Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival & tranfer to a hotel with plenty of wildlife around
Welcome to Mongolia and transfer to the reserved hotel tucked in one of the birding hotspots in the suburbs of the capital. Our hotel is nestled on the Tuul river bank in riparian forest close to the airport, away from the bustling city center. We will drive through construction wastes in order to get the birding spots, however, walk among gorgeous willow trees and small freshwater streams and pools formed from an old gravel pit.Target birds: Mandarin & Falcated Ducks, Amur Falcon, Demoiselle Crane, Pacific Swift, Azure-winged Magpie, Azure Tit, White-crowned Penduline-tit, White-cheeked Starling, Red-throated Thrush, and Long-tailed Rosefinch.Target mammals: Daurian Pika & Long-tailed Ground Squirrel.
Day 2-4: Margaz Mountains
Transfer to the airport and fly to Ulaangom for about 2 hours. Then take a drive to the Margaz Mountains. The next morning, begin the game drive through a vast steppe and sand dunes. Based at our comfortable community-based ger camp run by friendly and hospitable Mongolian nomads/rangers, we spend these days exploring the mountain to accomplish our ultimate goal to enjoy the wild ‘cats’ and other exotic animals in this pristine wilderness – awe-inspiring granite rock tors and mountains. Then take a drive to the Mongolian Altai, and verdant steppes, and massive dunes. (Community-based Ger Camp)Target birds: Bar-headed, Greylag & Swan Geese, Falcated Duck, Eastern Spot-billed Duck, Red-crested Pochard, White-winged Scoter, Chukar Partridge, Black-throated Loon, Eurasian Spoonbill, Bearded, Himalayan & Cinereous Vultures, Booted, Steppe & Golden Eagles, Pallas's Fish Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Upland Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Saker Falcon, Demoiselle & Common Cranes, Oriental Plover, Asian Dowitcher, Pintail Snipe, Relict, Pallas's & Herring Gulls (Mongolian), Gull-billed, Caspian, Little, Whiskered & White-winged Terns, Pallas's Sandgrouse, Little Owl, European Nightjar, Isabelline & Steppe Grey Shrikes, Mongolian Ground-jay, Red-billed Chough, Crested, Horned, Mongolian & Asian Short-toed Larks, Lesser Whitethroat, Asian Desert Warbler, Black Redstart, Common Rock Thrush, Northern, Isabelline, Desert & Pied Wheatears, Rock Sparrow, White-winged Snowfinch, Pere David's Snowfinch, Brown & Mongolian Accentors, and Mongolian Finch.Target mammals: Long-eared Hedgehog, Pallas’s Pika, Tolai Hare, Mongolian Marmot, Long-tailed Ground Squirrel, Pallid Ground Squirrel, Desert Hamster, Mongolian Hamster, Mongolian Mountain Vole, Brandt’s Vole, Mid-day Jird, Siberian Jerboa, Gobi Jerboa, Five-toed Pygmy Jerboa, Thick-tailed Pygmy Jerboa, Northern Three-toed Jerboa, Andrew’s Three-toed Jerboa, Mongolian Three-toed Jerboa, Red Fox, Corsac Fox, Grey Wolf, Least Weasel, Steppe Polecat, Manul, Snow Leopard, Siberian Ibex, Argali, Mongolian Gazelle, and Asian Wapiti.
Day 5 Transfer to Homyn Tal National Park
In the morning, go on a game drive through a vast steppe and sand dunes while keeping an eye out for the Saiga Antelope to Khomyn Tal National Park. Khomyn Tal is a successful reintroduction site for the last wild horse living in the native environment. As a result of well-managed planning, there are now about 150 wild horses roaming in the area, where lies the panoramic steppes and sand dunes. (Tourist Ger Camp)
En route, find the critically endangered at the world level Mongolian Saiga (S. t. mongolica), which has been pushed to a small patch of the area in western Mongolia. In the Great Lakes, we will search for White-headed Duck, Pallas's Sandgrouse, Henderson’s Ground-Jay, Pallas's Grasshopper-Warbler, and White-headed Yellow Wagtail.
