Indiana Jones and the last Saker Falcon

This is the team name chosen by Cambridge-based archaeologists and amateur birdwatchers Anna Collar (myself) and Stu Eve, for our epic journey to Mongolia this summer. We’re driving a tiny 1 litre Suzuki Swift from Cambridge to Ulaanbaatar in an unusual bid to raise money for BirdLife International – and the Vulnerable Saker Falcon, with a range from Hungary to Mongolia, seemed like the perfect symbol.

Saker Falcon, Bulgan Gol, SW Mongolia, June 2006. Photo C. Bock

For us, the drive is about many things: archaeology and the inevitability of human ruin, the timeless beauty of the many different natural environments we’ll pass through, the troubled and tumultous political situations that threaten people and nature along the way… and also about breaking down miles from anywhere with no idea about fixing cars!

This beautiful falcon, covering thousands of miles on the wing, transcends borders, languages and problems with internal combustion engines. We’ll face all those issues, and more. BirdLife and its partners are working hard to ensure the Saker doesn’t go the way of the Alaotra Grebe – we think now more than ever, we need to support them in working for birds and people.

To help promote our trip we’ve even produced our own music video! It’s a take off of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind music video. What do you think?!



You can find out more about the trip at www.lastsakerfalcon.co.uk/. Please support us! It’s all for a VERY good cause….

By Anna Collar

(original post at the BirdLife International Community site)

A trip to the west and back via the northern route

Altai Mountains in May 2010. A. Buchheim

Andreas Buchheim, Pierre Yésou & Thorsten Zegula

Part 2 (for part 1 click here)

The morning of May, 20th brought us a gale-force storm at Khyargas Nuur and besides observing the local birds like Desert Warbler, Desert Wheatear and a few Pallas’s Sandgrouse we could not check again for wing-tagged gulls. So we left earlier than planned for Olgij Nuur where we just counted the gulls. Only on the small island there were breeding Mongolian Gulls (220 nests) while the fallen water-level had turned the larger island into a peninsular, hence no gulls were breeding there anymore. West of Khovd village (not to be confused with Khovd town) we saw a Henderson’s Ground-Jay, and finally we camped near the Khovd Gol (gol = river). Apparently the storm had driven birds down from the hills or migration had stopped because many birds were seeking shelter in the half-destroyed riparian forest along the shores of the river. Among others we saw a Booted Warbler and three Willow Warblers and a flock of 30 Masked Wagtails Motacilla (alba) personata.

Male Pied Wheatear; “does not give a shit to sit on it”.
Khovd Gol, May 2010. A. Buchheim

Another day (21st) – still the same storm, but now even blowing harder, and we drove against the sand just to see a Ground-Jay again but almost nothing else. Before we found shelter at the village of Ulaan Khus a roosting Red-throated Pipit made us smile a bit.

On May, 22nd the storm was over and our minibus carried us along the Khovd Gol all the way west into Altai Tavan Bogd National Park in the Mongolian Altai Mountains.

Hill Pigeon, cooing on the bridge at the entrance to
Altain Tavan Bogd NP, May 2010. A. Buchheim

During our lunch break we had some time for bird watching: singing Sulphur-bellied Warblers and Brown Accentor gave a mountaineer-feeling as did the sole Golden Eagle. At the river there were Great Cormorants and Goosanders foraging. At Khoton Nuur (still frozen) we did our “job” and counted the gulls in the colonies (350 nests on 4 islands, some other islands not occupied by gulls) but also we added other birds to the day-list. Here – in the forests – Western Jackdaw is a common breeder and gives an almost European feel, but here it is accompanied by the eastern form of Rook Corvus frugilegus pastinator. A dark morph buzzard illustrated that their ID is very complicated in the Altai as both Upland and Long-legged Buzzards and their hybrids occur. As we did not see whether the tarsi of the bird we saw were partly feathered (Upland) or totally unfeathered (Long-legged) we could not identify it. After several crossings of rivers with a lot of ice we eventually got stuck in the forest at Khorgon Nuur. So we pitched our tents at the spot for four nights. The slope was very wet and as soon as nightfall set, many Pin-tailed Snipes started their breathtaking display-flights with the strange but unmistakable sound.

