1 day bird watching tour in Irkutsk and Listvyanka

Special thanks for developing the tour to Igor Tupitsyn, the bird expert. More about him and other experts is here >>

The tour consist of two parts: 1) Irkutsk 2) the village of Bolshaya Rechka (on the way to Listvyanka, lake Baikal)

To book the tour, please e-mail at: info@baikaler.com or phone at: + 7 3952 336 240

Season: from May to October
Duration: 1 day

1) Bird watching at the Irkutsk swamps named Birds Heaven. .

The swamp near the Irkut river mouth is the unique bird nesting location within the Irkutsk city area. The road infrastructure nearby makes it easy to access the watching spot. Also, it makes this piece of living nature to be vulnerable. Ecologists and enthusiasts have done a lot to preserve this place. It has received the status of being the monument of nature 'Birds Haven'

Below is the list birds could be seen during the excursion (in Latin and English)

Outskirts of Irkutsk (the Irkut river mouth)

Common species:

Podiceps cristatus - Great Crested Grebe
Anas platyrhynchos - Mallard
Anas crecca - Teal
Anas clypeata - Shoveler
Anas penelope - Wigeon
Aythya ferina - Pochard
Falco tinnunculus - Kestrel
Fulica atra - Coot
Vanellus vanellus - Lapwing
Gallinago galinago - Common Snipe
Larus canus - Common Gull
Sterna hirundo minussensis - Common Tern (Central Siberian subspecies)
Columba livia - Rock Pigeon
Alauda arvensis - Skylark
Anthus richardi (A.novaeseelandiae) - Richard's pipit
Motacilla alba baikalensis, M.a. ocularis - White Wagtail
Motacilla citreola - Citrine Wagtail
Motacilla cinerea - Gray Wagtail
Emberiza pusilla - Little Bunting
Passer domesticus - House Sparrow
Passer montanus - Tree Sparrow
Sturnus vulgaris - Eurasian Starling
Corvus corax - Raven
Corvus corone orientalis - Carrion Crow
Pica pica - Magpie

Species that could be seen in small numbers (partly could be seen during the migration, partly - during the entire nesting period) :

Podiceps nigricollis - Black-necked Grebe
Milvus migrans - Black Kite
Accipiter gentilis - Northern Goshawk
Accipiter nisus - Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Buteo buteo japonicus - Common Buzzard (Oriental/Japanese subspecies)
Circus cyaneus - Hen Harrier
Circus aeruginosus spilonotus - Easterm Marsh-harrier
Falco subbuteo - Hobby
Calidris minuta - Little Stint
Calidris ruficollis- Red-necked Stint
Calidris temminckii - Temminck-s Stint
Tringa glareola - Wood Sandpiper
Tringa nebularia - Greenshank
Tringa erythropus - Spotted Redshank
Actitis hypoleucos - Common Sandpiper
Columba rupestris - Hill Pigeon
Anthus hodgsoni - Olive-backed Pipit
Anthus trivialis - Tree Pipit
Anthus spinoletta - Water Pipit
Anthus rubescens - American Water Pipit
Phoenicurus auroreus - Daurian Redatsrt
Phylloscopus borealis - Arctic Warbler
Phylloscopus fuscatus - Dusky Warbler
Phoenicurus phoenicurus - Redstart
Sylvia curruca - Lesser Whitethroat
Parus major - Great Tit
Parus cyanus - Azure Tit
Emberiza citrinella - Yellowhammer
Emberiza leucocephala - Pine Bunting
Emberiza spodocephala - Black-faced Bunting
Emberiza cioides - Meadow Bunting
Emberiza rustica - Rustic Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclus - Reed Bunting
Calcarius lapponicus - Lapland Longspur
Coccothraustes coccothraustes - Hawfinch
Carduelis carduelis major- Eurasian (Black-headed) Goldfinch
Uragus sibiricus - Long-tailed Rosefinch
Falco peregrinus - Peregrine Falcon
Emberiza pallasi - Pallas's Bunting
Cyanopica cyanus - Azure-winged Magpie

2) The excursion continues towards the lake Baikal. Transfer to the village of Bolshaya Rechka (1 hr drive). Visiting the bird watching spot near the former fur farm where sea gulls and other birds could be seen. If the road permits, driving 1 - 2 km up the Bolshaya river and watching birds in the river mouth area.

