Meet A Few Of Our Great Bustards!

Bustard "Songuul," newly fitted with a backpack transmitter, seconds before her release. With G. Natsag and D. Dorjhurel. Photo: B. Dashnyam.

All mortalities recorded in our tagged cohort of Great Bustards occurred on the migratory pathway or wintering grounds. Here, Sachokchin’s remains in the Gobi Desert on the Mongolia-China border. Photo: B. Dashnyam.

D. Dorjhurel uses a radio antenna with daughter Urnaa to monitor the location of Sondor after her release. Photo: B. Dashnyam.

U. Tuvshin releases Mongoljin after 15 minutes of handling. Photo: B. Dashnyam.

The winter movements of Nergui (orange lines), overlaid on a satellite image from Google Earth. The area she occupied was composed of a matrix of farmed fields near a river.

When Dolgoon was captured, she was with two large chicks, including "Don." Photo: D. Erdenetsetseg.

Interviews with local families confirmed that Dolgoon’s death at a migratory stopover later that fall was due to poaching. Don has not been spotted since. Photo: M. Kessler.

Through the use of the transmitter, we were able to ascertain that bustard Sachokchin was nesting. Photo: G. Natsag.

A close-up photo of Songuul, a female Eastern Great Bustard. Photo: B. Dashnyam.

Transmitters also allow us to track a bird over a long period of time and monitor rates and causes of mortality. Tsashan died of natural causes on her migration. Photo: M. Kessler.

D. Dorjhurel and Odgerel hold Yagaana and her large chick as they assess the suitability of attaching a transmitter to the mother. Photo: B. Dashnyam.

Tsengel died after a collision with this electric line in central China. Photo: P. Carr.

A resighting of Bayan through a telescope, one year after his transmitter was attached. Photo: B. Dashnyam.

Dorj and Erdenetsetseg display the transmitter of Toson and some of her feathers, found at the site of her death. It appears this bustard died due to predation, possibly a fox. Photo: M. Kessler.

Nergui was the first Asian Great Bustard we harnessed with a transmitter, seen on her back. Using telemetry, we have found that Mongolian Great Bustards frequently nest at forest edge, in contrast to the western subspecies.

We discovered Bosoo bustard’s transmitter and harness discarded alongside a mining road in the south Gobi Desert. Human traffic, and thus the risk of poaching, is increasing as gold and coal reserves are developed. Photo: B. Dashnyam.