I did a short review for it FYI
Birds of Mongolia by Gombobataar Sundev and Christopher Leahy (Helm Field Guides 2019)
It is great to finally have the long awaited complete and up to date bird guide for Mongolia, a huge country where for years we have only had frustratingly partial coverage from Mark Brazil’s Birds of East Asia or Aye et al Birds of Central Asia. The senior author is the foremost ornithologist in Mongolia, with a fine track record of publications and booklets on the subject.
There are some 278 pages excluding the index and references, and it is a mercifully compact size book following the tried and tested Helm format, with the text and maps opposite the plates, which is very handy in the field. The team of 12 artists have done a good job depicting the range of species in Mongolia, often with the local subspecies as well which is always helpful.
The text is necessarily brief but covers the main identification points, some notes on voice, the type of habitat and also behaviour. Importantly there is also a useful section on the status in the country, and also the overall conservation status. A section at the very end covers recent vagrants and hypothetical species, and it is good to see these not cluttering up the main section as they are of little likelihood for visitors. The taxonomy is up to date and largely follows IOC, with future developments flagged, as with the splits among Asian and Lesser Short-toed Larks.
The introductory section on Mongolia and its Birdlife is very good reading with lovely photographs by the two authors of the beautiful landscapes and habitats, and useful maps of ecological zones and birding sites. A chapter on migration and conservation makes for good background, and another about Birdwatching in Mongolia is also invaluable. Highly recommended and essential for any birders coming to this lovely and still little known country, I look forward to using it in the field.
..... again, I will do a review later down the track.