Sunday morning (23rd) we explored the forest and adjacent areas. A flock of ca. 200 Plain Mountain Finches was feeding between the larches, Black-throated Thrushes were singing, and the pale Altai Twites (of the subspecies Carduelis flavirostris altaica) were busy in building their nests.

Pale Mountain Twite, Altai Tavan Bogd NP, May 2010. A.Buchheim

The forest was much degraded just as if it wasn’t in a National Park. Willow bushes in the wetter areas held several Bluethroats and migrant leaf warblers but in parts the willows had been grazed down to a height of a few centimetres. Big trees had been cut and even the National Park people were collecting firewood – thus it seems that the only difference between a Mongolian NP and the unprotected regions surrounding the park is that foreigners must pay an entrance fee. Also we saw some people gold panning.

The next day started with a first for Mongolia: Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio, a first summer female. It is not easy to identify them here in a zone where they are recorded to hybridize with either Brown or Isabelline Shrikes (hybrids had been recorded in Mongolia before) but the wing formula of our bird was clearly in favour of Red-backed as well as the general coloration and the tail-shape (more details will be posted later at this site!). Groups of Ortolan Bunting and Common Rosefinch were waiting for better weather conditions. We also saw one of the smaller forms of Lesser Whitethroat.

Lesser Whitethroat (ssp?). Still much research has to be done to clarify which forms of this Sylvia species (complex) occur in which part of Mongolia, Altai Tavan Bogd NP, May 2010. A. Buchheim

Quite far to the west and thus well in the range of personata was a White Wagtail of the taxon ocularis which we picked from a flock of migrant Masked Wagtails.

Oriental Cuckoo arrived on May, 25th, as had an Arctic Warbler. With a lot of white in its wings the Great Grey Shrike near the camp was identified as belonging to the taxon Lanius excubitor leucopterus. Otherwise the day was boring.

On May, 26th we left the “paper-national park” and met up with a Great Cormorant which was carried by a Golden Eagle on the shores of Khovd Gol.

Great Cormorant, first summer, carried by Golden Eagle,
Khovd Gol, May 2010. A. Buchheim

In Tsengel village a female-type Golden Oriole quickly disappeared in a tree not to be seen again. Back in Ulaan Khus village where we had lunch a group of three Griffon Vultures was joined by a Black Stork and a first summer Eastern Imperial Eagle making it an interesting mixed species flock. In the evening we arrived at Tolbo Nuur where we pitched our tents.

To be continued…

Long-tailed Ducks in Mongolia

There have been less than 10 records of Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis in Mongolia. A very poor photo (just to proof) of a bird at Dalai Nuur (near Khar Us Nuur) in Khovd province, taken by A. Bräunlich in June 2007 was the only photo of this species published on Birding Mongolia so far.

During a birdwatching trip, organized by Hugues Dufourny in collaboration with the Mongolian Ornithological Society through Mongolia in May/June 2010 three Long-tailed Ducks were seen at Tsegeen Nuur (Nuur=lake) between Ulaanbaatar and Dashinchilen on 28 May 2010.

Long-tailed Duck, Tsegeen Nuur, May 2010.
Photo P.-M. Fontaine

Thanks to Hugues and Pierre-Mary for sharing this observation and the photo. More news from this trip will follow soon.

Mongolia going to export Saker Falcons

From the UB Post website:

“The export quota for Saker falcons was set at 240 this year. L. Gansukh, the Minister of Nature, Environment, and Tourism released this figure just last week.

 Mongolia, one of the largest exporters of Saker falcons in the world, usually sends the bulk of these birds to Persian Gulf countries. International organizations, however, largely blame Mongolia for the rapid decline of the falcon’s population. Fairly recently the Saker falcon has been classified as endangered, a status also true in other Central Asian countries. …”
(Written by Ch.Sumiyabazar, Tuesday, June 15, 2010). Read more…

Saker Falcon, Mongolia. Photo R. Reading 

The Saker Falcon is a globally threatened species, listed as Vulnerable by BirdLife International and IUCN.

