part 14:

Drongasm Forest

text by Armin Schneider

( links to previous posts: part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 ,12, 13 )

savanna-like forest, Khalkhgol north of Sumber

Jun 2014 © Kirsten Krätzel

After my call via radio it did not take long until Sönke arrived on 4 June 2014 and identified the bird as a Hair-crested Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus of the subspecies brevirostris! This was yet another second record for Mongolia. The first had been seen by some of us in 2011 (see here). One by one the group gathered and all of us saw the bird. Nevertheless, taking good photos was a difficult task as the bird was shy and knew how to stay obscured, or at least, partly so. We ended with a record shot only. Despite this disappointment, it was time again for some beers, cheers!

Hair-crested Drongo

Khalkhgol N of Sumber, Jun 2014 © Armin Schneider

The next day, 5 June 2014, was a bit quieter because the end of the migration period was near. After a calm and relaxing morning in the camp I had the idea to look whether the Hair-crested Drongo was still at the same place. To my surprise I found a drongo indeed, but it was not the bird from the day before! Again, I had to ask for help via radio and again, it was Sönke who was the first of the team to arrive at the scene. As on the day before he could identify the bird, and it turned out to be yet another second record for Mongolia. This time it was an Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus of the subspecies leucogenis! And again, all of us had decent views of this bird which, how could it be, proved to be as shy as yesterday’s Hair-crested Drongo.

Ashy Drongo has been recorded for the first time in Mongolia as recently as 11 September 2011, in Terelj National Park (Batmunkh Davaasuren pers. comm.). Both first records of these drongos have been published by the Mongolian Bird Taxonomy and Rarity Committee (2013), the Ashy Drongo record unfortunately without providing a date (sic!).

Our team was overwhelmed! This river valley with its fantastic landscape and all the special birds was worth the journey alone. But there was more to be found, so stay tuned!

Ashy Drongo

Khalkhgol N of Sumber, Jun 2014 © Thomas Langenberg

Ashy Drongo

Khalkhgol N of Sumber, Jun 2014 © Thomas Langenberg

Literature

Mongolian Bird Taxonomy and Rarity Committee 2013. Records of newly found and vagrant species for the Mongolian avifauna in 2007-2012. Ornis Mongolica 2: 35-46.