June 6-24, 2026 with Phil Gregory & Gombo (Sundev Gombobataar)
This was the fifth Field Guides tour to Mongolia, covering many of the key sites and habitats in central, southern and north-eastern Mongolia, including steppe, desert and boreal forest, and we succeeded very nicely. It was an unusually cold, late and dry spring here, and some species like waders, wagtails and warblers were scarce or absent and butterflies were few, but breeding was certainly in full swing. Staying primarily in ger camps was fun, but you must get used to the low doorways and chilly starlit nocturnal treks to the bathroom.
Everyone came in early to get recovered and oriented, and we all did a cultural tour, which included the National Museum and the Dinosaur Museum, well worth doing and recommended. Shopping for cashmere was a big hit with this group.
On day one after the museum trip we went to some riparian habitat along the Tuul River and picked up the first Mongolian birds including Azure Tit, White-crowned Penduline Tit and Long-tailed Rosefinch, plus Mandarin Duck.
Bogd Khan National Park next day was fairly quiet with Dusky Warbler, Booted and Golden Eagle, Pine Bunting and a literally huge bonus in a massive female Eurasian Eagle Owl sat on a cliff face with 2 large fluffy chicks nearby and being harassed by predatory Ravens.
Next day we headed up to Terelj and stayed at the very remote Khadag ger camp close to a lovely boreal forest site for Black-billed Capercaillie, which had been lekking here the previous week. Despite the good conditions luck was not with us, but it was a superb area with Chinese Bush Warbler, Siberian Rubythroat and Pine Bunting singing, and Demoiselle Crane near the camp. There is even a chance of wolf here, as in winter they often hear them at night by the camp.
A brief poem captures the mood of the place:
Wild horse colour Mongolian hills
Green conifer ridgetop manes
Terelj NP had really beautiful Siberian larch and pine forest, with many lovely wildflowers like globeflower and yellow pasque flower. Birds included Black, Gray-headed, Great and Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Common and Himalayan (Oriental) Cuckoo, Pine and Black-faced Bunting, Red-throated Thrush, Eastern Buzzard, Willow and Marsh Tit and for those of us who did the night walk, a great sighting of Ural Owl and a roding Eurasian Woodcock.
Next it was off to Hustai National Park, seeing the striking Mongolian Lark, and the much duller Asian Short-toed Larks being common as well. On the way, we made a 100 km diversion to find a flock of 7 Siberian White Crane that were oversummering at a marsh, and much to our delight, not only did we see them, we also found two adults nearby, plus a hybrid Common x Hooded Crane with the flock.
A visit out to a historical site at the extraordinary Ungut standing stones was well worth the 30 km drive; dating from the Turkic period of the 6-8th century AD it was a nice cultural diversion which the group really enjoyed. Later that day we had a great experience watching the Przewalski’s Wild Horses (Takhi) in the park; a remarkable creature that has come back from near extinction and looks just like the cave paintings of those horses with erect manes. Beautiful pale buffy and blonde colouration too, a striking creature that is reintroduced here and looks to be doing quite well.
Other good mammals here were pikas, Red Deer and the delightful large Mongolian marmots. Birds included Cinereous Vulture, Golden Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Upland Buzzard, Amur and Saker Falcon, Rock Sparrow and Meadow Bunting.
Heading west, we stopped at Dashinchilen wetland and Tsargaan lakes. Swan Goose and Bar-headed Goose showed nicely, also White-naped Crane plus the rather distinctive Mongolian Gull. Passerines included Bearded Reedling, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler and Paddyfield Warbler, as well as both Pallas’s and Common Reed Bunting. Driving to Ugii Lake some of us saw the recently split Mongolian Short-toed Lark, but it disappeared and we found no more. Pere David's Snowfinch also showed well.
The Ugii Lake area gave us terrific views of White-tailed Eagle, Swan and Bar-headed Geese, Whooper Swans, Stejneger’s Scoter, and unexpected Ferruginous Duck, our only Falcated Duck, Red-crested Pochard, plus Common Crane and a few shorebirds, including Eurasian Curlew and Marsh Sandpiper. Pallas’s Gull also showed nicely, and we found 2 pairs nesting in a colony of Mongolian Gulls nearby.
The ancient Mongol capital of Khar Korin (Karakorum) has a large temple complex, which was home to Red-billed Choughs and Blyth's Pipit. Later, a large wetland at Elsen Tasarkhai (Burd marsh) gave us White-naped Crane, Swan Goose, Bar-headed Geese and Greylag with many goslings, and several Eastern Marsh Harriers. The spectacular valley cliffs by the camp gave Godlewski’s Bunting, Rufous-tailed Rockthrush and Black Stork, plus Lammergeier and nesting Cinereous Vulture.
