KAZAKHSTAN BIRDING IN THE HEART OF CENTRAL ASIA MAY 16 – 31, 2014

EXTENSION TO UZBEKISTAN MAY 31 – JUNE 8, 2014

The Registan, Samarkand, Uzbekistan (Dion Hobcroft)

Leaders: Dion Hobcroft Machiel Valkenburg

Compiled by: Dion Hobcroft

VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS , INC . 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE , SUITE 1003 AUSTIN , TX 78746 WWW .VENTBIRD .COM TOUR REPORT

By Dion Hobcroft

VENT’s fourth comprehensive tour of Central Asia was our most successful yet, sighting 265 species of birds, 16 mammals, and a variety of interesting reptiles. Many of the birds were in dazzling breeding plumage and full song. Native plants were flowering extensively. We birded in a huge variety of habitats including feather steppe, irano-sindian hills, turanga woodlands, sand deserts, rock deserts, huge wetlands, alpine fields to the snow line, juniper forests, and sino-himalayan deciduous forests. Predictably, weather conditions were equally variable—beautiful spring days, some days cold and bleak with strong gales, rumbling thunderstorms, and hot days in the arid zone. The food was excellent including lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Every day brought new sightings and our convivial group rated the overall tour highly. We plan to be back in 2016.

The critically endangered Sociable Lapwing in Khorghalzin Nature Reserve (Dion Hobcroft)

KAZAKHSTAN May 16-31, 2014

Our first outing into the field took us south of Astana on a fine clear day with not too much wind. Exploring some larch windbreaks, we quickly found and scoped up several Fieldfares, glassed our first Lesser Whitethroats and Great Tits, and enjoyed the delightful Azure Tit, a Spotted Flycatcher, and a Steppe Buzzard. Working the fields adjacent to a nearby reservoir, we had superb views of Montagu’s, Pallid, and Western Marsh harriers, often interacting with each other and vocalizing. In scrubby thickets we came to grips with Booted Warbler, Common Rosefinch, and Blyth’s Reed-Warbler while a secretive Cetti’s Warbler gave good views for some folks. Plump Bobak Marmots kicked off our mammal list. Exploring wetlands produced superb White-winged Black Terns and Black-tailed Godwits in perfect alternate plumage. Northern Lapwing, Northern Wheatear, Western Yellow Wagtail, two subspecies of White Wagtail, Siberian Stonechat, and Bluethroat rounded out the session that finished with a quartet of beautiful Demoiselle Cranes giving a great fly-around performance. We did some mercy shopping for two folks whose bags missed the connection in Chicago and were feeling a bit stranded courtesy of United Airlines! Then it was dinner and off to bed for a great day to come.

It was to be a full day of action in the Khorgalzin Nature Reserve in very different conditions from those we had experienced the previous day. The temperature plummeted to 50 degrees F and a stiff wind and consistent rain made it feel much colder. The rain also made the clay tracks we went birding on slippery and difficult to drive and we could not explore as far afield as we would have liked. Despite this we had a super day recording some 80 species with just about every bird in mint plumage, ready for breeding. We enjoyed excellent success with the four main central Asian specialties: Black Lark, White-winged Lark, Black-winged Pratincole, and the critically endangered Sociable Plover; great views of all.

It was a roll call of further excellent birds: Whooper Swan, Red-crested Pochard, Dalmatian Pelican, Great Bittern, Terek Sandpiper, Slender-billed Gull, Pallas’s Gull, Short-eared Owl, and Red-footed Falcon. Equally special was the shorebird, waterfowl, and larid spectacle that included hundreds of spectacular Ruffs; stunning Black-bellied, Kentish, and Common Ringed plovers; Spotted and Common redshanks; Marsh and Wood sandpipers; Little and Temminck’s stints; Dunlin and Red-necked Phalarope; Pied Avocet and Black-winged Stilt; and hundreds of White-winged Black and a sprinkling of Black and Gull-billed terns, with Eurasian Shelduck and Common Pochard.

