Rare herons in the Mongolian Gobi

This Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus was photographed by Tumendelger Humbaa on 9 May 2009 in the Juulchin Gobi Tourist Camp. This camp is 38 km from the provincial capital Dalanzadgad in Mongolia’s South Gobi Province (aimag).

Chinese Pond Heron. South Gobi aimag.
May 2009. Photo © Tumendelger Humbaa

Chinese Pond Heron. South Gobi aimag.
May 2009. Photo © Tumendelger Humbaa

Chinese Pond Heron is a rare passage migrant

in Mongolia, recorded annually during the last years.

Another Chinese Pond Heron was recorded the day

before in the Gobi, c. 220 km to the SE of the Juulchin

Gobi camp by Dorjderem Sukhragchaa.


Chinese Pond Heron. South Gobi aimag.
8 May 2009. © Dorjderem Sukhragchaa

Not far from the latter site Dorj found a dead adult

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

on 11 May 2009.

Black-crowned Night Heron. South Gobi aimag.
May 2009. © Dorjderem Sukhragchaa

Black-crowned Night Heron is a very rare migrant in Mongolia, with a scattering of records from western, central southern and eastern Mongolia. Axel Braunlich and Henry Mix recorded it for the first time for Mongolia at Khar Nuur on 29 May 1995. There is at least one more observation from the South Gobi province: Axel saw a flock of five immatures arriving from the NNW, landing in the Naadam stadium in Dalanzadgad on 14 June 2004.


Black-crowned Night Heron. South Gobi
aimag. June 2004. © Axel Braunlich

Many thanks go to Tumen and Dorj for providing data and the photos. Tand ikh bajarlalaa!