[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 recognised 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.

A follow up joint project by WSCC and BirdLife International investigated the potential development impacts on Galba Gobi IBA (MN048) in South Gobi region with the support from World Bank and BirdLife-Rio Tinto Conservation Programme in 2009.

The study area is where Rio Tinto and Ivanhoe Mines are working together to develop a major copper-gold mine, known as the Oyu Tolgoi Project. The IBA also serves as an important corridor linking two Special Protected Areas in the south Gobi.

The 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.

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

The Artificial Nest Project is the culmination of seven years research undertaken in central Mongolia. Aim of the meeting was to promote a programme whereby Saker Falcon conservation can be achieved through sustainable use. As main part of this programme, it has been planned to erect 5000 artificial nests to boost the falcon population in the steppe in 2010.

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

[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 have been completed and launched in Ulaanbaatar in February 2009. A total of 70 IBAs were identified and they cover abound 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 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 vagrant. Because its appearance in this area is well outside their normal range. There was no previous record of this species from Mongolia.

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

Bat conservation is at very early stage here due a lack of the necessary basic ecological knowledge and a still-limited awareness of bats. A small project supported by Bat Conservation International made Mongolian biologists able to start some ground work on bat research and conservation in arid steppe habitat in central Mongolia.