Pallas’s Gull in breeding plumage with Steppe Gull near Khorghalzin (Dion Hobcroft) It is amazing the difference a day can make, as we awoke to sunshine, no wind, and a glorious day. First cab off the rank was a European Honey-Buzzard that was loafing on the ground and making half-hearted attempts, it appeared, to catch insects. Russet Ground Squirrels were out of their burrows, and we watched a pair of Mew Gulls steal a vole off a Jackdaw. More new birds came our way including our first of many European Bee-eaters, a Common Cuckoo you could almost touch, Green Sandpiper, a sneaky Common Grasshopper-Warbler, Tawny Pipit, Greater Short-toed Lark, Wood Pigeon, and a good view of Long-legged Buzzard. We had stunning views of Bluethroat, more Black and White-winged larks, a fly-by quartet of Sociable Plovers, and enjoyed the antics of testosterone-driven Ruffs. Eventually we had to return to Astana where we were able to reclaim the two lost suitcases after some serious detective work and make the flight to Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty.

White-winged Larks—a central Asian endemic of the Feather ( Stipa ) steppes (Dion Hobcroft)

Having flown the equivalent of Stockholm to Madrid, we awoke in a considerably more advanced spring environment. Heading east towards the Kyrgyzstan border we made our first stop in an ecotone of agricultural country and extensive poplar stands. It was rich with birds and we admired our first European Rollers, Lesser Gray Shrike, and singing Corn and Red-headed buntings while European and Blyth’s reed-warblers played hide-and-seek in thick cover. Nightingales were singing with a vengeance and we admired several skulkers as they regaled us from thickets. As we drove east, the countryside became increasingly more arid and we birded in some gorge country of Irano-Sindian scrub. We taped up a Hume’s Whitethroat, watched a pair of Rock Buntings, and found our first Chukar. Machiel picked up a spike of vegetation that managed to lodge inside his eye. Despite our best measures we could not remove the spike. We had to send him to the hospital where it was removed by the surgeon on duty with a needle—ouch! While this was going on, we checked into the hunting lodge and birded the grounds. The major highlight was finding a superb adult male Goitered Gazelle that gave a rare photographic opportunity. After dinner we spotted a Eurasian Scops-Owl. The next day I found one nesting and it gave a rare daytime view.

Our full day in the Sogeti-Charyn area started with a search for the Pallas’s Sandgrouse and, as luck would have it, we were quickly successful and scoped this enigmatic central Asian specialty. The wind was back with a vengeance in this vast plain encircled with snow-capped peaks of the Tien Shan. It was a great day for raptors as we notched up Egyptian Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Golden Eagle, and the first of many Long-legged Buzzards. One of the staple food items for the birds of prey in this area is the Great Gerbil which we encountered frequently. Also new for our tally were Ruddy Shelduck; Steppe Gray Shrike; Lesser Short-toed Lark; Horned Lark; Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush; Desert, Pied, and Isabelline wheatears; Eastern Orphean Warbler; Rock Petronia; Mongolian Finch; the stunning Crimson- winged Finch; and the beautiful Gray-necked Bunting. At night some folks tracked down a European Nightjar. In between all the birding we visited the spectacular Charyn Canyon.

A showy Ruff in Kazakhstan: one of hundreds of this incredibly variable shorebird. (Dion Hobcroft) We explored up towards the Kyrgyzstan border, birding in the mountains that had received a heavy cover of snow from the previous day’s windy and stormy weather. Today was, however, just beautiful: warm, balmy, and wind-free! Raptors were again a major highlight as we enjoyed the antics of a nesting colony of Lesser Kestrels plus excellent studies of gigantic Himalayan and Cinereous vultures. A stroke of luck found us studying a Common Grasshopper-Warbler that was a bit of a lost migrant in an open field giving uncharacteristically excellent views! Other birds included Linnet, Citrine Wagtail, Water Pipit, Red- billed Chough, plenty of Eurasian Hoopoes, and a brief Black Stork for some.

The next part of our adventure took our group to the Taukum Desert where we camped for two nights in yurts with Bactrian Camels for company. Before arriving at the desert, we made a stop at Lake Sorbulak that was home to one hundred or more Great White Pelicans. Our next stop was the Wishing Tree, a lone outpost for a fallout of migrant passerines. Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin, behemoth Barred Warblers, and a superb male Ortolan Bunting, between numbers of Hume’s Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Greater and Lesser whitethroats, Blyth’s Reed-Warbler, and Common Nightingales were amongst the highlights. Arriving at the desert we commenced our search for the key species, locating several Greater Sand-Plovers, good numbers of Black-bellied Sandgrouse, and a female Corsac Fox with four kits. A night drive turned up the unbelievably cute Small Five-toed Jerboa.

