Mongolia is one of the finest birding areas in Asia, and this exciting itinerary visits some of its best birding sites as we venture through splendid landscapes from the vast treeless steppe dotted with lakes and marshes to Siberian taiga forest, mountain slopes, and impressive desert sand dunes.
Made famous by the great Genghis Khan (also spelled Chinggis Khaan, as we will note at the international airport upon arrival!), Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country in the world, boasting only 2.9 million people, nearly half of whom live in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, the rest largely being nomadic herders.
Mongolia is home to a variety of mammals, including Przewalski's Wild Horse, and a vast array of birds. The resident highlights include Saker and Amur falcons, Upland Buzzard, Pallas's Fish-Eagle, Siberian Rubythroat, Black-billed Capercaillie, Mongolian (Henderson's) Ground-Jay, Altai Snowcock, and Swan Goose, and these will be joined by a number of Palearctic migrants during the time of our visit. Other seldom-seen species possible include Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Red-throated Thrush, Snow Finch, Mongolian Finch. the striking Mongolian Lark, plus Pine, Godlewski's, Pallas's, and Gray-necked buntings.
We'll visit Khustai Nuruu National Park (where the wild horses add a special dimension to some exciting birding), the freshwater lake Ughii Nuur (for cranes and a variety of water-loving species), Kharkorin (for ruins of the great Mongol empire), Elsen Taraskhai (with birding near the famous sand dunes), Gorkhi-Terelj National Park (for boreal forest and steppe), and more.
Along our route, we'll stay in a mixture of western-style hotels and the comfortable yurts of the tourist ger camps. This diverse itinerary will offer us the chance to indulge in some great birding and to learn something of Mongolia's fascinating history. Contact our office to hold a space!
Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.