BEST OF MONGOLIA – Black-billed Capercaillie, Altai Snowcock, Kozlov’s Accentor and much more, but without camping!

PRICE INFORMATION

Birdquest Inclusions: Our tour prices include surface transportation, accommodations, meals and entrance fees.

We also include all tipping for local guides, drivers, camp staff and accommodation/restaurant staff.

Deposit: 20% of the total tour price. Our office will let you know what deposit amount is due, in order to confirm your booking, following receipt of your online booking form.

TO BOOK THIS TOUR: Click here (you will need the tour dates)

The single supplement will not apply if you indicate on booking that you prefer to share a room and there is a room-mate of the same sex available.

This tour is priced in US Dollars. Amounts shown in other currencies are indicative.

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency will be pleased to arrange your air travel on request, or you may arrange this yourself if you prefer.

BEST OF MONGOLIA BIRDING TOUR: DETAILED ITINERARY

Best of Mongolia: Day 1  Our Mongolia birding tour begins this morning at Ulaanbaatar, where we will stay overnight.

Very few airlines serve Ulaanbaatar and the most usual ways of getting there are via Istanbul (Turkey) or Seoul (Korea). The latter is mainly used by those travelling from the Americas, eastern Asia or Australasia.

If you wish, you can fly into Ulaanbaatar this morning via Istanbul (but not via Seoul) and join the tour. Alternatively, you may need to or prefer to spend the previous night in Ulaanbaatar. We can arrange hotel accommodation and an airport transfer on request.

Ulaanbaatar (or Ulan Bator), Mongolia’s capital and the only real city in the entire country, is a relatively modern but rather chaotic city (with bad traffic problems) in north-central Mongolia. Before the beginning of the 20th century, there were only a few permanent buildings here, and in consequence, there is relatively little of historical interest for the visitor to see.

We will start off the tour with some birding amongst the willows along the nearby Tuul (or Tola) River where we shall be concentrating on three specialities: the fluffy Azure Tit, the dainty White-crowned Penduline Tit and the lovely Siberian Long-tailed Rosefinch.

This may well be the only place we see Mandarin Duck, which has increased in numbers in northern Mongolia in recent years. There is a narrative that they are introduced, but we feel a natural spread westwards is just as likely. Azure-winged Magpie is also quite possible.

We should also encounter ‘Black-eared’ Black Kite (form lineatus), Common Sandpiper, Siberian House Martin, Grey Wagtail, the baicalensis form of the White Wagtail, Willow and Great Tits, Brown Shrike, Eurasian Magpie, Red-billed Chough, ‘Oriental’ Carrion Crow, Northern Raven and Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Migrants could include Eyebrowed Thrush and lingering, Dusky and Naumann’s Thrushes.

Best of Mongolia: Days 2-10  During these days, we will explore the Khentiy Mountains, the central Mongolian steppe lands and wetlands, the Gobi Desert and the Gobi Altai Mountains. For details of the overnight stays, please see the Outline Itinerary.

KHENTIY MOUNTAINS

The Khentiy consist of low mountains covered in grassland on the east- and south-facing slopes and larch, pine and birch forest on the north- and west-facing slopes, with beautiful broadleaf woodland and meadows along the broad, untamed river valleys. This upland area, not that far south of the Russian border, is extremely cold in winter, but there is a rapid transformation in late May and early June when warm weather turns the forests, in a matter of just a week or so, from winter grey to summer green.

We shall be focussing our attention in the Khentiy on a major speciality that is rarely seen elsewhere, the magnificent Black-billed Capercaillie. We have a special site where the birds regularly lek and so we have a good chance of some awesome views! The Khentiy is the best location we know of for seeing this large and impressive species.

As we explore the Khentiy range, we will surely find Red-throated Thrush, Pine Bunting and Black-faced Bunting, and there are good chances for Hazel Grouse and the impressive Ural Owl. There is even a slim chance for the rapidly declining and now Critically Endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting.