May in Ikh Nart

 Richard Reading

(all photos taken in Ikh Nart in May 2010, © R. Reading)

Ikh Nart in snow, May, 8th

I had a wonderful trip to our research station in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve (an Important Bird Area), northwestern Dornogobi Aimag (East-Gobi Province) in late April/early May. Migration was in full force and we recorded several new species of birds for the reserve; these included: Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (captured an image on a camera trap), Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna (pair nesting in a marmot burrow!), Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata (a rare passage migrant and exceptional breeder in Mongolia),

female Mandarin Duck

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Asian Desert Warbler Sylvia nana, and Bohemian Waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus.

Asian Desert Warbler

Bohemian Waxwing

Other relatively rare sightings for the reserve included Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope, Common Teal Anas crecca, Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor, Siberian Accentor Prunella montanella, Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor, (Chinese) Beautiful Rosefinch Carpodacus (pulcherrimus) davidianus, and Pallas’s Rosefinch Carpodacus roseus.

male (Chinese) Beautiful Rosefinch

female Pallas's Rosefinch

 

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Still, our primary tasks were catching Argali Ovis ammon lambs and Siberian Ibex Capra sibirica kids for radio collaring; collecting scat these wild ungulates and domestic sheep and goats to conduct a comparative internal parasite study; and to begin an ecological study of snakes in the reserve.

Argali

Siberian Ibex

 For what we believe is the first time in Mongolia, and possibly Central Asia, we placed radio transmitters in snakes to track their movements. The focus of the research was the Pallas’s Coluber Elaphe dion; however, we did not catch any individuals large enough to handle the 6 g transmitters (usually, scientists want to keep the weight of the transmitter at 7% or less of the body weight of reptiles).

Pallas’s Coluber

Central Asian Viper

Central Asian Vipers

We capture 2 relatively large Central Asian Vipers Gloydius halys (i.e., both > 100 g) and Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald of Animal Planet fame (Emergency Vets) conducted surgery in a ger to implant the transmitters.

Implanting the transmitter.

Both snakes recovered well from the surgery and we released them at the point of capture (after a late snowstorm that dumped over 20 cm forced us to hold them for a couple of extra days!).

Releasing a snake with a transmitter.

More importantly, we are training Mongolian herpetologists to conduct this work as we strive to build capacity in Mongolia beyond mammalogists and ornithologists.

project leader (?) and staff

A trip to the west and back via the northern route

Andreas Buchheim, Pierre Yésou & Thorsten Zegula

Part 1

During our first week we travelled as far west as Khyargas Nuur (nuur = lake) with a first overnight-stop at Daschschinschiling Bayan Nuur, a saltwater lake which is also known as Tsagaan Nuur (white lake) because of the salt-layer on the exposed mud.

1st-summer male Common Goldeneye

Daschinschilingijn Bayan Nuur, 13 May 2010. A. Buchheim

Two late Middendorf’s Bean Geese were found among the other Anser species (45 Swan, 7 Bar-headed and 10 Greylag) on May, 13th.

Male Common Shelduck taking a bath.

Daschinschiling Bayan Nuur, 13 May 2010. A. Buchheim

In the flock were also two neck-banded geese, marked by Martin Gilbert and collaborators. 5 Common Reed Buntings were singing in the reeds while the presence of 15 Lapland Buntings showed that the harsh winter was not completely over. Other migrants seen were two Mongolian Plovers (rather rare in Mongolia itself), a flock of 50 Pale Martins and about 550 Common Shelducks. Some of the latter were displaying and might have been local birds though. Before driving to Ogij Nuur on 14 May we saw a Whiskered Tern hunting above the first singing reed warblers (1 Oriental and a minimum of 10 Paddyfield) which had already arrived. A Bluethroat and a White Wagtail of the taxon ocularis ("East Siberian Wagtail") could be added to our list.

