Russia - Southwest Siberia


13 JUNE - 23 JUNE 2011


'Birding Altai'

This exciting tour takes us to the very best of Russia, South-West Siberia! Siberia is endowed with some of the most fabulous treasures of the natural world. An immense part of Russia which covers no less than 59% of the entire Russian territory and an amazingly 23% of the entire Asian landmass. During this remarkable tour we will visit the southwest of Siberia into the famous AltaiRepublic. We combine three amazing ecotypes to get a glimpse of some of the most sought after Siberian species. Firstly starting with the rich farmlands of the South-Siberian lowlands. Then we slowly work ourselves into rugged peaks of the Altai mountains with there rare avifauna. Finally, we will reach the steppe zones bordering Mongolia.

The unique location of the Altai region, as a meeting place of eastern and western Palearctic species, together with the great diversity of habitats created a startling avifaunal diversity. We aim to find such mouth-watering species as Bar-headed Goose, Demoiselle Crane, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Ural Owl, White-backed Woodpecker, Pacific Swift, Hill Pigeon, White’s Trush, Dark-throated Trush, Lanceolated Warbler, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, Hume's Leaf Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Booted Warbler, Black-throated Accentor, Siberian Rubythroat, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Olive-backed Pipit, Dark-sided Flycatcher, Taiga Flycatcher, Brown Shrike, Siberian Tit, Red-flanked Bluetail, Pere David's Snowfinch, Pallas's Rosefinch, Pine Bunting and the charming Yellow-breasted Bunting!