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Asia - Kazakhstan
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Kazakhstan is the eighth largest country in the world, situated on the edge of the Western Palearctic. It stretches almost 3,000 km from the Volga Delta in the west to the western border of Mongolia in the east. Of the landscape, plains cover 60%, hummocks 30% and mountains and foothills up to 10%. Central and northern Kazakhstan holds the majority of the 34,500 lakes. Kazakhstan has a great diversity of landscapes: different types of steppes and northern desert, foliaceous and coniferous forests, large lakes, and river valleys, huge mountains with magnificent gorges and white-capped peaks. The northernmost region is represented by the forest-steppe ecosystems of the Western-Siberian lowland. Further south, these ecosystems change to steppe followed by extensive desert covering over 44% of the total area of the country. The mountain belts include different types of forests, alpine meadows, tundra, permanent snow belts and glaciers. There are 495 (and 449 extra more subspecies) bird species, including 396 breeding species.The target species for most birdwatchers in Kazakhstan are Sociable Lapwing, Relict Gull, Yellow-eyed Stock Dove, White-throated Bushchat, Dalmatian Pelican, Pallid Harrier, Black-winged Pratincole, Panders Ground Jay, Saxaul Sparrow, Black Lark, White-winged Lark, Ibisbill and Demoiselle Crane. (Text by Justin Jansen) |
 Mongolian Finch © Martin Tribe |
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