Flies on skull: 235 seats and 1 fly. Between Ogij Nuur

and Tsetserleg, 14 May 2010. A. Buchheim

Ogij Nuur was still almost half covered by ice thus we drove on to Tsetserleg after having counted the waterfowl on the lake. With 1480 individuals Common Goldeneye was the most numerous species, followed by Great Cormorant (950) and Common Pochard (840). An adult White-tailed Eagle was probably waiting for easy prey and the two Eurasian Spoonbills did their best to find something to eat in the ice-cold water. Between Ogij Nuur and Tsetserleg we drove through an area dotted with dead animals, certainly not nice for them and their owners but some sort of relief for the overgrazed steppe and clearly much needed for the long-term survival of the herders and their herds.

Rock Sparrow at Ogij Nuur, 14 May 2010. A. Buchheim

We stayed from May 14th to 16th in a valley above Tsetserleg but did not record many noteworthy birds. At night (May 14th) we heard a Tengmalm’s Owl and on 15th we found two territories of Godlewski’s Bunting. The two Booted Eagles seen on 15th were not belonging to the pale morph which is quite rare in the east of the species’ range.

Male Godlewski’s Bunting

Tsetserleg, 14 May 2010. A. Buchheim

On May, 16th we continued to Terchijn Tsagaan Nuur which showed a 95% ice-cover. Only a few interesting birds were seen: 1 early Red-necked Stint, 12 Eurasian Spoonbills and 2 Black Storks whereas on the big island in the west part of the lake Mongolian Gulls and Great Cormorants had started their colony-life. Snowfall precluded proper birdwatching as visibility was low.

After a time-consuming crossing of Solongt Pass in snow with a big truck blocking the road for hours we camped at the Ider Gol (Gol = River) between Ich Uul village and Tosontsengel cityfrom 17th to 18th.

Common Magpie visiting our camp at Ider Gol

17 May 2010. A. Buchheim

Shortly after we had pitched our tents in that what remains of the former riparian forest we watched a Bearded Vulture dropping a bone and then carrying it to somewhere (the nest?) out of our views. Not many birds were around but an occupied nest of White-tailed Eagle was a welcomed sight. A Eurasian Scops Owl sang during the evening of 17th.

Adult Bearded Vulture carrying a crushed bone. Ider Gol between

Ich Uul Village and Tosontsengel City, 17 May 2010. A. Buchheim

The next day (18th) we checked Telmen Nuur (also still frozen) but with the exceptions of the breeding Great Cormorants (320 Nests) and Mongolian Gulls (more than 1000 nests) we did not see any waterfowl. During our trip we saw only one “concentration” of Upland Buzzards with 27 sitting in the steppe the plain west of the lake. Many rodents must have died from the melt-water which wetted them in their burrows this spring thus raptors were generally few this spring. We spent the night east of Songino village.

At Khyargas Nuur, where we arrived on 19th, there was no ice left. The water-level on this huge lake had dropped by more than 3 m in the last 4 years and we could walk into the gull-colony (which we did only at the very edge, not to disturb the birds). Gulls and other breeders had moved away from the land-bridge as far as possible to reduce the risk of being predated. If the water-level continues to fall at this rate it will be only a matter of time until this important colony will be abandoned by the birds. We counted 1400 breeding pairs of Pallas's Gull, 1100 pairs of Great Cormorant, 650 pairs of Mongolian Gull, 20 to 25 pairs of Grey Heron, 20 pairs of Bar-headed Goose, 5 pairs of Swan Goose and 2 pairs of Whooper Swan. Two Relict Gulls at this site were probably migrants.


More coming soon, watch this site...

Taimen footage on National Geographic

The BirdLife Community

BirdLife International is the world’s largest global alliance of conservation organisations that share a mission: to conserve wild birds, their habitats and global biodiversity. BirdLife has Partners in over 100 countries, with 2.5 million members and 8 million supporters. BirdLife’s popular website receives over 1,500,000 unique visitors each year, and they often the first to publish the biggest bird conservation news of the day.

BirdLife just launched a new area of its website – The BirdLife Community. The BirdLife Community is the place online to discuss the latest news from the frontline in biodiversity protection. BirdLife is now publishing many more news stories, and also blog and video posts from the frontline of conservation.

From the The BirdLife Community:

Alaotra Grebe extinction – Do you care?