Other species we may well find include Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Eastern (or Japanese) Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Eurasian Wryneck, Grey-headed, Black and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Olive-backed Pipit, Daurian Redstart, Coal Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Northern (or Spotted) Nutcracker and Red (or Common) Crossbill.

More uncommon possibilities include Eurasian Hobby, Eurasian Three-toed, White-backed and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Red-flanked Bluetail, Common Redstart, Eurasian Treecreeper and Long-tailed Tit (here of the beautiful white-headed nominate form).

Mammals are not conspicuous in the Khentiy, but we may encounter the sweet little Siberian Chipmunk, Eurasia’s sole representative of this otherwise North American group.

CENTRAL MONGOLIAN STEPPES & LAKES

The moister steppes of central Mongolia hold Amur Falcon, Demoiselle Crane, Eurasian Skylark, Mongolian Lark, Asian Short-toed Lark, the dapper Daurian Jackdaw, ‘Oriental’ Rook and Isabelline Wheatear.

We will pay extended visits to some small but bird-rich steppe lakes in the Gun Galuut area. Here there are numbers of Whooper Swans and Demoiselle Cranes, as well as Black-throated Loon (or Black-throated Diver), Stejneger’s Scoter, Horned (or Slavonian) Grebe in full breeding plumage, the beautiful White-naped Crane, perhaps the shy Brown-cheeked Rail, Bearded Reedling and Common Reed Bunting. Baillon’s Crake is also possible. Around the lake margins, Mongolian Larks can be found breeding, and it will be enjoyable to watch these spectacular birds song-flighting and chasing off their rivals.

These wetlands also offer a chance for one or two migrant Relict Gulls. The once near-mythical Relict Gull is one of the rarest birds in Asia. For many years, it was known only from a single specimen collected over the Mongolian border in Chinese territory and was often dismissed as just a hybrid or an aberrant individual. Only in recent decades has its true status as a rare and endangered relict species, restricted to a few breeding colonies in Central Asia, been established. Even today, not that many birders have seen one. These particular lakes are regular localities for this attractive species, although it has become rarer and less predictable in recent times.

This also seems to be a regular migration stopover for Swinhoe’s Snipe.

At this season, waterbirds are particularly numerous, with many migrants augmenting the breeding species throughout the month of May. Rare, long-necked Swan Geese and attractive Bar-headed Geese will be grazing in the wet meadows. Pallas’s Fish Eagle can still occasionally be found (although they are fast-declining), and smartly-plumaged Asian Dowitchers can regularly be found feeding in the shallow marshes.

Migrant shorebirds, often in their smart breeding dress, are an attractive feature of the wetlands. The most frequently encountered species include Siberian (or Mongolian) Sand Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Little, Temminck’s and Long-toed Stints, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper and Ruddy Turnstone, while less commonly recorded species include Pacific Golden and Grey (or Black-bellied) Plovers, Sanderling, Red-necked Stint, Dunlin, Curlew and Broad-billed Sandpipers, Eurasian Curlew, Spotted Redshank and Common Greenshank.

Amongst the many other species we may well encounter are Great Crested and Black-necked (or Eared) Grebes, Great Cormorant, ‘Eastern’ Great Egret, Grey Heron, Eurasian Spoonbill, Whooper Swan, Mute Swan (here of the truly wild population that inhabits the original Central Asian range), Greylag Goose, Ruddy and Common Shelducks, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common and Red-crested Pochards, Ferruginous and Tufted Ducks, Common Goldeneye, Wstern Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Coot, Common Crane, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Kentish Plover, Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Redshank, the impressive Pallas’s (or Great Black-headed) Gull, Black-headed and Brown-headed Gulls, Mongolian Gull, Gull-billed, Caspian, Common, Little, Black, Whiskered and superbly elegant White-winged Terns, Pale Martin (a dry country nester), Barn Swallow, Richard’s Pipit, Citrine Wagtail, the ‘Eastern Grey-headed’ form of the Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Pallas’s Grasshopper, Paddyfield and Oriental Reed Warblers, Bearded Reedling (or Bearded Tit) and the interesting lydiae form of the Pallas’s Reed Bunting which may get split as Mongolian Bunting.

