Tours in reserve Aksu-Zhabagly.

“Everything in excess is opposed to nature” 

Hippocrates.

Discovery and adventure tour Kazakhstan.

A typical pattern of south mountains of Middle Asia with a prevalence of Mediterranean elements. Close resemblance to flora and fauna of Pamiro-Alai Mountain System. Flora: more 1400 species, about 300 species are rare, endemic, relict or endangerous; 200 species of medical herbs.
Fauna: about 300 species of vertebrates, including 239 bird species that is near half of total species diversity of Kazakhstan; about 700 species of beetles, more that 300 species of butterfly and 100 species of bugs.
There is a good choice of interesting and original natural places to see, however, for the initial stage of our program development we propose you four the most famous sites.
Traveling along the Aksu Canyon, Kshi-Kaindy and Ulken Kaindy Gorges, and visiting Kaskabulak Depression in high mountains you will find most of typical wildlife inhabitants of the Reserve, acquaint with rare, endemic and relict plants and animals and enjoy the variable landscapes.
If you will visit the Reserve in May you will wonder by huge area of wild blooming tulips. Among other species there is a famous Tulipa greigii named for its beauty and size “The King of the Tulips”.
The density of Tulipa greigii in the Reserve is incredibly high and reach 20 specimens per 1 sq.m. The fauna of the reserve is rich and diverse. In Aksu-Zhabagly there are such rare animals as snow leopard, Tien-Shan brown bear, ounce, lynx, argali and golden eagles, the wing spread of which can reach 3 meters!
The reserve has two paleonthological sections – Karabastau and Aulke where there are prints of the organisms, the age of which is from 60 to 200 million years.

Birds in Aksu-Zhabagly:

White stork (Ciconia nigra), White Stork (C.ciconia), Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo), Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), White-tailed Plover (Vanellochettusia leucura), Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), Collared Prantincole (Glareola  pratincola), Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus), Laughing Dove (Streptopelia  senagalensis), Collared Dove (St.  Decaocto), Rufous Dove (St. Orientalis), Grey  Partridge  (Perdix perdix), Chukar (Alectoris chucar), Himalayan Snow (Tetraogallus himalayensis), Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug), Peregrine Falcone (F. Peregrinus), Hobby (F. Subbuteo), Merlin (F. Columbaris), Lesser Kestrel (F. Naumanni),  Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), Sparrowhawk (A.nisus); Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus), Pallid Harrier  (C. Macrourus), Egypten Vulture (Neophron perhopterus), Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus), Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus), Golden Eagle (Aguila chrypsaetos), Imperial Eagle (A. Heliaca), Steppe Eagle (A. Nipalensis), Spotted Eagle (A. Clanga), Booted Eagle (Hiraaetus pennatus), Log-Legged Buzzard (Buteo-rufinus), Common Buzzard (B.Buteo), Crested Buzzard (Pemis ptilorhynchus), Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Eagle Owe (Bubo bubo), Scops Owl (Otus scops), Tawny Owl (Strix aluco),  Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), Roller (Coracias garrulus), Bee-eater (Merops apiaster), Blue-cheked Bee-eater (M. Superciliosus), Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), Hoopoe (Upupa epops), Wryneck (Junx torquilia), Alpine Swift (Apus melba), Swift (A. Apus), Raven (Corvus corax), Brown-necked Raven (N.mficollis), Chough (Pyrrhorax purrhorax), Alpine Chough (P. Graculus), Rose-colored Starling (Pastor roseus), Common Mynah (Acridoteres tristis), Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus), White-winged Grosbeak (Mycerobas carnipes), Greenfinch (Chloris chloris), Grey Goldfinch (Carduelis caniceps), Red-fronted Serin (Serinus pusillus), Desert Finch (Rhodospiza obsoleta), Crimson-winged Finch (Rhodopechys sanguinea), Tien-Schan Redmanteld Rose Finch (Carpodacus rhodochlamys), Scarlet Rose Finch (C. Erythrinus), Brandt’s Rosy Finch (Leucosticte brandti), Waldschneegimpel (L.Nemoricola), Snow Finch, Rock sparrow (Petronia petronia), Indian Sparrow (Passer indicus), Spanish Sparrow (P.  Hispaniolensis), Red-headed Bunting  (Emberiza bruniceps), White-capped Bunting (E. Steward), Rock Bunting (E. Cia), Ortolan Bunting (E.Hortulana), Grey-necked Bunting (E. Buchanani), Lark Calandra (Melanocorpha calandra), Bimaculated Lark (M. Bimaculata), Masket Wagtail (Motacilla personata), Yellow Wagtail (M.Feldegg), Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis), Rock Pipit (A. Spinoletta), Tawny Pipit (A. Campestris), Wall Creeper (Tichodroma muraria), Eastern Rock Nuthtach (Sitta tephronota), Grey Tit (Parus bokharensis), Yellow-breasted Azure Tit (P.Flavipectus), Black Creasted Tit (P. Rufonuchalis), Black-headed Penduline Tit (Remiz coronatus), Turkestan Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides), Grey Shrike (L.Minor), Long-tailed Shrike (L.Schach), Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi), Palass’’s Warbler (Phylloscopus proregulus), Olivaceous Leaf Warbler (Ph. Griseolus), Clamarous reed Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus), Orphean Warbler (Sylvia hortensis), Hume’’s Lessee Whithroat (S. Althaea),  Lesser Whithroat (S. Curruca), Bareed Warbler (S.Nisoria), Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus), Blackbird (T. Merula), Blaue Blue Whistling Thrush (Myophonus caeruleus), Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis), Blue Rock Thrush (M. Solitarius), Desert Wheataer (Oenanthe deserti), Isabelline Wheataer (La-isabellina), Pied Wheataer (Oe. Pleschanka), Stonechat (Saxicola torquata), Black Redstar (Phoenicums erythgaster), Eversman’’s Redstart (Ph. Erythronotus), Black Redstart (Ph. Ochruros), Blue-headed Redstart  (Ph. Caeruleocephalus), Siberian Rubythroat (Luscinia pectoralis), Nightimgale (L. Megarhynchos), Whitethroated Robin (Irania gutturahs), Alpine Accentor (Prunella collaris),  Himalayan Accentor (P.Himalayana), Brown Accentor (P.Fulvescens), Balck-throated Accentor (P.Atrogularis), Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), Dipper (Cinclus cinclus), Brown Dipper (C.Pallash), Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica), Grag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris).

Authority:
Reserves of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2006. Under the general edition of R. Yachenko. The international union of wildlife management IUCN - The World Conservation Union. Geographical features (on Kerteshev, Vagapov 2001). Reserves USSR. Reserves of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Moscow "Idea", 1990.

Photos
Alexander Petrov.