Black Lark—a bird synonymous with Central Asia (Dion Hobcroft) Our full day in the desert covers a big area in remote central Asia as we seek our target species. We started off with a major rarity when Bart found an obscure finch at a great distance near an artesian well. When relocated, the coral-orange bill revealed a male Trumpeter Finch, the fifth record for Kazakhstan. With patience we documented the sighting with photographs, a new bird for Machiel in central Asia. It was the beginning of a mega day. Our next stop produced Bearded Reedling, “Thick- billed” Reed Bunting, Paddyfield Warbler, and Ferruginous Duck. This was followed by the beautiful Saxaul Sparrow and Syke’s Warbler. Hot on their heels came Turkestan Tit, White-winged Woodpecker, and a great perched view of the rare Yellow-eyed Pigeon. Back in the wetlands near Topay we coaxed up a Savi’s Warbler, followed by a very cooperative Cetti’s Warbler, while both Great and Little bitterns gave lengthy close flight views. A fallout migrant trap was full of hundreds of passerines, the best being a Black-throated Thrush. We watched briefly as the locals played a game of goat carcass polo (buzkashi ). You really are out in the sticks here folks!

A final morning and the hoped for male Macqueen’s Bustard was missing in action, the female probably incubating her clutch. Bart continued his excellent form from yesterday when he spotted a pair of Caspian Plovers about a mile distant. After a cautious approach we enjoyed fabulous views of the male and female of this increasingly difficult desert rarity. Monna then joined the party when she located a basking Karaganda Pit Viper—not everyone’s cup of tea, but a rare treat for the herpetologists! A last hurrah was a Eurasian Stone-Curlew, a rare sighting in Kazakhstan. We returned via the Tamagaly Petroglyphs, a World Heritage Site dating from the Bronze Age of rock carvings of ibex, onager, and aurochs. A family of nesting Persian Nuthatches was a treat, the adults working tirelessly to feed their four fledglings.he final leg of our Kazakhstan tour transported us high into the Tien Shan mountain range. Basing ourselves out of the astronomy observatory at nearly 2,700 meters above sea level, we could drive up to 3,300 meters to the old space research station—Cosmostantia. Our first objective was to observe the Ibisbill at Big Almaty Lake. With the necessary permits in place in this sensitive border region, we eventually located a single Ibisbill that allowed excellent scope views. Plenty of new birds awaited us in this spectacular alpine region. On the first day we added Himalayan Snowcock; Brown Dipper; Eurasian Wren; White-tailed Rubythroat; Blue Whistling-Thrush; Mistle Thrush; Eversmann’s, Blue-capped, and Common redstarts; White-winged Grosbeak; Red-mantled Rosefinch; a cracking pair

Our only Goitered Gazelle was a beautiful male on the Sogeti Plain (Dion Hobcroft) of White-browed Tit-Warblers; and Lammergeier to mention some. The beautiful European Red Squirrel, Red Fox, and Gray Marmot kept the mammal list ticking over.

On our second full day in the Tien Shan, the early risers again enjoyed a lengthy scope session with a pair of Himalayan Snowcocks whose mournful curlew-like whistle is a classic song. Later we birded up to Cosmostantia, adding the high altitude Brown Accentor, Yellow-billed Chough, and beautiful White- winged Redstart. A big highlight was finding a herd of 14 Siberian Ibex, an elusive mountain goat that included four males with their impressive massive recurved horns. Birding lower down we had great encounters with flocks of Fire-capped Serins attracted to dandelions, display flighting Tree Pipits, and several Plain Mountain-Finches. Songar Tit performed well on two occasions while both Eurasian Woodcock and Eurasian Sparrowhawk gave views.

The final birding session in the Tien Shan saw us trying to clean up various species. We had excellent views of the scarce Sulphur-bellied Warbler. While observing this species, the delightful Turkestan Red Pika popped up out of the scree slope, our 16 th mammal for the tour. Lower down the mountain we cleaned up Coal Tit and the gray race of Goldcrest found in the Tian Shan. We finished with views of Spotted Nutcracker and an amazing encounter with a trio of the rare tianshanicum subspecies of Eurasian Treecreeper. In between we enjoyed many great birds like the Rubythroat, Snowcock, and Tit- warbler again. Returning to Almaty, we prepared to fly to Tashkent in Uzbekistan the following morning. Kazakhstan had been outstanding. Special thanks to Machiel, Bota, Aleksei, and Lionard—all great members of Team Kazakhstan—for doing such a fantastic job!