Types of birds which could be seen while driving from Irkutsk to Listvyanka, lake Baikal

Common species:

Anas platyrhynchos - Mallard
Anas crecca - Teal
Anas penelope - Wigeon
Aythya fuligula - Tufted Duck
Bucephala clangula - Common Goldeneye
Tringa glareola - Wood Sandpiper
Tringa nebularia - Greenshank
Tringa erythropus - Spotted Redshank
Actitis hypoleucos - Common Sandpiper
Gallinago gallinago - Common Snipe
Larus argentatus - Herring Gull
Larus canus - Common Gull
Sterna hirundo minussensis - Common Tern (Central Siberian subspecies)
Columba rupestris - Eastern Rock Dowe
Columba livia - Rock Pigeon
Dendrocopos major - Great Spotted Woodpecker
Anthus hodgsoni - Olive-backed Pipit
Anthus trivialis - Tree Pipit
Motacilla alba baikalensis, M.a. ocularis - White Wagtail
Motacilla citreola - Citrine Wagtail
Motacilla cinerea - Gray Wagtail
Turdus pilaris - Fieldfare
Turdus ruficollis - Red-throated Thrush
Turdus atrogularis - Black-throated Thrush
Tarsiger cyanurus - Red-flanked Bluetall
Phoenicurus auroreus - Daurian Redatsrt
Aegithalos caudatus - Long-tailed Tit
Parus major - Great Tit
Parus ater - Coal Tit
Parus montanus - Willow Tit
Parus palustris - Marsh Tit
Sitta europaea - Nuthatch
Emberiza rustica - Rustic Bunting
Emberiza pusilla - Little Bunting
Uragus sibiricus - Long-tailed Rosefinch
Fringilla montifringilla - Brambling
Passer domesticus - House Sparrow
Passer montanus - Tree Sparrow
Corvus corax - Raven
Corvus corone corone - Carrion Crow
Pica pica - Magpie

Species that could be seen in small numbers:

Podiceps cristatus - Great Crested Grebe
Anas clypeata - Shoveler
Anas acuta - Pintail
Pernis ptilorhynchus - Crested Honey-buzzard
Milvus migrans - Black Kite
Accipiter gentilis - Northern Goshawk
Accipiter nisus - Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Buteo buteo japonicus - Common Buzzard (Oriental/Japanese subspecies)
Circus cyaneus - Hen Harrier
Falco subbuteo - Hobby
Falco tinnunculus - Kestrel
Fulica atra - Coot
Vanellus vanellus - Lapwing
Calidris minuta - Little Stint
Calidris ruficollis- Red-necked Stint
Calidris temminckii - Temminck-s Stint
Streptopelia orientalis - Oriental Turtle-dowe
Dendrocopos minor - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos leucotos - White-backed Woodpecker
Dryocopus martius - Black Woodpecker
Alauda arvensis - Skylark
Anthus richardi (A.novaeseelandiae) - Richard's pipit
Anthus spinoletta - Water Pipit
Anthus rubescens - American Water Pipit
Turdus naumanni - Naumann's Thrush
Turdus eunomus - Dusky Thrush
Turdus obscurus - Eye-browed Thrush
Phoenicurus phoenicurus - Redstart
Phylloscopus borealis - Arctic Warbler
Phylloscopus trochiloides - Greenish Warbler
Phylloscopus inornatus - Yellow-browed Warbler
Phylloscopus fuscatus - Dusky Warbler
Sylvia curruca - Lesser Whitethroat
Muscicapa parva - Red-throated Flycatcher
Muscicapa latirostris - Brown Flycatcher
Parus cyanus - Azure Tit
Emberiza citrinella - Yellowhammer
Emberiza leucocephala - Pine Bunting
Emberiza spodocephala - Black-faced Bunting
Emberiza cioides - Meadow Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclus - Reed Bunting
Emberiza pallasi - Pallas's Bunting
Calcarius lapponicus - Lapland Longspur
Coccothraustes coccothraustes - Hawfinch
Carduelis carduelis major- Eurasian (Black-headed) Goldfinch
Carduelis spinus - Siskin
Carduelis flammea - Redpoll
Pyrrhula pyrrhula - Bullfinch
Carpodacus roseus - Pallas's Rosefinch
Loxia leucoptera - Two-barred Crossbill
Loxia curvirostra - Crossbill
Fringilla coelebs - Chaffinch
Leucosticte arctoa - Arctic Rosy-finch
Sturnus vulgaris - Eurasian Starling
Nucifraga caryocatactes - Nutcracker
Garrulus glandarius - Jay
Cyanopica cyanus - Azure-winged Magpie

Rare species:

Aquila clanga - Spotted Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos - Golden Eagle
Aquila heliaca - Imperial Eagle
Circus aeruginosus spilonotus - Easterm Marsh-harrier
Falco peregrinus - Peregrine Falcon