Less regularly observed waterbirds include Eurasian (or Great) Bittern, Falcated Duck, Eastern Spot-billed Duck and Smew.

Migrant passerines are usually about, and these often include Siberian House Martin and Pallas’s Reed Buntings of the nominate form.

GOBI DESERT

After leaving the wetlands behind, we head southwestwards through the heart of the country towards the distant Gobi Altai range, first crossing more of the wide steppe lands of central Mongolia and eventually penetrating into the much drier lands at the northern edge of the Gobi Desert.

The Gobi is a desert because the climate is so dry, rather than because of the temperature. In winter, temperatures are below freezing for months, but during this season, conditions are usually pleasant, and the meltwater seeping down from the nearby Gobi Altai allows wildflowers to thrive. Mongol horsemen ride across the semi-desert steppe, attending to the herds of horses, cattle, sheep, goats and domesticated Bactrian Camels that are a feature of the area. Further from the mountains, the conditions are more arid, and sand dunes and stony or silty desert with low bushes take over from the dry steppe. In places, the strange drought-resistant miniature saxaul trees flourish.

As we progress towards the Gobi Altai, we will enjoy some superb scenery with great mountain massifs looming high above the vast inter-montane basin through which we are travelling. We may well encounter Mongolian Gazelles and the shy Goitered (or Black-tailed) Gazelle. other mammals may include Corsac and Red Foxes, Tolai Hare and the diurnal Brandt’s Vole.

As we progress further towards the Gobi Altai Mountains, through very sparsely inhabited landscapes (with no towns, just occasional small settlements and scattered gers), we should find numerous Horned (or Shore) Larks and perhaps Crested Lark, but our most important target is the lovely Oriental Plover, surely one of the most elegant members of its family, and we may witness its spectacular rocking from side to side display flight. We should also come across Greater Sand Plover in its smart breeding dress and will encounter the first of many Pallas’s Sandgrouse. This spectacular and remarkable sandgrouse has even occurred as far west as the British Isles during its periodic eruptions and has sometimes stayed to breed in Western Europe.

During this season, bushy areas or small plantations in the Gobi often attract such migrant passerines as the superb Siberian Rubythroat, Thick-billed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Two-barred, Arctic, Yellow-browed, Pallas’s Leaf, Dusky and sometimes Greenish Warblers, Taiga, Asian Brown and Dark-sided Flycatchers and many other species. Rarities regularly turn up, so we could potentially find almost anything!

This area is the best place on our route for the superb Mongolian (or Henderson’s) Ground Jay, one of a group of five enigmatic species that are usually placed amongst the corvids (although recent research shows that one has closer affinities to the tits!). All of these strange birds inhabit the remote desert or high steppe regions of Central Asia, making them some of the most sought-after Palearctic birds. Mongolian Ground Jay favours sandy or gravel areas with a sparse covering of bushes, and the birds spend their time running across the open ground in search of invertebrates, regularly pausing to peck at the substrate. Every now and again, they perch on a bush or a low rise to utter their piping calls before flying off low over the desert, displaying the huge white patches on their wings. Another typical bird of this habitat is the perky little Asian Desert Warbler. In rocky areas, colonies of Mongolian Finches can be found nesting, the males subtly handsome in their pink and buff plumage.

GOBI ALTAI MOUNTAINS

The eastern Gobi Altai mountains, which are protected by the huge Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, rise to around 2600m and have a timeless beauty. At night, the stars sparkle brilliantly overhead out of the clear desert sky, and in the early morning, the ranks of rugged peaks, stretching away into the far distance, are sharply defined. During our visit, we will explore the valleys, slopes and ridges, as well as the deep and spectacular Yolyn Am gorge (Yolyn Am means ‘Valley of the Bearded Vulture’). Walking here is a wonderful experience; the birdlife is exciting, the scenery splendid, the wildflowers delightful, and the atmosphere is quite special.

