[by B.Nyambayar & P.Gankhuyag] Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia and Mongolian Bird Watching Club invite you to participate in the wild bird photo contest to capture the beauty of our feathered friends in their natural habitats.

This activity is one of our activities for the United Nations’ declaration of 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. The goal of the contest is to promote bird watching and bird conservation in Mongolia. One photo will be chosen as the winner and will receive a grand prize and certificate, Mark Brazil’s book “Birds of East Asia”, which is one of the best field guides for use in Mongolia, and the book “Important Bird Areas in Mongolia”. Two other contestants will receive certificates, special prizes, and the book “Important Bird Areas in Mongolia”.

[by B.Nyambayar, 03/2010] Several bar-headed geese that were color marked in central Mongolia by our researchers and collaborators have been observed in India. So far we have received eight re-sightings of neck collared birds associated with 5 locations in India thanks to Indian colleagues and birdwatchers. Interestingly, six of those birds were captured and marked at same day at one location in 2009. But re-sighting locations were spread in western India. One of the birds photographed by Indian birdwatchers in Bhigwan, Pune province was a bird marked at Deed Ulaan Lake in July 2009. This was a location where the outbreak of HPAI was recorded in same period. The outbreak claimed lives of more than several dozens of ducks, geese, and other wild birds.

[by B.Nyambayar and Jonathan Stacey] BirdLife Asia was commissioned by the World Bank to undertake a strategic overview of the potential impacts of three key development sectors (mining, infrastructure and tourism) on important areas of natural habitat, including IBAs. The World Bank regards IBAs as critical natural habitats, because they are recognized as being “critical for rare, vulnerable, migratory, or endangered species”. The work was completed in July 2008 and included an initial strategic assessment of Mongolia’s most important natural habitats and their vulnerability to mining and associated development.

Two mining companies, Rio Tinto and Ivanhoe Mines (now Oyu Tolgoi), are working together to develop a major copper-gold mine, known as the Oyu Tolgoi Project in Mongolian Gobi. The project will bring a significant development opportunity to this remote countryside of Mongolia.

WSCC and BirdLife International are investigating potential development impacts on Galba Gobi IBA with the support from World Bank and BirdLife-Rio Tinto Conservation Programme. The collaborative study focuses on potential impacts of infrastructure development on two globally threatened species Saker Falcons Falco cherrug and Houbara Bustards Chlamydotis undulata in southern Gobi desert.

The Galba Gobi IBA (MN048) is one of the Important Bird Areas in Mongolian Gobi that is threatened by mining and subsequent industrial development. It also serves as an important corridor linking two Special Protected Areas that border with China.

[by Monkhjargal and Nicola Dixon] The very first week of 2010 started with a important meeting at WSCC. Leaders from 5 soums in 3 aimags gathered on this day in January 2010. The main goal of their visit to Ulaanbaatar was to discuss the Artificial Nest Project. The meeting was organized by WSCC and the International Wildlife Consultants Ltd. in UK with the support of the Ministry of Nature, Environment, and Tourism of Mongolia.

The Artificial Nest Project is the culmination of seven years research undertaken in central Mongolia and the aim of the meeting was to explain the progress and achievements of the Project and to promote an ongoing program whereby Saker Falcon conservation can be achieved through sustainable use. As a main element of this program, it has been planned to erect 5000 artificial nests to boost the falcon population in the steppe in 2010 and future years.

The project team discussed the goals, benefits, and proposed locations for nests with local leaders. The high level of participation from local representatives indicates that they have real interest in this the concept and plans for saker falcon conservation.

Download report in English

Download report in Mongolian

[by B.Nyambayar and N.Tseveenmyadag] Mongolia supports significant numbers of 18 threatened bird species, including Swan Goose, Lesser Kestrel, Houbara Bustard, White-naped Crane, Saker Falcon, and most of the global breeding population of White-throated Bushchat.

Compilation of the Directory of Important Bird Areas in Mongolia has been completed and was launched in Ulaanbaatar in February 2009. A total of 70 IBAs were identified and they cover around 5% of Mongolia's territory.

The directory was printed in both Mongolian and English languages and made available online. Also the maps and GIS shape files, kmz files are downloadable from the WSCC website.

[by B.Nyambayar and A.Braunlich] On 12 April 2009 B. Nyambayar discovered and photographed a Rufous-faced Warbler Abroscopus albogularis at Ikh Bulagiin Am in Khanbogd sum, Omno Gobi aimag.

This species is a scarce to locally common resident of South-East Asia, occurring from Nepal east through north-eastern India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, southeast China, western and northern Burma, north-east Thailand, northern Laos, northern Vietnam and Taiwan. It is polytypic, with three subspecies recognized. The subspecies occurring in China is found in central and southern provinces, north to Gansu.

The individual recorded in Khangbogd sum is probably a vagrantbecause its appearance in this area was well outside their normal range. There was no previous record of this species in Mongolia.

[by J.Ariunbold and B.Nyambayar] Bats of the steppe habitat require particular attention in Mongolia because of increasingly frequent droughts and the looming specter of global warming which could have a devastating impact on their population. Sadly, nearly half of known bat species in the country have been recorded in water-short, arid areas such as the steppes and these populations are especially vulnerable.

Bat conservation is at very early stage here in Mongolia due a lack of the necessary basic ecological knowledge and a still-limited awareness of the annual life cycle, roosting habitats, breeding and the feeding/water requirements of bats. A small project supported by Bat Conservation International enabled Mongolian biologists to start some ground work on bat research and conservation in the arid steppe habitat of central Mongolia.