“Today we announced that Alaotra Grebe is officially extinct on the Red List. When we publicise news of threat or extinction the first question posed by the media will be: “Why should we care?” Please add your thoughts on why we should care.” To read on click here.

Other recent news published on The BirdLife Community recently include:

• List of extinct bird species
• Over 300 dead birds are likely Gulf spill victims
• News from the Philippines
• Oil found at Audubon’s Rainey Sanctuary – Video
• Oil spill’s early Impact on Mississippi Barrier Islands – Video
• Forest & Bird (BirdLife in New Zealand) delivers 4000 anti-mining submissions
• International Day for Biological Diversity
• Helping local communities to influence decision makers in Northwestern Pichincha, Ecuador
• Conservation of Nyabarongo Wetlands for Sustainable Livelihoods, Rwanda
• Safeguarding priority forest sites with local community support, Fiji

Year of the Iron Tiger

Dear readers of Birding Mongolia,

On the occasion of the new lunar year I would like to wish you a roaring year with success, peace, health, love and prosperity. Ta buhendee sar shiniin mend hurgeye. Saihan shinelcgeegeerei. Happy Tsagaan Sar!

However, although this is a happy occasion, many Mongolians are suffering right now through an unusually terrible dzud this winter. Please read the post by my friend, the American monk Konchog: click here. May be you can help.

All the best,

Hundetgesen,
 
Axel

Obituary

Academician, Professor Osor Shagdarsuren

(1929-2010)

We are deeply saddened to announce that Academician, Professor Osor Shagdarsuren passed away on Tuesday, 2 February 2010, at the age of 81. He was highly respected biologist, ornithologist, educator, and father of three. The Mongolian scientific community has lost a prominent scientist and educator.

Professor O.Shargdarsuren was born in 1929 to a herder family in Matad Sum, Dornod Aimag. As with many Mongols of his generation, he spent his childhood time on the vast grassland steppes in eastern Mongolia herding sheep and goats. He graduated from the Matad Sum Middle School in 1948, and subsequently entered the Chemistry and Biological Department of the National University of Mongolia. In 1955, he graduated from the University and returned to his home town as a teacher. Following his dreams he returned to Ulaanbaatar. At that time, Mongolia was at early stages of exploring its wildlife and biological resources with the cooperation of Russian scientists. Soon his talent shone. Professor Shagdarsuren garnered a recommendation to go to Moscow to study biological sciences where he studied the ecology of birds of prey in central and southern Mongolia for his PhD degree under the supervision of renowned Professor G. P. Dementiev at Lomonosov Moscow State University from 1961-1964. After successfully completing his study in Russia, he returned home as the first ornithologist in his country. At that time, he was much-needed because Mongolia contained very few educated people in the natural sciences. Having graduated from one of the top universities in the world, he continued his work and expanded his research to mammals, animal husbandry, and ecology and evolutionary biology, at same time he undertook several positions of responsibility at the University and the Academy of Sciences. For many years, he studied game animals and pastoral livestock husbandry in Mongolia. Later he earned his Doctor of Sciences degree, again from the Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1972.

Professor O. Shargdarsuren was an active creator, developer, and supporter of the leading scientific and higher educational institutes in the country. He served as the Director of the Institute of Biology at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences from 1964-1982, and continued as the Science Secretary from 1982-1983. Afterward, he worked as President of the National University of Mongolia for six years until 1989. Until his final days he remained an honored professor at the National University of Mongolia and continued teaching in the Department of Zoology.

He was elected as a Corresponding Member of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences in 1982 and became an Academician (full member) in 1991, and also received his Professor title in 1984. He was honored by his scholarly colleagues at the National University of Mongolia and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences for his lifetime efforts and accomplishments for developing and creating these important scientific institutes.

Professor O. Shargdarsuren was the lead researcher of Mongolian scientists working in the Joint Soviet-Mongolian biological expedition of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Mongolian Academy of Sciences and also the Joint Mongolian-German Biological Expedition until 1990. He was chief editor and lead author for many scientific publications resulting from these two significant international expeditions. He also served as chairman of the Scientific Committee for Doctorate Degrees in Biological Sciences for many years.