Target birds: Bar-headed Goose, Daurian Partridge, Bearded & Cinereous Vultures, Steppe & Golden Eagles, Lesser Kestrel, Saker Falcon, Greater Sandplover, Pallas's Sandgrouse, Isabelline & Steppe Grey Shrikes, Mongolian Ground-jay, Red-billed Chough, Azure Tit, White-crowned Penduline-tit, Crested Lark, Red-throated Thrush, Desert Wheatear, Rock Sparrow, Mongolian Finch, and Long-tailed Rosefinch.
Target mammals: Long-eared Hedgehog, Tolai Hare, Pallid Ground Squirrel, Desert Hamster, Mid-day Jird, Five-toed Pygmy Jerboa, Northern Three-toed Jerboa, Andrew’s Three-toed Jerboa, Mongolian Three-toed Jerboa, Red Fox, Corsac Fox, Grey Wolf, Takhi, Siberian Ibex, Mongolian Gazelle, Goitered Gazelle, & Mongolian Saiga.
Day 6-10: Mongolian Altai Mountains including Great Lakes
Settle in the community-based ger camp which is located near the elusive cats. We will spend these days exploring the mountain for the ‘ghost’ cats and other exotic animals in this pristine natural environment. (Community-based Ger Camp)
The mountain provides the main prey species of Snow Leopards including the Siberian Ibex, Mongolian Marmots, and the Altai Snowcock. The exotic bird species that are only found above the 3,000 m above sea level will be White-winged Redstart, Altai Accentor, and Water Pipit and more.
The mountain provides a high opportunity to photograph the flying raptors including Himalayan and Bearded Vultures, Golden Eagle, Saker Falcon, and other unexpected migrants.
Target birds at Jargalant [Altai Mountains]: Altai Snowcock, Chukar Partridge, Bearded, Himalayan & Cinereous Vultures, Booted, Steppe & Golden Eagles, Upland Buzzard, Saker Falcon, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Little Owl, Mongolian Ground-jay, Red-billed Chough, Eurasian Crag Martin, Sulphur-bellied Warbler, Wallcreeper, Black Redstart, White-winged Redstart, Pied Wheatear, Rock Sparrow, Water Pipit, White-winged Snowfinch, Altai & Brown Accentors, Mongolian Finch, Brandt's Mountain-finch, Godlewski's Bunting & Grey-necked Bunting.
Target birds at Great Lakes’ Depression: Bar-headed, Greylag & Swan Geese, Red-crested Pochard, White-headed Duck, Black-throated Loon, Black Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill, Long-legged Buzzard, Demoiselle & Common Cranes, Broad-billed, Sharp-tailed & Curlew Sandpipers, Temminck's, Long-toed & Red-necked Stints, Pintail Snipe, Relict, Pallas's & Herring Gulls (Mongolian), Gull-billed, Caspian, Little, Common, Whiskered & White-winged Terns, Pallas's Sandgrouse, Isabelline & Steppe Grey Shrikes, Bearded Reedling, Crested Lark, Great Reed, Paddyfield & Pallas's Grasshopper & Savi's Warblers, Desert Wheatear, White-headed Yellow & Citrine Wagtails and Mongolian Finch.
Target mammals at Jargalant [Altai Mountains]: Alpine Pika, Pallas’s Pika, Tolai Hare, Mongolian Marmot, Long-tailed Ground Squirrel, Gobi Altai Mountain Vole, Mid-day Jird, Siberian Jerboa, Gobi Jerboa, Andrew’s Three-toed Jerboa, Mongolian Three-toed Jerboa, Red Fox, Corsac Fox, Grey Wolf, Stoat, Manul, Snow Leopard, Siberian Ibex, Argali, and Goitered Gazelle.
Target mammals at Great Lakes’ Depression: Long-eared Hedgehog, Pallid Ground Squirrel, Desert Hamster, Gobi Jerboa, Five-toed Pygmy Jerboa, Mongolian Three-toed Jerboa, Corsac Fox, Steppe Polecat, and Mongolian Saiga.
Day 11: Fly back to Ulaanbaatar
Depending on the internal flight schedule we can look for birds and mammals again in the afternoon. The riparian forest for some interesting species including Azure Tit, Eastern Penduline Tit, White-cheeked Starling, Azure-winged Magpie, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Red-throated Thrush, etc.
Transfer to the airport according to your flight schedule. Arrive home
