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Türkiye's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has announced it will release 51,000 birds into the wild this year. This is part of a wildlife restocking program that also serves as a biological pest control measure against ticks and brown marmorated stink bugs.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı said the release will include 39,250 partridges and 11,750 pheasants in 156 areas across 62 provinces.
'This year, we aim to reintroduce a total of 51,000 birds, 39,250 partridges and 11,750 pheasants, into nature,' Yumaklı said. 'Releases will take place in 156 different areas in 62 provinces. The species to be released will help control ticks and the brown marmorated stink bug.'
The General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP) is responsible for the releases. DKMP runs breeding stations for partridges in Afyonkarahisar, Kahramanmars, Yozgat, Gaziantep, and Malatya and for pheasants in Samsun, Istanbul, and Gumushane.
Yumaklı said that DKMP released 36,250 partridges and 9,000 pheasants in 2025. Over the past 10 years, the program has reintroduced about 750,000 partridges and 250,000 pheasants, totaling around 1 million birds, back into natural habitats.
The minister explained that choosing release sites involves detailed land surveys, habitat assessments, and technical analyses. Criteria include the ecological needs of each species, habitat suitability, food and water sources, shelter, predator presence, human activity, and monitoring data from previous years.
The plan sets 116 release points in 50 provinces for chukar partridges, 34 in 16 provinces for pheasants, and 6 in 5 provinces for grey partridges.
Besides wildlife conservation, the ministry said the program also helps agriculture. Partridges are given anti-tick medication before release. Pheasants will be released in Black Sea provinces to target the brown marmorated stink bug, an invasive species that harms crops in the region.
Yumaklı also said that all release areas are closed to hunting for three years after each release. 'Our overall objective is the protection and development of wildlife, ensuring its conscious and planned use, and passing it on to future generations through sustainable management,' he said.
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