Main target species:

Caucasian Snowcock, Caucasian Grouse, Black Francolin, Bearded Vulture, Cinereous (Eurasian Black) Vulture, Shikra, Marbled Duck, Grey-headed Swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus), White-tailed Lapwing, Terek Sandpiper, Greater Sand Plover, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Great Spotted Woodpecker (ssp. poelzami), Bimaculated Lark, Turkestan Short-toed Lark (Alaudala heinei), Horned Lark, Bluethroat, Güldenstadt’s Redstart, Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola m. variegata), Finsch’s Wheatear, Pied Wheatear, Alpine Accentor, Rufous-tailed Bush Robin, Ménétries’s Warbler, Mountain Chiffchaff, Green Warbler, Caspian Tit, Western Rock Nuthatch, Wallcreeper, Pale Rock Finch/Sparrow (Carpospiza brachydactyla), Rock Sparrow, Red-fronted Serin, ‘Caucasian’ Twite (Linaria f. brevirostris), Great Rosefinch, Asian Crimson-winged Finch, White-winged Snowfinch, Black-headed Bunting.

Tour itinerary:

 26 May

Arrival of the tour participants at Baku airport, transfer to Azcot Hotel in Baku and check-in there for one night

Today is primarily your ‘arrival’ day, so airport transfers, meals, day-tours and extras of any kind are not included in the tour price.

27 May

The tour starts at 7am from the hotel in Baku.

We will drive approximately 90 minutes south-east to Gobustan, a dry semi-desert region, where we will spend the morning. Here we will visit the famous Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with more than 6,000 rock art engravings dating back 4000 years.

Key bird species here will include Egyptian Vulture, Long-legged Buzzard, Chukar, Woodchat Shrike, Western Rock Nuthatch, Rock Sparrow, Finsch’s Wheatear, Pied Wheatear, Red-billed Chough and in the open steppe and arid areas we will be searching for breeding Turkestan Short-toed Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark and other species of larks.

We will have lunch at a local restaurant and then – a short transfer to Shirvan National Park, a flagship of Azerbaijani national parks. Here we will spend the rest of the day, until around 19.00 – 19.30 h. In the vast steppe grasslands and wetlands we will be searching for Black Francolin, Pygmy Cormorant, Ferruginous Duck, Grey-headed Swamphen, Lesser Kestrel, Greater Sand Plover, Little Owl, European Roller, Menetries’s Warbler, Rufous-tailed Bush Robin, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Bluethroat, Siberian Stonechat, Black-headed Bunting, Isabelline Wheatear, etc.

A true gem within the national park is the thriving population of Goitered Gazelle.

We will check-in for four nights at Khan Lankaran Hotel in the town of Lankaran.

28 May

We will spend the morning exploring the Qizilagaj National Park, extensive coastal lagoons hosting a big variety of water birds. Here our main targets will be the Marbled Duck, Terek Sandpipers, White-tailed Lapwings, Greater Sand Plover, Bluethroat, Siberian Stonechat. Colonies of Blue-checked Bee-eaters are a colourful delight along the road.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon we will visit a breeding site of Shikra in the Masalli area. Azerbaijan has the only breeding sites for this species within the Western Palearctic and as such this will be a key target of the tour.

At the end of the day we may return to explore some other parts of Qizilagaj National Park to look for more waders and shorebirds.

29 May

Today we will be searching for special birds in the Lerik area and the Talysh Mountains

The top bird species will be the Caspian Tit, which has a restricted breeding range in this part of the Western Palearctic. Other birds of interest in the area will include the ssp. poelzami of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Black Stork Cinereous (Eurasian Black) Vulture, etc

Lunch and tea break at a local family home.

30 May

Today we explore the bird life of the Zuvand uplands.

Key bird species: Bimaculated Lark, Pale Rock Finch/Sparrow, Asian Crimson-winged Finch and others.

If we missed the Caspian Tit the previous day due to bad weather conditions, we will stop on the way to Zuvand to look for it again.

Lunch will be packed for the day.

31 May

Today we head north into the Greater Caucasus Mountains, approximately a 4.5 hour drive. We will make several stops along the way for birdwatching, including the Besh Barmag area or the Candy Cane Mountains, or possibly stop at some of the previously visited sites if we have missed (or not seen well) some of our targets.

We arrive in the Guba area in the evening and check for two nights in the Maajid Hotel, higher up the river valley, south-east of the town of Guba.

01 June

Today we will be birding in the high mountains of the Shahdag National Park.

We will leave the hotel very early in the morning and will reach nearly 3000 m ASL in the area of Xinaliq in search for the Caucasian Snowcock, Bearded Vulture, Güldenstadt’s Redstart, Great Rosefinch, Horned Lark, Water Pipit, Alpine Accentor, White-winged Snowfinch, Red-billed Chough and other alpine specialties.

Returning to our accommodation in the afternoon, we will make several stops with excellent chances of seeing Wallcreeper, Red-fronted Serin, ‘Caucasian’ Twite (L. f. brevirostris), Rock Bunting, Ring Ouzel, Rufous-tailed (Common) Rock Thrush and others.

Packed lunch for the day

02 June

In the morning we may return to the high mountains in the Shahdag National Park near Xinaliq, especially if we have missed to see the Caucasian Snowcock and other target species in the previous day (due to bad weather or some other reason).

Then we drive to Laza with stops for birding along the way, focusing on the same species of birds as the previous day.

Lunch in a local place.

Our accommodation for the next two nights will be at Laza Guesthouse.

03 June

We leave early in the morning to explore another part of the Shahdag National Park. Our main target here will be the Caucasian Grouse, which can be seen displaying on the slopes above the village. Here, on the lush northern side of the Gizilgaya massif, the low birch shrubs are home to special birds like the Caucasian Chiffchaff and the Green Warbler. In the meadows and other open habitats we have another good chance of seeing the Red-fronted Serin and the ‘Caucasian’ Twite.

Packed lunch for the day

04 June

We can return to the high mountains near Laza, especially if we missed the Caucasian Grouse the day before.

We will then drive to Absheron Nationa Park, where we will spend the rest of the day.

This is the easternmost point of Azerbaijan. It is an exciting mix of habitats, including steppe, sand dunes, scrub and various wetlands, so a good opportunity to add to our bird list for the trip, including some late migrants and rarities.

Lunch in a local place or packed lunch depending on the day’s programme.

Overnight at Azcot hotel in Baku

05 June – Departure for home

 A non-birding day. After a final breakfast in our comfortable hotel, we will depart for Baku International Airport

To get the tour check-list, please contact us.