The black-headed penduline tit has become Türkiye's 498th species after being recorded in the eastern city of Iğdır.

Currently, the Bird Ringing, Research and Education Center in Eastern Türkiye’s Aras River Wetlands Bird Paradise continues its studies in the area with the permission of the North Nature Association and the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP).

Considered the rarest recorded species in the world, the black-headed penduline tit was recorded during research conducted by the association in the region in April.

Professor Çağan Şekercioğlu, the president of the association and a faculty member at Koç and UTAH Universities, wrote an article about the bird, which has been published in Zoology in the Middle East, a leading scientific journal for wildlife.

The photograph of the bird was featured on the cover of the December 2022 issue of the magazine, and Şekercioğlu confirmed that the bird has officially entered the scientific record as Türkiye's 498th species.

Stating that it is a source of pride for Iğdır to have this species on the cover of a magazine that is very important for the world's wildlife, Şekercioğlu said: "When we look at the eBird records, this bird species is technically the rarest bird species in Türkiye – it is the least recorded species in the world and has only been observed for 48 times. Along with the Basra reed warbler (Acrocephalus Griselda) and shikra (accipiter badius) species that we recorded for the first time, three new species have contributed to the Aras River Wetlands Bird Paradise list."

Şekercioğlu stated that most of the bird species in Türkiye live in Iğdır, adding that the number of species in the Aras River Wetlands Bird Paradise has reached 316.

Emphasizing that almost two-thirds of the bird species in the country are recorded only in the 10 square kilometers (4 square miles) of the bird paradise, Şekercioğlu said: "At the same time, nearly 120 birds from 16 species that we track here with satellite transmitters come from dozens of countries, from the Arctic Ocean coast of Siberia to South Africa, Nigeria and various countries of the Middle East. The birds that shuttle between the two hemispheres use the Aras River Wetlands Bird Paradise for both migration, breeding and spending winter, which shows that the area where three of the eight main bird migration routes in the world intersect, is a very important wetland worldwide and a critical habitat for birds."