Back to Ulaan Baatar, then next day the long drive of 600 km to Khanbogd ger camp. A storm came in as we reached Dalanzadgad, and it was very cold with strong winds and some rain, making bathroom visits a bit of an ordeal! The bad weather meant we postponed our trip to Yolyn Am and went to the more sheltered Mukher Shivert dry valley, which was very good as it was not so cold, and with Lammergeier at nest, a Wallcreeper right by it, and a very responsive Sulphur-bellied Warbler. The gorgeous Gobi Altai Mountain valley of Yolyn Am (Lammergeier Valley) that afternoon was much improved weather-wise, and we saw Lammergeier, as well as Cinereous and Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Saker, another and much closer Wallcreeper, Mongolian (Kozlov's) and Brown Accentor, Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch, Twite, my first Mongolian Oriental Greenfinch, and Water Pipit, plus many tame White-winged Snowfinch and Horned Larks. Altai Snowcock drew a blank as usual; you need great luck to see that species here. We also had a good mammal day, with Argali for one vehicle, Siberian Ibex, Mongolian Gerbils, Pallid Ground-Squirrel and a really good number of vocal Pallas's Pika.
Driving into the edge of the Gobi proper was about 120 km on a very corrugated road. We found the remarkable Henderson's (Mongolian) Ground-Jay, one of the trip megas, in its odd restricted, narrow Caragana and Prunus shrub habitat belt. Desert Wheatear nests at the Gobi Erdene ger camp, which is sited near to the great Khongor sand dunes, and the saxaul forest there gave us the rare and localized Saxaul Sparrow, Isabelline and Steppe Great-Grey Shrike, with flyby looks of Pallas's Sandgrouse along the river there; it was not an irruption year this time so there were very few about. A surprise Red-necked Phalarope and Gull-billed Tern were on the newly constructed dam pond there, too.
Heading back towards Dalanzadgad, we took a different, more remote route to the famous dinosaur site of Flaming Cliffs, seeing the rare Black-tailed or Goitered Gazelle plus Pallid Ground-Squirrel en route, plus the hoped for Mongolian Finch and a large Haly’s Pit-Viper that I almost stepped on. We did lunch at the ger camp at the famous site, then back to Dalanzadgad and the hotel for an overnight prior to to the long drive back to UB next day. The Flaming Cliffs site is in spectacular colorful desert scenery, and we eventually found 3 summer plumage Oriental Plover on the journey back plus much better Pallas’s Sandgrouse.
Breakfast at the hotel and loading, then a short walk in a streamside park gave us my first Desert Finch in Mongolia, formerly vagrant but now nesting here, before we set-off for UB. We had an enjoyable farewell dinner at a Mongolian restaurant with a floor show from a contortionist as an extra, this being a Mongolian tradition.
Thanks to a good-humoured and compatible group, particular thanks to Celia and Ilya for help with my new Nikon camera, and to Marsha for making my binocular harness functional again. Many thanks to our very hard working and careful drivers Dakaa and Magne, and to Gombo, Mr Birding Mongolia, our expert local guide and organizer who did a terrific job. We are grateful to them for making the tour so memorable and for many kindnesses to our group. Also, thanks to Sue and Rowan of Sicklebill Safaris who basically arranged things in Mongolia, and to Sharon at Field Guides, who co-ordinated the whole enterprise and did her customary great job.
Mammals
DAURIAN PIKA (Ochotona daurica) – A couple were seen at Hustai.
MONGOLIAN (PALLAS'S) PIKA (Ochotona pallasi) – Very common this year at Mukhert Shivert and Yol Am, they were all over the place and quite tame, the whistled alarm call was very noticeable.
TOLAI HARE (Lepus tolai) – One near Mukhert Shivert.
SIBERIAN MARMOT (Marmota sibirica) – Common in Khustai NP; quite a large animal and no doubt very tasty for Golden Eagles as well as Mongolians.
LONG-TAILED GROUND SQUIRREL (Spermophilus undulatus) – Quite common in Hustai and Terelj.
DAURIAN GROUND SQUIRREL (Spermophilus dauricus) – Seen as we got near Hoyor Zagal.
RED-CHEEKED (PALLID) GROUND SQUIRREL (Spermophilus pallicauda) – Nice looks at several on the drive to Flaming Cliffs; a small pale species with a very fluffy tail.
BRANDT'S VOLE (Lasiopodmys brandtii) – This year was again an irruption year, some seen scurrying over the roads at Hustai and Ugii.
MONGOLIAN GERBIL (JIRD) (Meriones unguiculatus) – Seen at Hustai and Yol Am.
MID-DAY GERBIL (JIRD) (Meriones meridianus) – Many at Yol Am.
MANCHURIAN ZOKOR (Myospalax psilurus) – Many dug earth mounds in long lines in the riparian areas at Terelj; this is one of those odd fossorial burrowers like a mole. It does apparently sometimes show on the surface and I have an ambition to see one. None of our Mongolian friends had seen it.
CORSAC FOX (Vulpes corsac) – One ar Tumen Khan showed well, very pale and short legged with large ears, and sadly one newly dead in the road near Dalanzadgad.
