Photograph copyrights © Hadoram Shirihai
Some 5 years ago Prof. Sundev Gombobaatar (Gombo) from Mongolian Ornithological Society, Mongolia invited me for cooperation in ornithological field research in his country. We decided to plan a major exploration for 'collecting' all the breeding birds of Mongolia. However, instated of shooting them with guns, as it was used to be even until not so long ago. is to actually documenting their beauty, elengance and life-secrets with highly powerful camera equipment - the 'modern ornithological collecting'. However, we decided going for it only when we are ready for such task, and only when we can do it on the best way, and actually as compete as possible.
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Shirihai is a comsummate birder, having added 50 previously undocumented new bird species to the list of birds of Isreal, and 10 new species to the Western Palearctic list of birds. He published The Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife, and commenced a 10-year project to produce the Photographic of Birds of the World. See his bio on WIKIPEDIA.
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Finally in May-July 2013 we have taken the plans to practice, and conducted 45 days field expedition, and across the whole vast areas and habitats of the country. The field work was under wings of the Photographic Handbook of the Birds of the World (H. Jornvall & H. Shirihai), Natural History, Bloombury Publishing, and in cooperation with the Mongolian Ornithological Society & Mongolica Co. Ltd.
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| Altai Snowcock Tetraogallus altaicus is a resident species in Gobi Altai and Khangai High Mooutains in Mongolia. © Hadoram Shirihai |
Well, I cannot describe the success of this expedition in just few words, perhaps as it titled above: The ultimate expedition across the Mongolian steppes. In comparison with any published trip reports during similar season of the year, late spring-summer in Mongolia, we succeed in locating the largest number of species and subspecies. We recorded no less than 260 species, and photographed over 230 of them! I am here please to share with other our success, in showing 68 files, that coverts 100+ species that documented during the expedition... and which I phrased as Mongolia at its best sites...
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| Globally near threatened Asian Dowitcher is a breeding species in Mongolia. © Hadoram Shirihai |
What more, we also recorded and worked out several unsolved taxonomic issues that we could not fit with the pattern or solutions that the literature is offering, across the board! And these are the subjects: ← I will complete them later on... (HS).
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| The almost native species Kozlov's or Mongolian Accentor is distributed along High Gobi Altai Mountains. © Hadoram Shirihai |
Well, as one can imagine, to achieve such record of success we had to work very hard, and actually to visit all major regions and habitats of Mongolia, with many days crossing huge unspoiled, pristine nature, and for days we only met very few nomad local people, or no human at all, and for days we just approach by navigation with no road in sight. However, we met highly traditional native Mongolians the always welcomed us, with great hospitalities.