UZBEKISTAN May 31-June 8, 2014

After running the gauntlet of the rather lengthy and complicated immigration process for Uzbekistan, we were in the city of Tashkent and off to explore the city sights and a delicious lunch of plov with guide Ramil. A huge thunderstorm rolled through, causing some flooding and downing trees. The storm saw us sheltering in a mosque in the old city centre. We observed the oldest surviving copy of the Quran, handwritten on gazelle skin parchment in the seventh century. An interesting side note was a

A Eurasian Scops-Owl looks most unimpressed being disturbed by my curiosity when I scratched a tree with a nest box near Charyn. (Dion Hobcroft) copy of the same sacred text in a mother of pearl cover—a gift to the Uzbekistan nation from Saddam Hussein. We strolled through the “old” Russian quarter, were distracted by a few birds, visited an artisan centre, enjoyed a lovely dinner, and eventually caught an overnight train to Bukhara accompanied by ornithologist Maxim.

With the rattling night behind us we jumped in the van driven by steady Balera and headed off to the Amu-Bukhara Canal and Lake Tudakul. Lots of birds were sighted here including our first Purple Herons, Little Terns, White-tailed Lapwings, a pair of Collared Pratincoles, Clamorous (Indian) Reed-Warblers, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, glowing feldegg Black-headed Wagtails, Desert Finch, and glamorous Blue- cheeked Bee-eaters. A delightful tour of the old city led by local guide Shira left several participants overwhelmed. Bukhara is truly stunning—on a par with the Taj Mahal for me. It is an absolute shopping treasure-trove with ceramics, carpets, and watercolor paintings among the purchases by tour participants.

Up early, we headed to the Kizylkum Desert to make the most of the cool morning. Our quest was for Uzbekistan’s most famous bird—the fabulous Pander’s Ground-Jay. Today they were in good form and we enjoyed at least ten of these delightful birds as they “roadrunnered” right up to us. A major stroke of fortune was finding a family of Streaked Scrub-Warblers, a pair of adults with three fledglings. This is a scarce desert species, rarely encountered and giving excellent views. An Asian Desert Warbler made a timely appearance and a Steppe Gray Shrike was unusually tame. Conditions in the desert this year were much more drought-like (well, it is a desert) than the previous year, overall bird density was very low, and nothing was breeding. Reptiles were in good form and we enjoyed a Steppe Desert Racer, a Desert Monitor, and several arid zone Eremias and dragon lizards. After the desert birding we explored a garden to check for lingering migrants. Plenty of birds crammed in here including Hume’s and Greenish warblers, Siberian Chiffchaff, Indian Golden Oriole, Rosy Starling, Common Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, and Desert Finch while the big hit was a pair of the very pale Little Owls of the central Asian deserts. A sad sight was dozens of shells of Horsfield’s Tortoises killed by roadmenders. An afternoon at leisure was well-appreciated as people could siesta, shop, or sightsee at their own pace.

A male Citrine Wagtail near the Kyrgyzstan border glows! (Dion Hobcroft)

The next morning we headed off to our yurt camp at Lake Aidarkul. Exploring a thicket of trees in a barren desert produced our first Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, looking most out of place for a bird synonymous with steamy jungles. Eastern Orphean Warbler, a pair of Egyptian Vultures, Persian Nuthatch, and Turkestan Shrike were all good sightings in the hilly thickets of the Nurota Pass. The major highlight was a low-flying Eurasian Griffon that soared around us in perfect light. Settling into our camp we had time for a siesta before exploring the nearby manmade lake—a massive reservoir almost 200 kilometers long, formed by damming the Syr Darya River. Here we found a single Mute Swan, a species many people do not realize was a central Asian endemic before it was widely transported around the globe. Graylag Geese were nesting, Little Grebes made a brief appearance, and we sighted a bunch of other new birds for our Uzbekistan list including Caspian Gull, Caspian Tern, Eurasian Coot, and Gadwall. We enjoyed the antics of multiple Great Gerbils while at dusk a male European Nightjar hawked around our dinner table. A spotlighting sojourn produced good views of the Red-tailed Jird while the Golden Jackals serenaded us to bed with some wild howling.

