Cyprus (North)
The KUŞKOR Ringing Scheme, which is based in North Cyprus, was founded by KUŞKOR officials and British ringers in 2001. Adopting British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) conventions and regulations and using British-sourced metal rings headed ‘Kuşkor North Cyprus’, the scheme became a member of the European Union for Bird Ringing (EURING) in 2015.
Since its outset, the scheme has welcomed qualified ringers to trap birds at sites across North Cyprus, assisted by resident ringers. The scheme has increased its annual efforts gradually by training local ringers, who, as well as engaging in the management of the scheme, have themselves benefited professionally by attaining BTO ringing permits. Through voluntary efforts and with no external funding, more than 6500 birds of 132 different species have been ringed through the KUŞKOR scheme so far.
Cyprus is at the heart of the vast Eastern Mediterranean flyway and has resident, breeding migrant, passage and wintering populations of birds about which relatively little is known. They are therefore the perfect subjects for ringing studies. As well as adding significantly to our general understanding of Cyprus birds at the study sites, ringing-based articles from KUŞKOR ringers have been published on the breeding Eurasian Reed Warbler, Nightingale and Cyprus Warbler. Also, findings of the scheme’s ringers contributed to the declaration of the Cyprus Scops Owl as an independent species.
The scheme has also contributed to KUŞKOR’s long-term monitoring and conservation projects. Including the Bonelli’s Eagle Monitoring Project, Audouin’s Gull Monitoring Project, Returning Rollers to Mesarya Plain Project as well as efforts towards monitoring Natura 2000 sites. It has been a great string in the bow of the society.
Moreover, the scheme has been benefiting from bird ringing as a tool for awareness raising through students. In 2022 KUSKOR organized the first BirdCamp for Cyprus with support from the Ornithological Society of the Middle East (OSME), during which young people had the chance of not only bird watching but also engaging with bird ringing.
Licenced and suitably experienced ringers who are interested in finding out more can contact us through the info@kuskor.org email address.
Contact the scheme: info@kuskor.org