda yer alan Dicle Baraj›’n›n kufllar›, fiubat 2000 - fiubat 2002 tarihleri aras›nda araflt›r›lm›flt›r. Çal›flma s›ras›nda belirlenen 15 ordo ve 38 familyaya ait 116 kufl türünün listesi sunulmufltur. Bu türlerden 44’ü kesin, 26’s› muhtemelen yörede üreyen türler olup, 46’s›n›n ise transit göçücü yada k›fl konu¤u oldu¤u belirlenmifltir. Yörede gözlenen türlerden 3’ünün küresel ölçekte tehlike alt›nda olan türler olduklar› saptanm›flt›r. Yörenin kufl türlerinin belirlenmifl olmas› ilerde kufl faunas›nda olacak de¤ifliklikleri karfl›laflt›rmak ve de¤erlendirmek aç›s›ndan faydal› olacakt›r. Anahtar Sözcükler: Kufl, Avifauna, Diyarbak›r, Dicle, Güneydo¤u Anadolu Bölgesi * Correspondence to: rkarakas@dicle.edu.tr ; ahmetk@dicle.edu.tr