The camp attracted many birds in the cool of the morning. A small party of Turkestan Tits was accompanied by a single Desert Whitethroat. Isabelline Wheatear, Little Owl, and Rufous-tailed Scrub- Robin perched on the yurts while Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, Indian House Sparrows, and Barn Swallows were abundant. Exploring another section of lake, our walk turned up Ruddy Shelduck, Red-crested Pochard, a few pairs of Black-bellied Sandgrouse, a small flock of Slender-billed Gulls, and Pale Martins. Amongst some late migrants, the best was a single Meadow Pipit well-spotted by Joan and a fine male thunbergi Western Yellow Wagtail. We made the drive through to the ancient city of Samarkand.

A Small Five-toed Jerboa, in the Taukum Desert. (Dion Hobcroft)

The first hours of the following day were spent exploring the Zerafshan range. Our first stop at some barren rocky hills turned up the specialist species of this habitat: the dapper Finsch’s Wheatear. Ascending to an altitude of 1,700 meters, we enjoyed breakfast with a pair of Hume’s Larks—one bird sitting on a nest where the scope helped discern the detail of the bill. Exploring further into a tumbled escarpment of sandstone boulders, we turned up the hoped for Irania (White-throated Robin). The male perched up in a juniper tree, sharing its song perch with Persian Nuthatches. A single Raven flew over and we picked up our first Blue Rock-Thrush for the tour. Dropping back down the road and making a stop for some basking Turkestan Rock Agamas, we quickly lured in an Upcher’s Warbler. Also present were White-winged Woodpecker, Cetti’s Warbler, and several Nightingales. With all the targets under our belts, we returned to the lovely hotel for a siesta.

Following another delicious lunch we explored the key sites of this amazing city. The Mausoleum of Timur, the superb Registan, and the extraordinary Shah-I-Zinda were all taken in and well-explained by cultural guide Suzanna. As we strolled through these majestic locations we enjoyed “swittering” flocks of Alpine Swifts and watched the dashing antics of Eurasian Hobbies. It had been a fabulous day.

The next morning we were on the road back to Tashkent. We made a stop in a rocky pass, a prominent bluff producing an excellent variety of raptors including a stunning Lammergeier, a single Egyptian Vulture, and several Eurasian Griffon Vultures. A small number of Lesser Kestrels joined the thermalling raptors and these were accompanied by a much larger falcon, a Saker, that was in view for a minute or so. Scanning the hills, Beverley produced a beautiful male Variable Wheatear of the white-capped subspecies capistrata . Exploring a small cave turned up a Turkestan Rock Gecko. Just as we were leaving, a solitary Cinereous Vulture joined the thermal. The next stop was for our first White Stork. We eventually tallied more than 70 nests, many with large healthy chicks, up to four in a single nest. It was great to see these impressive birds having an excellent breeding season. Perched Red-rumped Swallows and a small party of perched Pygmy Cormorants rounded out the drive. Back in Tashkent we checked into Hotel Uzbekistan, some folks squeezing in a visit to the Timur Museum.

A male Saxaul Sparrow with its tawny-golden eyebrows, near Topar (Dion Hobcroft)

Up early, we headed off to the Chimgan Hills reaching an altitude of 1,500 meters in beautifully diverse deciduous forests alive with birds and colored with wildflowers. Nesting in the gate of the hotel grounds was the first of several Yellow-breasted Tits, feeding their chicks small apple-green caterpillars. Next up we found the first of at least ten Hawfinches—always a great bird to encounter. Indian Golden Oriole, Wood Pigeon, Oriental Turtle-Dove, Mistle Thrush, and European Greenfinch were all seen well before we found our next new trip bird, the beautiful White-capped Bunting. The smart-looking males were scoped on prominent song perches several times in the morning. We then spent some time tracking down the last specialty species of this district: the Rufous-naped Tit. We spent 20 minutes watching this species forage in thick junipers and trying our luck getting a photograph of this largely west Himalayan endemic. With all of the key targets under control, we enjoyed a relaxed birding session picking up Booted Eagle, Rock Bunting, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, and Black-crowned Night-Heron before returning to Tashkent. In the afternoon some folks visited the Fine Arts Museum which was excellent and highly recommended.

