Why travel with Central Asia Birding

Introduction
 

We offer a different range of travels in the entire region of Central Asia. From the Siberian taiga to the deserts of Kazakhstan, from the Altay Mountains in Russia to the mountainous areas of Kyrgyzstan.

Tailor-made and based on field experience

Because we are based in Central Asia and are working together with the best ornithologists, botanists and entomologists, we have established a group of experts with extensive specialized knowledge of the flora and fauna of the region. We also work closely with local managers who have extensive knowledge of the local tourist infrastructure. We can offer tailor-made travel, providing as much information as possible. So you only need to tell us what you wish or do not wish. We guarantee all the logistics necessary on spot for a successful nature tour. All you need to do is to send us a wishlist, then we will provide you a custom made all included itinerary, completely based on your personal wishes.

Support and communication before, during and after the trip

We believe that good communication before the journey is half the work for a successful trip. We encourage our customers as much as possible to supply us with specific information about their wishes and desires before a tour so everything can be taken into account. When there is an agreement with the customer, a comprehensive information package containing detailed maps and directions as well as practical and background information will be provided to all participants in the group.

During your tour there will always be a staff member from Central Asia Birding available by telephone or by e-mail. Contact with home will therefore always be possible.  Tours are always accompanied by an employee of Central Asia Birding.

After the trip, everyone receives an evaluation form. We hope that you will give us constructive criticism, so that we can keep improving our tours. This way we can make sure to meet our customer’s demands even better in the future.

Accommodations

We think that a combination of good location and a good accommodation are very important for a successful trip. It is not always easy find suitable accommodation in the remote areas we visit. We try, as much as possible, to use small eco-friendly lodges and hotels located in or near the bird sites. We prefer to avoid large hotels, corporations and multinationals.

During a visit to Central Asia an overnight stay in a yurt, a traditional nomad tent, is a must. The formerly nomadic people of Central Asia lived in these large round tents. These yurts were quickly set up and taken down. They protected the people from heat in the summer and frost in the winter. For more information about these beautiful yurt camps, you can read more on the page Yurt camp.

Transportation

Because of the vastness of the areas visited, long travel days can not be ruled out. For this reason, we always use very reliable transportation with trustworthy drivers. In general, we use luxurious Mercedes Sprinter buses for the non-mountainous programmes. In the rough mountain areas, we offer four-wheel drive Mitsubishi Delica's and sometimes old, rehabilitated, Russian army trucks which will appeal  to the more adventurous amoung us. Despite long journies, our travel programmes are set up in such a way that more than enough time can be spent in the field.

European specialists/tourleaders

If desired, we can provide one of our European guides as your tourleader. Each of them are specialists in their field and therefore offer extra value to the trip. Last year, Arnoud B van den Berg (chief editor of Dutch Birding Magazine and co-founder of the Sound Approach) and Wouter Faveyts (among others, a member of the Rarities Committee of Belgium) have strengthened our team.

Finally, there is obviously still Machiel Valkenburg himself. Machiel is living in the Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan. From there, he leads the daily management of Central Asia Birding. He is one of the better bird guides in Central Asia, and together with his great knowledge of the countries, cultures and birds from Central Asia makes him an ideal tourleader. Our guides are equipped with a telescope, binoculars, books about birds, plants, mammals, etc. as well as an Ipod full of bird sounds.

Bird species

As Central Asia is situated in the northern hemisphere, spring and autumn are the best periods for visiting the region, as vast numbers of birds pass through the regions on their way to and from their breeding and wintering areas. The largest number of species can be seen from early May to late June and from late August to late October. Besides the many migratory birds, a whole range of interesting resident species definitely add to the flavour. Nearly mythical species such as Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Black Lark, Sociable Plover and Siberian Rubythroat are high on many bird watchers wish lists. It is possible to see here in their natural habitat, together with many other species during tours of Central Asia Birding.

The summer months are in particular interest for those who are fond of plants and butterflies, throughout the region the variety of plant life is astounding with over 6000 recorded species. The amount of butterfly species is unrivalled with over 200 species of butterflies including no less than 9 species of Apollo’s.

Bird taxonomy of Central Asia

Species sequence, taxonomy and nomenclature follow van den Berg (2006) ‘List of Western Palaearctic birdspecies’. This list is largely based on Voous (1977) and subsequent decisions by the Commission Systematics Dutch Avifauna (Sangster et al 1999, 2003). Voous (1977) is followed for the other Eastern Palaearctic and Indomalaya birdspecies.

For each trip, we offer a specific bird list corresponding with the birds of that particular region.

Alternative destinations

Central Asia Birding is a small company focussing on bird and nature travel in Central Asia. The entire land area of Central Asia is approximately equal to the land surface of Europe. This large area of virtually unspoiled nature offers many opportunities for alternative travel. In addition to the already existing travel destinations, we are busy developing new tours. Currently, we are in the process of preparing new itineraries to northern Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Altai, southwest Siberia, Lake Baikal, West Mongolia, Tajikistan and also to the Volga Delta.