July 2014
In May/June 2013 I accompanied a small group consisting of three
experienced field ornithologists and bird ringers from Mongolia, Germany
and the UK plus a driver and a cook from Ulaanbaatar for a short expedition
through western central-mongolia.
Erdenesant
PFR07717-1, 2-10, 130522, Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla, excitement call,
Erdenesant, Mongolia
PFR07773, 2-10, 130523 Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia brevirostris, song,
Eerdenesant, Mongolia
PFR07740, 2-10, 130523, Common Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis, song flight,
Erdenesant, Mongolia
Ider Gol
PFR09452, 2-10, 130607, Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla, song,
Tsetserleg, Mongolia
PFR09390, 2-10, 130605, Siberian Rubythroat Calliope calliope, song,
Terkiin Tsagaan Nuur, Mongolia
PFR09385, 2-10, 130605, Two-barred Warbler Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus, song,
Terkiin Tsagaan Nuur, Mongolia
PFR07841-1, 3-01, 130525, Red-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis, song,
Ider Gol, Mongolia
The aim of our expedition was to band individuals of two Mongolian Gull
Larus mongolicus colonies and to collect sound recordings from as much
bird species as possible.
Telmen Nuur
Brandt’s Horned Lark Eremopholia brandtii
Mongolian Gulls Larus mongolicus
Bayankhongorijn Khukh Nuur
Our main (bioacoustic) interest obtained to following rare(r) species:
Altai Snowcock Tetraogallus altaicus
Hodgons Bushchat Saxicola insignis
(Sushkins) Asian Rosy Finch Leucosticticte arctoa sushkini
In addition we planned to make sex related sound recordings of Mongolian
Gulls alongside the banding process.
PFR09002, 3-11, 130528, Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, song, song flight,
Telmen Nuur, Mongolia
PFR09346, 2-10, 130604, Brown Accentor Prunella fulvescens dahurica, song,
Bayankhongorijn Khukh Nuur, Mongolia
PFR09529, 2-10, 130608, Common Tern Sterna hirundo minussensis, scolding,
Ogi Nuur, Mongolia
PFR09587, 2-10, 130609, Asian short-toed Lark Calandrella cheleensis, ground display,
Tsagaan Nuur, Mongolia
Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus
Asian Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax centralis
Altai Snowcock Tetraogallus altaicus
Sushkin’s Asian Rosy Finch Leucosticte arctoa sushkini
Common Rock Thrush Monticola saxicola
All of these missions greatly succeeded. I recorded vocalisations of 109
bird and four rodent species.
PFR09574, 2-10, 130610, Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola aureola, song,
UB ponds, Mongolia
PFR09565, 2-10, 130610, Rook Corvus frugilegus pastinator, colony,
Songino Khairkan Uul below, Mongolia
village
Saker falcon Falco cherrug
Ider Gol
Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis with Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus
nomad kids
landfill
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum ssp colony
Qara Qorum
Pallas’s Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus
Ogi Nuur
For a complete diary and more pictures please visit Andreas Buchheim’s
and Axel Bräunlich’s Birding Mongolia blog:
part I, part II, part III, part IV, part V, part VI
More sound recordings from the trip are available here: Xeno-Canto.