Today was our last day of the tour and we opted to visit the Cherchik River. Birding in riparian willow thickets and extensive reed beds we turned up a variety of birds. This included a male Little Bittern, a White Stork, several Little Egrets, a Pygmy Cormorant, a few Little Terns and Eurasian Oystercatchers, several White-crowned Penduline-Tits, an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, several Great Reed-Warblers, and a Common Kingfisher. After some tasty fare and more shopping it was time to fly home. Uzbekistan had provided excellent birding (140 species), fabulous antiquities, tasty food, and was overall thoroughly enjoyable. My special thanks to ornithologist Maxim who was invaluable in making the most of our time in this fascinating central Asian country.

A gravid Karaganda Pit Viper in the Taukum Desert basking in the early morning sun; this species is one of a number of predators that take advantage of the jerboas. (Dion Hobcroft)

BIRD LIST

Graylag Goose (Anser anser) K, U

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) U

Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) K

Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) K, U

Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) K, U

Gadwall (Anas strepera) K, U

Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope) K

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) K, U

Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) K

Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) K

Garganey (Anas querquedula) K Green-winged (Common) Teal (Anas crecca) K

Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) K, U

Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) K

Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) K

Chukar (Alectoris chukar) K

Himalayan Snowcock (Tetraogallus himalayensis) K

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianinus colchicus zerafschanicus) U: single male at the Amu-Bukhara canal, subspecies endemic to Uzbekistan, listed in the Red Book: a member of the “white-winged” group.

A male Fire-fronted Serin in the Tien Shan (Dion Hobcroft)

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis capensis) U

Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) K

Eared (Black-necked) Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) K

Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) K

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia asiatica) U

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) K, U

Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus) U

Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) K

Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) K

Great Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) K

Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) K, U

Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea) K, U

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) U

Great Egret (Ardea alba) K, U

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) U

Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) K, U

A Sulphur-bellied Warbler in the Tien Shan is often a rock-foraging species. (Dion Hobcroft)

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) U

Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus aureus) K, U

Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) K, U

European Honey-Buzzard (Pernis apivorus) K

Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) K, U

Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis) K

Eurasian Griffon (Gyps fulvus) U

Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) K

Booted Eagle (Hieraeetus pennatus) K, U

Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) K

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos homeyeri) K

Eurasian Marsh-Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) K, U

Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) K

Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus) K

Shikra (Accipiter badius cenchroides) K, U

Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) K

Black-eared Kite (Milvus migrans lineatus) K

Steppe (Common) Buzzard (Buteo buteo vulpinus) K

Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus) K, U

Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) K, U

Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) K, U

Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo) K

Eurasian Thick-knee (Burhinus oedicnemus harterti) K

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) K, U

Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) K

Ibisbill (Ibidorhyncha struthersii) K

Demoiselle Crane has a stronghold in Kazakhstan. (Dion Hobcroft)

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) K, U

Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) K

Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) K

Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius) K

White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus) U

Greater Sand-Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii crassirostris) K

Caspian Plover (Charadrius asiaticus) K

Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) K, U

Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula tundrae) K

Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) K, U

Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus) K

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) K, U

Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) K

Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus) K

Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) K

Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) K

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) K

Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) K

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) K

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) K

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) K

Temminck’s Stint (Calidris temminckii) K

Dunlin (Calidris alpina) K

Little Stint (Calidris minuta) K

Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) K

Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) K

Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola) U

Black-winged Pratincole (Glareola nordmanni) K

Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei) K, U

Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) K

Pallas’s Gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) K

Mew Gull (Larus canus heinei) K

Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans) K, U

Steppe Gull (Larus cachinnans [fuscus] barabensis) K Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) U

Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) K

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) K, U

Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) K

White-winged Black Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) K

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) K, U

Pallas’s Sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) K

Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis arenarius) K, U

Pallas’s Sandgrouse were in good numbers on this trip, this pair coming past an artesian bore in the Taukum Desert. (Dion Hobcroft)

Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) K, U

Pale-backed (Yellow-eyed) Pigeon (Columba eversmanni) K

Common Wood-Pigeon (Columba palumbus casiotus) K, U

European Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia turtur) K, U

Oriental Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) K, U

Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) K, U

Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis) K, U

European Scops-Owl (Otus scops pulchellus) K

Little Owl (Athene noctua orientalis) U

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) K

White Stork is the national bird of Uzbekistan—a fine choice! (Dion Hobcroft)

