2025
The huge state of Kazakhstan occupies the northwestern part of Central Asia and in spring has so much to offer the bird photographer. This vast Central Asian country is five times larger than France and stretches 2,000 kilometres from the Caspian Sea to China and 1,200 kilometres from the Urals to its southern borders with Kyrgyzstan. With a population of just 18 million, split evenly between Kazakhs and Russians, it is one of the least densely populated countries in Eurasia but one of the richest areas for birds straddling the border between the Western and Eastern Palearctic. Bird-Photo-Tours Asia' Kazakhstan expedition will look to produce close photographic encounters with Sociable Lapwing, White-winged Lark and Black-winged Pratincole in the Akmola Region to Pallid Scops Owl, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin and Syke’s Warbler in the Zhambyl Region to Caspian Plover, Black-bellied Sandgrouse and Desert Warbler in the Almaty Region. There can be few countries with such an impressive avifauna as Kazakhstan.
Guiding Fees / Ground Transportation / Accommodation / Meals / Entrance Fees / Tipping for Drivers, Boatsmen, Hotel and Restaurant Staff.
International Flights / VISA Fees / Travel Insurance / Tips for Local Guide / Alcohol / Laundry / Items of a Personal Nature
Days 1-4, Akmola Region, Kazahstan [3N / 2D / 5S]. Drive 3-hours, 150km to Akmola Region. Targets: Sociable Lapwing / Black Lark / White-winged Lark / Black-winged Pratincole / Booted Warbler. Others: Red-footed Falcon / Pallas’s Gull / Greater Flamingo / Pallas’s Gull / Slender-billed Gull / Caspian Tern / Demoiselle Crane / Steppe Eagle / Pallid Harrier / Pied Harrier.
Days 4-5, Almaty City, Kazakhstan [1N / 0D / 1S]. Domestic Flight Astana – Almaty, [Overnight: Almaty].
Days 5-8, East Region, Kazahstan [3N / 2D / 5S]. Drive 4-hours, 250km from Almaty Region to East Region. Photographic Targets: Black-bellied Sandgrouse / Caspian Plover / Calandra Lark / Bimaculated Lark / Greater Short-toed Lark / Lesser Short-toed Lark / White-headed Duck / Red-headed Bunting / Isabelline Wheatear / Pied Wheatear. Others: Pallas’s Sandgrouse / Imperial Eagle / Dalmatian Pelican / Great White Pelican.
Days 8-9, Jambyl Region [1N / 0D / 2S]. Drive 3-hours, 250km from East Region to Jambyl Region. Photographic Targets: White-winged Woodpecker / Saxaul Sparrow / Pallid Scops Owl / Yellow-eyed Pigeon / Syke’s Warbler / Asian Desert Warbler / Red-tailed Shrike. Others: Shikra / Little Bustard / White-crowned Penduline Tit.
Days 9-11, Almaty Region [2N / 1D / 3S]. Drive 5-hours, 400km from Jambyl Region to Almaty Region. Photographic Targets: White-capped Bunting / Grey-necked Bunting / Pallas’s Sandgrouse.
Days 11-14, Almaty Region, Big Almaty Lake [3N / 2D / 4S]. Drive 4-hours, 200km to second location in Almaty Region. Photographic Targets: Altai Accentor / Eversmann’s Redstart / Sulphur-bellied Warbler / Red-fronted Serin / White-tailed Rubythroat. Others: Himalayan Snowcock / Brown Accentor / Ibisbill.
Days 14-15, Almaty Town [1N / 0D / 1S]. Drive 0.5-hours, 20km to Almaty City.
[Key: N=Night, D=Full Day, S = Session / Half-Day].
Nick, a UK National, has been living in Asia for over 15-years and in this time has conducted over 125 bird photography trips across the whole of the Asian continent ranging from Kazakhstan in the west, through India and China to Japan in the east, and from the Kamchatka coastline in the north to as far south as Indonesia. In China alone Nick has photographed to portrait-quality standard over 1,200 of China's bird species taking him to all of China's provinces as well as most of those nations bordering China. These bird photography trips have ranged in length from a few days to many months, including a three-month bird photography expedition to China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, becoming quite possibly the most travelled foreigner in this region over the past decade. Nick has also conducted a four-month bird photography trek across the Himalayas, ranging from the Indian States of Ladakh and Kashmir in the west, into the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, then onto the Indian States of West Bengal and Sikkim, ending in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in the eastern Himalayas. Nick has had his images published across numerous media channels including the BBC and Chinese state-owned media outlets, various bird magazines and journals including the Oriental Bird Club's BirdingASIA. He has his own website on the Birds of China at www.BirdingInChina.com and his book 'Portraits of the Birds of China' is due for publication in 2026. Furthermore, Nick has presented films on photographing birds both in Asia and Europe, has his bird images published across many social media platforms within and outside Asia, and has led a number of bird photography lectures and walks, particularly targeted at children. Consequently, Nick has accumulated significant experience of photographing birds within the Asian continent and this expertise has formed the backdrop to setting up Bird-Photo-Tours Asia, trips designed by bird photographers for bird photographers.
(i) The guesthouses are all in close proximity to the bird photography locations (ii) Walking is at a light pace (iii) There is some requirement to hike nor climb (iv) None of the locations are at altitude (v) There is no camping. Summary: for these five reasons this trip has been graded as 'Easy'.
