All 5 in 3 days here: ~40%
City
Ankara
🇹🇷 Turkey
Asia, Turkey 153 spp. recorded
Ankara is the capital city of Turkey. Ankara is Turkey's second-largest city by population after Istanbul. Wikipedia
39.952° N 32.837° E
🦜 Nature
153 Species sighted
5,665 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Aug Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Brown Hare
Lepus europaeus
LC
Günther's Vole
Microtus guentheri
LC
Brown Rat
Rattus norvegicus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Caspian Whipsnake
Dolichophis caspius
LC
European Copper Skink
Ablepharus kitaibelii
Mediterranean Thin-toed Gecko
Mediodactylus danilewskii
LC
Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta
LC
Eurasian Blind Snake
Xerotyphlops vermicularis
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Brown Hare
Lepus europaeus
LC
Eurasian Scops Owl
Otus scops
Alexandrine Parakeet
Psittacula eupatria
LC
Sardinian Warbler
Curruca melanocephala
LC
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Ficedula parva
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Ankara
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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ODTÜ · Ankara Kampüsü Yerleşkesi ve KKM Ormanı
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Ankara Üniversitesi Tandoğan Kampüsü
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
Başkent Millet Bahçesi
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
15Jan
17Feb
23Mar
21Apr
24May
20Jun
17Jul
25Aug
21Sep
23Oct
20Nov
21Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Low
Protected land
—
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
—
Wildlife spots
7
spotsZoos & centres
3
placesClimate
Cold semi-arid
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Zoos & rescue centres
0.0 Excellent
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
3.1
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 333
🐒 Mammals 66
🦎 Reptiles 28
🐸 Amphibians 10
437 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
17 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
4.2
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
69% 📊
Coverage (68 species at ≥5% of 437 in the inventory)
16% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (11 bird, 1 mammal)
20% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
2 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
16 🏕️
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.0
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover Low Low
Protected land & sea — Low
Protected areas 0 Low
Wildlife spots 7 Medium
Zoos & centres 3 High
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Ankara?
153 species
Ankara's urban area has 153 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Eurasian Magpie (over 90%), Rock Pigeon (about 90%), House Sparrow (about 80%), Great Tit (about 80%) and Rose-ringed Parakeet (about 80%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Eastern European Hedgehog (about 50%); among reptiles, Snake-eyed Lizard (about 20%); among amphibians, Marsh Frog (about 40%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Ankara?
February–March, May, August, October and December
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 40% in July.
Can you see an Eastern European Hedgehog in Ankara?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern European Hedgehog sighting in Ankara on a given day, based on 32 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July (about 80%).
Can you see a Eurasian Magpie in Ankara?
Yes
Over 90% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Magpie sighting in Ankara on a given day, based on 482 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January–May and August–November (over 90%).
Can you see a Caucasian Squirrel in Ankara?
Yes
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Caucasian Squirrel sighting in Ankara on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is November (about 60%).
Where in Ankara is wildlife easiest to see?
ODTÜ · Ankara Kampüsü Yerleşkesi ve KKM Ormanı
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is ODTÜ · Ankara Kampüsü Yerleşkesi ve KKM Ormanı (85 bird species recorded), followed by Ankara Üniversitesi Tandoğan Kampüsü and Altınpark. See them on the map.
Is Ankara good for wildlife watching?
3.9 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Ankara gets 3.9/5: 258th of 380 cities worldwide and 106th in Asia. 20 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Parks
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Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data