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Shaqpaq (Chokpak) migration hotspot, Turkestan region


2024-10-13| Raffael Ayé
duration
weather Mostly cloudy and even covered. Some sunshine or sunshine through thin cloud cover.
rout
equipment
notes


# species number comment

1Crested Honey-Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus)1adult male, right wing injured (poaching?)

2Black Kite (Milvus migrans)133migrating west

3Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)1adult female migrating west

4Western Marsh-Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)7migrating west

5Common Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)55migrating west

6Upland Buzzard (Buteo hemilasius)1adult migrating west

7Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus)155migrating west

8Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

9Short-toed Snake-Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)10migrating west

10Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)2migrating west

11Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis)67migrating west, plus 20 unidentified Eagles, most of which were likely also Steppe Eagles

12Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga)7migrating west, mostly juveniles

13Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)4migrating west, 3 adults, 1 juvenile

14Pallas's Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus)1juvenile migrating west

15Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus)1flying east at foot of the mountains, not migrating

16Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni)5migrating west in a flock

17Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)5migrating west, mostly in singles

18Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix)1bird found dead

19Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo)10migrating west, in fact species not identified with certainty as they were distant (potentially could have been Common Crane)

20Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)200

21Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis)3

22Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)1juvenile

23Sky Lark (Alauda arvensis)3

24Common Mynah (Acridotheres tristis)5

25Eurasian Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)

26Rook (Corvus frugilegus)

27Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)

28Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)

29Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)25tristis "Siberian Chiffchaff", identified by call and plumage

30Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)1male

31Black-throated Thrush (Turdus atrogularis)

32Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

33Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla)

34Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)

calendar

2025

jan feb mar apr
may jun jul aug
sep oct nov dec

2024

jan feb mar apr
may jun jul aug
sep oct nov dec

2023

jan feb mar apr
may jun jul aug
sep oct nov dec

2022

jan feb mar apr
may jun jul aug
sep oct nov dec

2021

jan feb mar apr
may jun jul aug
sep oct nov dec

2020

jan feb mar apr
may jun jul aug
sep oct nov dec

2019

jan feb mar apr
may jun jul aug
sep oct nov dec

2018

jan feb mar apr
may jun jul aug
sep oct nov dec

2017

jan feb mar apr
may jun jul aug
sep oct nov dec

2016

jan feb mar apr
may jun jul aug
sep oct nov dec

2015

jan feb mar apr
may jun jul aug
sep oct nov dec

rare birds records


Great Snipe (Gallinago media)

© Vasilii Bastaev
2026-05-08
Karakol lake, Mangystau

The second record of a rare migratory species this season.


Great Snipe (Gallinago media)

© Qanatbek Kenzhegulov
2026-04-14
Aktau, Mangystau region

A rare passage species in Kazakhstan. The most recent photographic record in the country was made on 21 April 2022 in the Suzak District of Turkestan Region (Martin Grienenberger; see the website gallery). In Mangystau Region, only two records supported by photographic evidence are known from recent decades of the 21st century: 20–24 May 2009 in the Kenderli area (Neve et al., 2010) and the present observation.


Northern Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

© Alexandr Fedulin
2026-03-30

A new species for the Teniz-Korgalzhinsky region. The first photographic confirmation on the website for the Kazakh Uplands. Recorded on March 28 and 30 in different parts of the village.


Northern Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

© Margarita Davydova
2021-04-02
First president's park, Almaty

The first photo recording of a Northern Bullfinch in Almaty on the website is a rare sighting for a region where they were previously observed during wintering in the mid-20th century and have now become only occasionally encountered.

more rarities...