The little-known Kozlov’s Accentor, Mongolia’s sole endemic breeding bird, can be found amongst the dwarf junipers, and the poorly-known Blyth’s Pipits constantly display flight over the hillsides. Amongst the bushes and rocks, Brown Accentors, Chinese Beautiful Rosefinches and Godlewski’s Buntings can be found. The huge Upland Buzzard and the splendid Bearded Vulture (or Lammergeier) are typical of this part of Mongolia. The impressive Saker Falcon, which occupies the old eyries of other birds of prey, has, however, suffered greatly from the depredations of egg smugglers feeding the insatiable falcon obsession of wealthy Gulf Arabs. Once common in Mongolia, it is now in rapid decline, but in this area, it still survives.

Yolyn Am is a good place to see the fabulous little Wallcreeper and we should see this beautiful ‘butterfly-bird’, in full breeding plumage, foraging for spiders amongst the rocks or uttering its thin but beautiful song.

In some years, Père David’s Snowfinches nest in the area, using the abandoned holes of pikas and gerbils, but if they are absent, we will catch up with the species at Khustai National Park.

More widespread species we may well find here include Cinereous (or Eurasian Black) Vulture (Mongolia must surely be the best place in the world for seeing these huge birds), Himalayan and Griffon Vultures, Golden Eagle, Common Kestrel, Chukar Partridge, Common Cuckoo, Common and Pacific Swifts, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Crag Martin, Water Pipit, Alpine Accentor, Black Redstart (of the smart rufous-bellied race phoenicuroides), Common (or Rufous-tailed) Rock Thrush, Common Whitethroat, Barred Warbler, Isabelline (or Daurian) Shrike, Rock Sparrow, White-winged Snowfinch and Twite (here of the central Asian form, which may represent a distinct species).

Many migrants pass through the area, and we could well encounter various warblers, Northern Wheatear, Common Rosefinch, either form of Pallas’s Reed Bunting and perhaps some Crested (or Oriental) Honey Buzzards soaring by as they head for the boreal forest far to the north.

The Gobi Altai has quite a lot of mammals, and we should see Siberian Ibex and the magnificent Argali (the horns of the mature males of this huge wild sheep are so impressive!). There is even a chance for Pallas’s Cat. Every now and again, some lucky people get to see a Snow Leopard or two in the area, so we can always dream! More mundanely, we should see Pallas’s Pikas and Mongolian Clawed Jirds (or Mongolian Gerbils) scampering about their colonies. Other likely mammals include Alashan Ground Squirrel.

KHONGORYN ELS

From Yolyn Am, we will head for Khongoryn Els, a spectacular area of huge sand dunes fringed by bushy areas. Here, we can expect to find Hill Pigeon, Desert Wheatear, ‘Steppe’ Great Grey Shrike and the attractive and localized Saxaul Sparrow, while the desert flats in the surrounding region hold Asian Short-toed Lark and often extraordinary numbers of Pallas’s Sandgrouse (we have counted up to 1000 or more together on occasion!).

Spotlighting could turn up the cute Hairy-footed Jerboa and, with luck, the attractive Marbled Polecat, one of their chief predators.

KHUSTAI NATIONAL PARK

Finally, we will make a short visit to Khustai (or Hustai) National Park to see the reintroduced Przewalski’s Horse (or Takhi as it is known in Mongolian). Other likely mammals include Red Deer (also known as Elk or Wapiti, here of the Siberian form), Daurian Pika, Mongolian (or Tarbagan) Marmot and Long-tailed and Daurian Ground Squirrels.

The park is also a good place for Lesser Kestrel, Daurian Partridge, White-cheeked Starling, Père David’s Snowfinch (which nests in the abandoned holes of pikas and gerbils) and Meadow Bunting.

Best of Mongolia: Day 11  After birding and mammal watching at Hustai, we will return to Ulaanbaatar for an overnight stay.

As we approach the city, the wilderness gives way to the modern world, and we will think ourselves fortunate to have travelled through such a remote and beautiful part of our planet.

Best of Mongolia: Day 12  Our Best of Mongolia birding tour ends this morning at Ulaanbaatar. Airport transfers will be provided.