Eurasian Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus sarudnyi) K, U

Alpine Swift (Apus melba) U

Common Swift (Apus apus) K, U

Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) K, U

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus) U

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) K, U

European Roller (Coracias garrulus) K, U

Desert Finch at Nurota Pass, Uzbekistan (Dion Hobcroft)

Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) K, U

White-winged Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucopterus) K, U

Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) K, U

Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) K, U

Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) K

Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) K, U

Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug milvipes) U

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) K Rufous-tailed (Turkestan) Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides) K, U

Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach erythronotus) K, U

Steppe Gray Shrike (Lanius meridionalis pallidirostris) K, U

Lesser Gray Shrike (Lanius minor) K

Red-rumped Swallow at the Syr-Darya River, Uzbekistan (Dion Hobcroft)

Eurasian (Indian) Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus kundoo) K, U

Asian Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi albiventris) K

Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica bactriana) K, U

Pander’s Ground-Jay (Podoces panderi) U

Eurasian (Spotted) Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes rothschildi) K

Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax centralis) K

Yellow-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus forsythi) K

Eurasian Jackdaw (Corvus monedula soemmerringi) K, U

Rook (Corvus frugilegus) K, U Carrion (Oriental) Crow (Corvus corone orientalis) K, U

Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix sharpii) K

Brown-necked Raven (Corvus ruficollis) K

Common Raven (Corvus corax) K, U

Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus russicus) K, U

Calandra Lark (Melanocorypha calandra) K

Bimaculated Lark (Melanocorypha bimaculata) K

White-winged Lark (Melanocorypha leucoptera) K

Black Lark (Melanocorypha yeltoniensis) K

Greater Short-toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla) K

Hume’s Lark (Calandrella acutirostris) U

Lesser Short-toed Lark (Calandrella rufescens) K, U

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata) K, U

Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis) K

Oriental Skylark (Alauda gulgula) U

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris albigula) K

Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) K

Pale Sand Martin (Riparia diluta) U

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) K, U

Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica rufula) U

Common House-Martin (Delichon urbicum) K, U

Songar Tit (Poecile songarus) K

Coal Tit (Periparus ater rufipectus) K Rufous-naped Tit (Periparus rufonuchalis) U

Great Tit (Parus major) K

Turkestan Tit (Parus [major] bokharensis) K, U

Azure Tit (Cyanistes cyanus hyperriphaeus/yenisseensis) K

Yellow-breasted Tit (Cyanistes [cyanus] flavipectus) U

Black-headed Penduline-Tit (Remiz macronyx ssaposhnikowii) K, U

White-crowned Penduline-Tit (Remiz coronatus) K, U

White-browed Tit-Warbler (Leptopoecile sophiae) K

Persian (Eastern Rock) Nuthatch (Sitta tephronota) K, U

Eurasian Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris tianshanicus) K

Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes tianshanicus) K

Brown Dipper (Cinclus pallasii) K

Goldcrest (Regulus regulus tristis) K

Streaked Scrub Warbler (Scotocerca inquieta) U

Cetti’s Warbler (Cettia cetti) K, U

Siberian (Common) Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita tristis) K, U

Sulphur-bellied Warbler (Phylloscopus griseolus) K

Hume’s Warbler (Phylloscopus humei) K, U Greenish Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilioides) K

Booted Warbler (Iduna caligata) K

Syke’s Warbler (Iduna rama) K, U

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallid elaeica) U

Upcher’s Warbler (Iduna languida) U

Paddyfield Warbler (Acrocephalus agricola) K

Eurasian Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus fuscus) K, U

Blyth’s Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum) K, U

Great Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus zarudnyi) K, U

Clamorous (Indian) Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus brunnescens) U

Savi’s Warbler (Locustella luscinioides fusca) K

Common Grasshopper-Warbler (Locustella naevia straminea) K

Asian Desert Warbler (Sylvia nana) K, U

Barred Warbler (Sylvia nisoria merzbacheri) K

Desert Whitethroat (Sylvia minula) U

Hume’s Whitethroat (Sylvia althaea) K, U

Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) K

Greater Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) K

Eastern Orphean Warbler (Sylvia crassirostris jerdoni)

Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) K, U

Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin (Cercotrichas galactotes familiaris) K, U

