Classic birding tour of Mongolia: Gobi and Steppe lakes
Siberian taiga forest, the famous Gobi, the southeastern end of the Altai mountain range and shallow and saline steppe lakes.Summary
This is one of the most well know and sought-after birding routes in Mongolia for birders. It is a well explored destination for both western tourists and locals. This itinerary provides an opportunity to visit the southern edge of the Siberian taiga forest, the famous Gobi, the south eastern end of the Altai mountain range and some shallow and saline steppe lakes.
The tour offers the opportunity to see a wide array of bird species native to the central Asian high mountains, Gobi Desert, and steppe grassland. On top of that the tour is timed to observe the Siberian bound bird migrants returning from their wintering grounds of Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia to their breeding grounds in the Siberian Taiga forest and the Arctic tundra. Our tour takes place during the peak of the spring and autumn migration and every single destination is carefully chosen due to our experience of more than 10 years of observation and regular visits.
For days we travel through almost uninhabited and breathtaking landscapes. Our only human encounters are with nomadic herders and their sheep, goats, horses and yaks. This is because Mongolia is the least densely populated country in the world and the majority of the population lives in the capital city. On this nature and bird trip you will not only see wilderness that is difficult to find in most parts of the world, but also an extraordinary variety of mammals, birds and many other fascinating aspects of the natural world.
Our tours are longer than most other tours. The aim is to witness most of the peak duration of the migration when Siberian bound migrants pass through Mongolia. Some migrants such as thrushes and buntings arrive early and reach their breeding ground (further north from Mongolia) by mid-May. Other’s (leaf and grasshopper warblers) are late migrants and their arrival starts from late May.
Some European bird watching tour companies have been traveling through this itinerary over the years and often record about 200 bird species during a single tour.
As a result of improvements due to our local knowledge and the addition of a few more bird rich destinations, our recent tours recorded an unprecedented 300 species. This number indicates that our tour is by far the best compared to the other bird watching tours.
Key target species
- Taiga forest: Black-billed Capercaillie, Azure-winged Magpie, White-backed Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Siberian Thrushes – (Naumann’s, Dusky, Eye-browed, Black-throated, Red-throated and White’s), Azure tit, Siberian Rubythroat, Eversmann’s Redstart, Chinese bush Warbler, Two-barred Warbler, Pallas’s leaf Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Arctic Warbler, Hume’s leaf Warbler, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Meadow Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Yellow-breasted Bunting
- Steppe: Saker falcon, Upland Buzzard, Steppe eagle, Cinereous Vulture, Mongolian lark, Asian short-toed lark, Père David's Snowfinch, Pallas’s reed Bunting (subspecies lydiae)
- High mountain: Altai Snowcock, Hodgson’s Bushchat, Asian rosy Finch, Altai Accentor, Brown Accentor, Güldenstädt's redstart, Stejneger’s stonechat
- Gobi: Oriental Plover, Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Mongolian Groundjay, Saxaul Sparrow, Steppe grey Shrike, Isabelline Shrike, Mongolian Accentor, Asian desert Warbler, Sulphur-bellied Warbler, Mongolian Finch, Grey-necked Bunting, Godlewski’s Bunting
- Wetland and lakes: Swan Goose, Bar-headed Goose, Stejneger’s Scoter, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Eastern marsh Harrier, Relict Gull, Pallas’s Gull, White-naped Crane, Siberian Crane, Hooded Crane, Demoiselle Crane, White-winged Tern, Swinhoe’s Snipe, Pin-tailed Snipe, Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Stint, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler
- The best period for this trip: 20 May - 06 June
- Duration: 16 days
- Group size: 5 - 9 participants
- Availability: Available
ITINERARY
Day 1. Ulaanbaatar: Arrival at Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. Birding along the riparian forest of the Tuul river and a few small lakes to find early spring migrants.
Day 2-4. Khentii mountain, taiga forest: We explore a variety of habitats ranging from riparian poplar forest to larch, pine and birch covered hill side and mountain top and narrow valleys and meadows bisected by wild and rugged rivers.
The main target is to see lekking Black-billed Capercaillie in their prime habitat.
Day 5. Drive to Gobi desert
Day 6 – 7. Zuun saikhan mountain. Yolyn am gorge and Gobi plateau: Many resident and summer breeding birds such as Altai snowcock, Himalayan griffon, Bearded vulture, Golden eagle, Mongolian accentor, Wallcreeper, White-winged snowfinch, Beautiful rosefinches and buntings are to be seen. The gorge also acts as a migrant stop over and the stream flowing through the bottom of the canyon could hold thrushes, warblers and buntings. On the plateau, we observe beautiful Oriental plover displaying.
Day 8. Khongoryn els sand dune: Long drive through stunning desert scenery. On the way we check several tree plantations for more migrants and search for the Mongolian Ground jay. In the evening birding at Saxaul forest and wetland along the foothill of the sand dunes.
The landscapes here are absolutely magnificent. They offer a variation of desolate dry plains with the mountains of Altai in the background. At the sand dunes we look for some of the most iconic species of the Gobi: the Saxaul sparrow and Mongolian ground jay.
Day 9 - 12. Gobi lakes and Gobi Altai mountain: Driving through Saxaul forest and extensive dry desert. The following birds are seen on the way. Long-legged buzzard, Pallas’s sand grouse, Saxaul sparrow, Steppe grey shrike, Asian desert warbler, Hill pigeon, Lesser kestrel etc.
Day 13 – 16. Steppe lakes, Ogii and Bayan lake: Siberian Scoter, Black-throated loon, thousands of White-winged terns, Demoiselle crane and Falcated duck, Eastern marsh harrier, Oriental reed warbler, Paddyfield warbler, Pallas’s reed bunting and Bearded reedling.
Day 17. Hustai national park
Day 18 – 22. 5 days of tour extension to Eastern Mongolia. Visiting a Ramsar and North east Asian crane network site.
Accommodation: Lodging is a combination of hotels, tourist resorts and camping out in tents depending on what is available at each location.
Transport: Transport options are usually 4WD Toyota Land Cruiser jeep or Russian UAZ 2206 minivan depending on the client’s choice.
Walking: The hiking during the tour is mostly easy to moderate because we will be driving directly to the destinations. However, once we are at the birding location there will be one or two optional harder walks in the mountains for those who choose.
Climate: Predominantly dry and sunny, but some overcast weather and rain (or rarely even snow) is likely and wind is a regular feature of the desert. Temperatures generally range from warm to cool, but it can be cold at night at higher altitudes and sometimes it gets hot in the Gobi.
TOUR REPORTS
| Group and dates | Read the report |
|---|---|
| Ornis birding expeditions. 21 May - 05 June 2023 | TOUR REPORT |
| Dutch group. 8 participants. 14 May - 04 June 2023 | TOUR REPORT |
| STARLING Reizen. 8 participants. 18 May - 8 June 2019. | TOUR REPORT |
TOUR DATES
| 2025 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour dates | Duration | Availability | |||
| 18 May - 08 June 2025 | 22 days | FULLY BOOKED | |||
| 22 May - 06 June 2025 (dates are flexible) | 16 days | 4 SPACES | BOOK TOUR | SHOW DETAILS | |
| 2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour dates | Duration | Availability | |||
| 21 May - 05 June 2026 (dates are flexible) | 16 days | SPACES | BOOK TOUR | SHOW DETAILS | |
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