Bird and mammal tour to Mongolia: mammals and fall migration

Few travelers venture into the Mongolian steppes in the fall. The word ‘silence’ takes on a new meaning during this nature tour to Mongolia. You will only hear the rustling of the wind and the migrating birds, while you search with excitement for some of the unique mammals that call the massive mountains and endless steppes of Central Asia home.

From wolves to snow leopards to Mongolian saiga

We start this nature tour to Mongolia in Khustai, where we look for elk, Przewalski horses and wolves. The ideal start of an inspiring trip!

The next targets are on a different level. In the west of Mongolia we look for the snow leopard and have a great chance of seeing the Mongolian saiga, an antelope from this steppe. Both species are not easy to find, but on this trip you have a real chance of seeing both. And anyone who knows STARLING a little, knows what real means to us. A real recommendation, therefore!

In the east, the Pallas’s cat is our target species. We are assisted by a local scientist who has been researching this special animal for years. He knows the behavior, habitat and habits of this cat like no other, and that means that we are almost guaranteed to see the rare manul.

It will be an unforgettable and very adventurous trip, as we’ll be staying in a ger camp that has been set up especially for us. Our tents, the ger tents, are the typical round, comfortable living tents that the Mongolian nomads have been living in for thousands of years. Sometimes we will stay with locals. This trip has been specially made for us and will be a logistical feat with the moving tent camp. You will be one of the first European travelers to experience this area during the fall. We are ready for it and will provide you as a participant with a comfortable, perfectly prepared trip.

… and of course the fantastic birdlife!

We thoroughly enjoy everything around us. Our locations (including Khustai National Park, the Khentii Mountains and the Altai Mountains) are excellent habitats for local mammals and numerous birds. Our local guide is an absolute bird expert, and our STARLING guide also has extensive experience with the species and the region.

We aim to see as many migratory birds as possible that are escaping the (even harsher) Siberian winter: Siberian accentor, red-flanked bluetail, thrushes and many more.

Steppe dwellers such as Mongolian lark and pere david’s snowfinches form impressively large flocks and birds of prey such as saker falcon, upland buzzard and cinereous vulture always stay nearby to guard their territory.

Nature tour to Mongolia with a dream team of tour leaders

The idea for this trip came about when our STARLING guide Geert Beckers was in Mongolia during spring. The excellent local guides (a mammal researcher and a bird expert) told him how unique the country is in autumn. The crazier the idea, the more we like to make it happen! In 2018 we went on a prospecting trip and found both snow leopard and several pallas’s cats. We proudly present you a real pioneering expedition led by specialists who have mastered this tour down to the last detail. The dream team strives for a fantastic, comfortable and safe trip for all participants.