He wrote over 200 papers and publications including some 20 milestone monographs such as “Raptors of Central and Southern Mongolia and their practical importance,” “Rare mammals of the Mongolian People’s Republic,” “Contributions to the study of mammals in the Khangai Mountains,” “Issues in the conservation and management of mammals of Mongolia”, “Game animals and their conservation in Mongolia,” “Natural selection and nomadic livestock husbandry,” “Pastoral livestock husbandry and related issues in theoretical biology,” and “Pastoral livestock husbandry in Mongolia.” Several species discovered new to science bear his name. Furthermore, based on his own research results and eagerness to transfer his knowledge and experiences from the formal halls of the university to practice in real life, he led several wildlife management projects that were never before practiced in Mongolia, such as the introduction and translocation of Musk Rats to Khar Us Lake and Mongolian Gazelle to the Khomiin Steppes in western Mongolia.

O. Shagdarsuren was an inspirational teacher and mentor for many young researchers, and a renowned professor of the National University of Mongolia. During his years of teaching in the largest university in Mongolia, he mentored countless excellent students and supervised over 20 Ph.D. and Doctorate candidates, and offered advice and guidance to many more. He also authored many textbooks on biology and ecology subjects including “Zoology I,” Zoology II,” “Pastoral livestock husbandry and its theoretical foundation,” and “Essentials of Ecology”, and published numerous articles and essays in mainstream newspapers, magazines, and journals. It is said that every biologist in Mongolia met with him and was taught by him.

Professor O. Shagdarsuren was not only an educator and good scientist, he was an important political and social activist too. Several times he was appointed as a Representative to the People’s Great Congress, elected as honorary Mongolian consul to the Biophysics Center of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance Organization (the largest international economic organization for cooperation during the Soviet era), Chairman of the Mongolian Union, and Director General of the Mongolia and India Friendship Union. Finally, he was actively involved in various governmental committees on science, technology and higher education.

The Government of Mongolia praised his many years of productive service for the country and decorated him with several high ranking medals and honors, such as the Mongolian State Honorable Teacher, Order of North Star, Honorary Credential of the Government of Mongolia, anniversary medals of the People’s Revolution of Mongolia, and Best Employee titles from educational, science, agriculture, and environmental sectors.

Professor O. Shagdarsuren was very kind man and a true scholar, committed to and passionate about his work until the end of his life. His deep and broad knowledge, teaching skills, and friendship will be sorely missed by his family, relatives, colleagues, friends, and thousands of his students around the country.

Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of Mongolia

National University of Mongolia

Mongolian Academy of Sciences

A presumed Leopard Cat at Kherlen River, eastern Mongolia
by Thomas Hallfarth

 On 7 July 2009 I recorded a wild cat at the Kherlen gol (gol=river), about 50 km west from the city of Choibalsan in eastern Mongolia. The geographical coordinates of the observation site are N 48°03’, E 113°44’. The habitat consists of long-grass steppe with single exposed rocks and boulders. About 600 m from the observation site a narrow “gallery bush forest” grows along the Kherlen River and its small side arms.

 
Presumed Leopard Cat, Kherlen River,
July 2009. © T. Hallfarth
click to enlarge

 I observed the animal from about one kilometre distance for c. 30–40 minutes. The weather and viewing conditions were good. A slight heat haze had a marginal impact on the observation only.

 
Presumed Leopard Cat, Kherlen
River, July 2009. © T. Hallfarth
click to enlarge

A few photos with a digital camera were taken through a telescope. Due to the great distance the photos came out quite poor, but they show the key features rather well.

 
Presumed Leopard Cat, Kherlen
River, July 2009. © T. Hallfarth

I am absolutely sure that the animal was a cat! The pelage colour was a washed grey without any conspicuous pattern (great distance!). The tip of the tail was black. The key ID feature was certainly the structure of the cat: Firstly, the cat had a very long tail which was held bent upward. And the animal showed strong, powerful shoulders. These features gave the cat an irbis-like or even leopard-like appearance.