WILD HORSE (Equus caballus) – Wonderful views of 6 then 23 of these great creatures in Hustai, some with foals and with a stallion keeping guard of his herd and driving off younger males. The erect mane is very striking, as is the long tail and pale colouration with black stockings. The reintroduction scheme for what was an animal extinct in the wild seems to be working well, with about 500 animals now in the park, and some also at two other parks in Mongolia.
RED DEER (Cervus elaphus) – 14 in a bachelor herd at Hustai and one distant stag on a ridge.
GOITERED GAZELLE (Gazella subgutturosa) – Also known as the Black-tailed Gazelle, the black tail distinctively erect when they run. We saw 3 in the dry steppe towards Flaming Cliffs, with Ian spotting two small ones in some tall grass and the female nearby. They showed a distinct dark brown flank stripe and sides to the rump in some lights, reminiscent of Thompson's Gazelle.
ZEREN (Procapra gutturosa) – One running in the steppe at Hustai, the large white rump is distinctive as is the reddish-brown pelage. It is also called Mongolian or White-tailed Gazelle.
IBEX (Capra ibex) – Lovely views of 4 in Yol Am on the slopes.
Herps
SIBERIAN WOOD FROG
SIBERIAN (RADDE'S) TOAD (Bufo raddei) – Seen well at Ugii Lake and Elsen Tasarkhai, quite well-patterned above with the females much darker.
TOAD-HEADED AGAMA (Phrynocephalus versicolor) – A few in the Gobi, this is the variably patterned one with the pink armpits and curled up tail.
GOBI RACERUNNER (Eremias przewalskii) – The dark stripy or spotty pinkish lizard from the Gobi dunes.
HALY'S PIT-VIPER
Itinerary
Sat Jun 6 Arrival in Ulaan Baatar (UB) Zuchi Hotel overnight.
• Sun Jun 7. Sukhbataar Square, National Museum and the Dinosaur Museum; Tuul River riparian 1600-1730. Zuchi Hotel overnight.
• Monday June 8: Bogd Mt Reserve 0930-1530, overcast. Overnight Zuchi Hotel
• Tuesday Jun 9: Depart for Khadag ger camp, and birding locally there at Jalman Meadows 1515-1700, in sunny weather.
• Wed Jun 10: Early morning 0300 departure for some to the Shar Guy Black-billed Capercaillie site, then steppe areas en route to Terelj NP, overnight Tumen Khan ger camp. Fine conditions.
• Thurs Jun 11: Tuul River riparian en route to Terelj. Overnight Tumen Khaan ger camp, night walk by camp for some. Warm and sunny
• Fri Jun 12: Tumen Khaan area/ Gun Galuut Nature Reserve for Siberian Cranes, then back to UB and out to Hustai NP by 2000, good weather. Moltsog Els ger Camp.
• Sat Jun 13: Hustai NP dry valley, then Ungut Stones site before wild horse viewing, overnight Moltsog Els ger camp.
• Sun Jun14: Hustai to Bayan Nur 1130-1230, lunch in Dasinchilen town, then to Ugii Nur by 1700 with some rain and incredible rainbows en route.
Mon Jun 15: Ugii Lake SW shore am, them pm to Kharkorin via N shore of Ugii Lake. Overnight ger camp. Overcast then fine.
Tues Jun 16: Kharkorin temple then to Burd marsh/Elsen Tasarkhai and Khogno Khan ger camp, night walk for some. Fine conditions.
Wed Jun 17: Khugno Khan to Ulaanbaatar via Tuul River bridge, overnight at Zuchi Hotel. Fine conditions
• Thurs Jun 18: then via plantation farm to Khanbogd ger camp.
• Fri Jun 19: Mukhert Shivert dry valley due to very strong winds and intermittent rain. Afternoon it cleared so we went to Yolyn Am (2600m or 8200'). Overnight Khanbogd ger camp.
• Sat Jun 20: Plantation near Khanbogd then drive 120 km on corrugated road into Gobi via Thuhun Balai fuel stop. Very windy and coming into heavy rain as we reached the Ground-Jay site. Overnight at Gobi Erdene ger camp.
• Sun Jun 21: Khongoryn Gol saxaul forest, then pm to nearby marsh. Cancelled the planned night walk at Gobi Erdene due to a dust storm, my first in the Gobi.
• Mon Jun 22: Gobi Erdene to Flaming Cliffs (116 km 5+ hours), Bulgan plantation en route, then to Dalangadzad (90Km) checking for Oriental Plover, arriving at hotel 1930. Fine but windy later
Tues Jun 23 Drove 3 hours Dalanzadgad via Moltan Govi for lunch, then 5 hours to UB arriving 1845. Overnight at Toyoko Hotel.
Wed Jun 24 Departures for home.
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/539215
You can see my iNaturalist report of non-avian taxa at this link: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?project_id=301509&ttl=900&v=1784787431000&place_id=any&verifiable=any&view=species&user_id=4031161
You can download a combined PDF of this page and the eBird report at this link: https://fieldguides.com/triplists/mgl26TRIPLIST.pdf
-- Sicklebill (Phil Gregory), from Topaz FNQ, July 2026