Birdwatching in Russia Birding contacts and birdwatching information Local Birdingpal Contacts Local Birdwatchers Please note that most Birdingpals are serious birdwatchers. It is a privilege to contact them, and your message should reflect it. A local Pal does not get paid, but should he/she offer to take you out birding, using their own vehicle, it would be courteous to pay for the fuel. A lunch and/or a small gift would also be appropriate, something as simple as a souvenir of your country, or a pin from your local birding club. Initial Last Name Area Available Language L Bazarow Ulan-Ude, Buryatia Weekend Russian/English Today in Buryatiya about 350 species of birds are registered. Such variety is caused by a specific arrangement of region on border of zones of a taiga and steppe, a complex relief and the purest, world known Lake Baikal. The big variety of landscapes gives big opportunities for birdwatching. The most interesting places for supervision of birds are delta Selenga, woods and tundra's of mountain ridges, Tareiskie steppe lakes, lake and marsh of valleys Bargusin river. The most suitable time for birdwatching is April, May. Y Galchyonkov Kaluga Anytime A Andrey Moscow Anytime Russian/English I Savhenko Krasnoyarsk region, Siberia Anytime Russian/English J Gordon Essentuki, Stavropolski Krai Anytime English Essentuki is in the foothills of the north Caucasus Mountain Range, El Brus the highest mountain in Europe can be seen very well from the outskirts of the town, it is only some 50 kilometres away as the crow flies. Within 10 kilometres of the town all the European vultures can be seen including at least 3 breeding pairs of Lammergeier. The area is very rich in raptors including breeding Golden and Imperial Eagles, Marsh and Montagu's Harrier, Hobby, Black Kite and occasionally Short-toed Eagle;Steppe Buzzard are very common being replaced in winter by Rough-legged Buzzard. Chough and Raven are numerous in the foothills as are Ring Ouzel, Rock Bunting and Caucasian Stonechat. The woods in the town abound with Red-breasted Flycatcher, Caucasian Chiffchaff [lorenzii], Common Redstart and Green, Greater, Middle, Lesser Spotted and Syrian Woodpeckers. The streams are home to Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Common Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover. 50 or so kilometres to the south you have the Caucasus Mountains with Caucasian and Caspian Snowcock, Caucasian Black Grouse, Guldenstadt's Redstart and Great Rosefinch to name but a few. 300 kilometres to the north you have the huge, magic and bird-rich Manych Wetlands. Globally important for nesting Dalmatian and White Pelican, Caspian, Gull-billed, Common, Little, Whiskered, White-winged Black and Black Tern, Mediterranean and Slender-billed Gull and all the water birds you can imagine. Plays host to thousands of waders and Red-breasted Geese in both spring and autumn migration, Sociable Lapwing in autumn and over 3,500 White-headed Duck in the spring. Wintering wildfowl number in the 10's of thousands, White-tailed Eagles abound [also breed] and wintering larks include both White-winged and Shore Lark, Calandra Lark are present all year round and are very common. I could go on and on about the bird-richness of the area but come see for yourselves, you will NOT be disappointed. G Boyko Ekaterinburg, Ural Anytime Russian/English Professional Guides Initial Last Name Area Available Language E Karev Moscow/Ufa City, Bashkortostan Republic Anytime Russian/English K Simonow Petrozavodsk, Karelia Anytime Local Information Name Description Russian Bird Conservation Union Club Russian Bird Conservation Union–Saratov Branch Club Raptors and Owls Club Andrey N. Baykalov's Central Siberia Birding Hotspots around the world Russian Sites Birding Hotspots around the world Siberian Sites Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Russia Local weather Yahoo Electronic maps MultiMap Find lowest prices for field guides, books, maps etc. Field guides recommended by Birdingpals Printable bird check list Trip Reports from Russia Last update 01/07/2008
