Central Mongolia Birding Trip Report by Anne Murray

This was our first birding tour in Mongolia, with the aim of finding birds and other wildlife in some of the more accessible parts of the Mongolian steppe. It would not have been possible without the expert assistance of our team from the Mongolian Ornithological Society who organized the itinerary, transportation, meals and accommodation, as well as providing full-time interpretation, birding and cultural guidance. We observed 145 confirmed bird species on the 12-day trip and several other possible species. Many thanks to our enthusiastic young guides and our reliable and friendly driver, Bayasaa.

Saker Falcon is one of the commonest breeders in Mongolia. This is adult male Saker with food in his beak.

Bird identification challenges for us included not having a detailed field guide specifically for Mongolian birds and little access to the internet for sound identification. During the trip we used Norman Arlott’s Guide to Birds of Europe, Russia, China and Japan, together with the Smithsonian Guide to the Birds of East Asia, together with a check list provided by Professor Gomboobaatar and his photographic guide book. Prof. Gomboo’s new guide book was not yet ready. Some European birds were already very familiar; the Central Asian species were generally new for us.

Pere David's Snowfinch is a mysterious species in the steppe.

Thousands of Swan Geese can be encountered in Mongolia.

We were very pleased to get excellent views of the majority of the 145 species we confirmed, including sought after birds like the Great Bustard, White-naped Crane, Pallas’ Fish Eagle, Bar-headed Goose, Relict Gull, Pallas’ Sand Grouse, and Oriental Plover. Our distant sighting of the Dalmatian Pelican in very inclement weather at Lake Ugii was an exciting bonus! As well as birds, we saw many other wildlife species, beautiful scenery, and fascinating cultural sites. In all, it was an excellent tour and great fun. Download full TRIP REPORT.