Presumed Leopard Cat, Kherlen
River, July 2009. © T. Hallfarth

During the observation period the cat was slowly moving through the grassland on top of a hill, probably searching for food, though no hunting behaviour could be observed. It was presumably laying down several times (when it disappeared from my view). In dimension the animal appeared bigger than a normal domestic cat. Not far from it we discovered a family of Corsac Foxes later. Although we couldn't compare the two species directly, we had an indirect comparison of a canid and a felid. The cat showed typical movements of a cat. A confusion with a canid (occurring in the area: Corsac and Red Fox, Grey Wolf) can be excluded.


Presumed Leopard Cat, Kherlen
River, July 2009. © T. Hallfarth

The only larger cat occurring in the wider area is the Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis. This polytypic species is widely distributed from the northern Indian Subcontinent, northern China and south-eastern Russia to South-East Asia. The subspecies P. b. euptilurus, which is sometimes considered specifically distinct, is called Amur Leopard Cat. It occurs in the Manchurian region, Korea and Russian Far East.

 
Distribution of Leopard Cat in China.
From: Smith & Yan Xie (2008).

Leopard Cats measure 45–75 cm (head-body), and have a tail lengths of 19.5–31.5 cm. They weight 1.7–7.1 kg. Cats from Russia and northern China are two to three times larger than cats from southern Asia (Wilson & Mittermeier 2009).


This photo of a wild Amur Leopard Cat in South Korea
shows the powerful shoulder area of this subspecies
quite well. From an article in JoongAng Daily.


Amur Leopard Cat, Seosan, South Korea, 17 June 2007.
© Tim Edelsten

The species occurs mainly in forests, but “also in shrub forests, but not in grassland or steppe (except marginal areas and riparian ecosystems)” (Smith & Yan Xie 2008), though Wilson & Mittermeier (2009) write that they are also found – though rarely – in cold steppe grasslands.

 
An Amur Leopard Cat at Dortmund Zoo
© Stefan Kulpa, http://www.erblicken.com/

Leopard Cat has not been recorded from Mongolia and thus the observation described here would constitute the first record.

Tim Edelsten has commented as follows:

Just my thoughts based on my personal sightings/ impressions:

Although the images are not clear, it appears to have a thick greyish-brown coat with contrastingly paler chin and belly, and thick tail, which are typical for Amur Leopard Cat, (although which can also be shared with Feral Cat).

Structure-wise however, to me it shows the athletic build, strong and high shoulder, and proportionately longer body and sloping back of Amur Leopard Cat that would distinguish it from Feral Cat in my experience.

So without being sure, I would lean towards an identification of Amur Leopard Cat.

More comments on this observation are welcome!

Acknowledgments. My thanks go to Tim Edelsten for letting me use his photo of an Amur Leopard Cat from Korea and for commenting the observation. Stefan Kulpa kindly allowed to include his excellent photo of a Leopard Cat. Axel Braunlich did some background research and helped to write this contribution.

Literature

Smith, A. T. & Yan Xie 2008. A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press.

Wilson, D. E. & Mittermeier, R. A. eds. 2009. Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Vol. 1 Carnivores. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Resighting of Bar-headed Goose in India

Atanu Mondal recorded a collared Bar-headed Goose in a tank at Kamalapura, Hampi, Karnataka, southern India along with 11 other birds on 22 November 2009. (In India, an irrigation tank or tank is an artificial reservoir of any size).

Bar-headed Goose, S India, Nov 2009. © Atanu Mondal

Martin Gilbert from the Wildlife Conservation Society has commented as follows:

Thank you for sending your report. The bird that you observed (yellow collar N9), is a female and was captured during our work in the Darkhad Valley, northern Mongolia on 17 July 2008. The approximate location of the bird’s capture was N: 99.41078; E: 51.19736. Interestingly, we have also received reports over the last few days of two other birds that we caught in Darkhad on the same evening, who have also just arrived in southern India and are currently at Magadi tank, in Gadag district, Karnataka.

Thank you again for sending in this information. I would be very interested to receive any further details of resightings of collared birds that you observe.

Best of luck, and good birding!

Martin