Kazakhstan: Saryarka Steppe and Lakes
The northern Kazakhstan has a patchwork of reserves and protected lands that together form the Saryarka Steppe and Lakes UNESCO World Heritage site. The site mostly protected wetlands and steppes that serve as a key stopover points for migrating birds from Africa and Europe to their their breeding grounds in Western and Eastern Siberia. There are several rare bird species that can be found here – if you have days and weeks to explore and come at the right time. We didn’t have either, but we still got lucky with whopper swans, Eurasian coots, horned grebes, grey herons, mute swan, and several others. Two species of swans – ain’t too bad!