White-throated Robin (Irania gutturalis) U

Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos golzi) K, U Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica pallidogularis) K

Blue Whistling-Thrush (Myophonus caeruleus temmincki) K, U

White-tailed Rubythroat (Calliope pectoralis ballioni) K

Rufous-backed (Eversmann’s) Redstart (Phoenicurus erythronotus) K

Blue-capped Redstart (Phoenicurus caeruleocephala) K

Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) K, U: Race samamisicus in Uzbekistan

White-winged (Guldenstadt’s) Redstart (Phoenicurus erythrogastrus) K

Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush (Monticola saxatilis) K

Blue Rock-Thrush (Monticola solitarius pandoo) U

Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maura) K

Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata rossarum) U

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) K

Finsch’s Wheatear (Oenanthe finschii barnesi) U

Variable Wheatear (Oenanthe picata capistrata) U

Pied Wheatear (Oenanthe pleschanka) K, U

Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) K

Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina) K, U

Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula) K, U

Black-throated Thrush (Turdus [ruficollis] atrogularis) K

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) K

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) K, U

Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) K, U

Rosy Starling (Pastor roseus) K, U

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) K, U

Brown Accentor (Prunella fulvescens) K

Black-throated Accentor (Prunella atrogularis) K

Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava feldegg/beema/thunbergi) K: beema/thunbergi U: feldegg/thunbergi

Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola) K

Black-backed Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola calcarata)

Masked Wagtail (Motacilla alba personata) K, U

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba dukhunensis) K, U

Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris) K

Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis) K

Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta) K

Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) U

Rock Bunting (Emberiza cia) K, U

Gray-necked Bunting (Emberiza buchanani) K

Ortolan Bunting (Emberiza hortulana) K

White-capped (Chestnut-breasted) Bunting (Emberiza stewartii) U

Red-headed Bunting (Emberiza brunniceps) K, U

Thick-billed Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus pyrrhuloides) K, U

Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra) K

Plain Mountain-Finch (Leucosticte nemoricola) K

Crimson-winged Finch (Rhodopechys sanguineus) K

Mongolian Finch (Bucanetes mongolicus) K

Desert Finch (Rhodospiza obsoleta) U

Trumpeter Finch (Bucanetes githagineus) K Common Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus) K, U

Red-mantled Rosefinch (Carpodacus rhodochlamys) K

Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) U

European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) K, U

European (Gray-capped) Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis caniceps) K, U

European Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) K

Fire-fronted Serin (Serinus pusillus) K

White-winged Grosbeak (Mycerobas carnipes) K

Saxaul Sparrow (Passer ammodendri nigricans) K

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Indian House Sparrow (Passer domesticus bactrianus) K, U

Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) K, U

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) K, U

Rock Petronia (Petronia petronia) K, U

Friendly local ladies in Uzbekistan (Dion Hobcroft)

MAMMALS

Corsac Fox (Vulpes corsac) K

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) K

Golden Jackal (Canis aureus) Heard only U

Siberian Ibex (Capra sibirica) K

Goitered Gazelle (Gazella subguttorosa) K

Musk Rat (Ondatra zibethicus) Introduced K

Gray Marmot (Marmota baibacina) K

Bobak Marmot (Marmota bobak) K

Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) K

Yellow Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus fulvus) K, U

Russet Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus major) K

Great Gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) K, U

Red-tailed Gerbil (Meriones libyca) U

Small Five-toed Jerboa (Allactaga ateles) K

Red Pika (Ochotona rutila) K

Tolai Hare (Lepus tolai) K, U

European Hare (Lepus europeus) K

Fields of poppies in Kazakhstan are quite extraordinary! (Dion Hobcroft)

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

Marsh Frog (Rana ridibunda) U

Horsfield’s Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldi) K

Turkestan Rock Gecko (Cyrtopodion fedtschenkor) U Turkestan Plate-tailed Gecko (Teratoscincus scincus) K

Desert Monitor (Varanus griseus) U

Steppe Agama (Agama sanguinolenta) K, U

Turkestan Rock Agama (Laudakia lehmanni) U

Phrynocephalus guttata K

Spotted Racerunner (Eremias intermedius) K, U

Common Racerunner (Eremias velox) K, U

Karaganda Pit Viper (Gloydius halys caraganus) K

Steppe Ribbon Racer (Psammophis lineolatus) U