great bustard in central asia  

Aimee "Mimi" Kessler. Currently a doctoral candidate in Biology in Dr. Andrew Smith's lab at Arizona State University (USA), Mimi began to travel to the former communist world as a high school exchange student in 1993. She has since spent over six cumulative years in southern Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia and has learned five of this region's languages, including fluent Russian and Khalkha Mongolian. Mimi became interested in Great Bustards during excursions to northern Mongolia with the Taimen Conservation Fund.

Taimen Conservation Organization (TCF). A non-governmental organization promoting sustainable watershed management in northern Mongolia, TCF has provided advisory and in-kind support to our Great Bustard research since its inception in 2006.

N. Tseveenmyadag. Senior Ornithologist, Mongolian Academy of Sciences. Tseveenmyadag has worked as an ornithologist for over 30 years. He specializes in the conservation of rare waterbirds and cranes in eastern Mongolia and brings knowledge of bustards in that area of Mongolia to the team.

B. Nyambayar. Director and Research Scientist, Mongolian Wildlife Science and Conservation Center. Nyambayar works on a variety of avian research projects, specializing in birds of prey. He is now a doctoral student at Oklahoma State University.

Our team's core field work and outreach is in northern Mongolia.

B. "Dashka" Dashnyam. Dashka, a native of the northern Mongolian provincial capital Mörön, began to work with our team in 2007 as an undergraduate assistant. Dashka defended his undergraduate thesis on the Great Bustard and then entered a biology masters program at the National University of Mongolia while continuing to work with our team. We are happy to announce that Dashnyam completed his masters thesis on Great Bustard habitat characteristics in summer 2011. He is now working at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, as one of a small number (perhaps six) of formally trained ornithologists in Mongolia.

D. Dorjhürel. Dorj has been driving the rough, unmarked two-track roads of northern Mongolia for 20 years and has yet to get stuck in the mud. A reliable and professional driver, Dorj is able to repair his van with the bare minimum of tools. He also has the best "eyes" on the team and can spot a bustard with the naked eye that others have trouble finding with a spotting scope. His skills have grown to include winter population counts, nest monitoring, and capture. His daughters frequently join the team in field work, especially "junior team member" Uranchimeg and kindergartener Otgoo.

D. Erdenetsetseg. Erdenetsetseg has worked as a cook in northern Mongolia for over ten years. She works culinary wonders in back-country conditions without access to refrigeration, electricity, or running water. Extremely patient with the strange working hours kept by our team, Erdenetsetseg has become a big fan of the Great Bustard and her eldest daughter recently entered a university wildlife program.

G. Natsag. Ecologist and Ornithologist. Natsag began to work with our team as a field assistant in 2008, while an undergraduate at the National University of Mongolia. A native of Arkhangai Province, Natsag has entered a masters program with a focus on the Great Bustard. We are currently fundraising to support his tuition.

U. Tuvshin. Ecologist. Field assistant from 2008-2009 and in 2011. A graduate of EcoAsia University and a current master's student at the National University of Mongolia, Tuvshin has excellent experience in handling and marking large birds, especially waterfowl, and has participated in research on the spread of avian influenza in Mongolia.

L. Chuluunchimeg. Mongolian Director, The Tributary Fund; Outreach Coordinator, Taimen Conservation Fund. Chuluunchimeg coordinates the Eco Summer Camp at which our team teaches and the EcoClubs with which our team works in the countryside. Together we also develop curricula and ecological education activities for local schools.

D. Enkhtuyaa. Facilitator, UN Emergency Preparedness Project; Outreach Coordinator, Taimen Conservation Fund. Enkhtuyaa oversees EcoClub activities in the countryside and works with us to coordinate public education events.

B. Narantsetseg. Meteorologist. Narantsetseg provides local meteorological measurements for our research.

S. Purevdorj. Staffing, student interviews, and logistical assistance from 2007-present.

J. Handsuren. Logistical support, interpretation for visiting researchers.

Ts. Tserenchimeg. Logistical support in Ulaanbaatar from 2006-present.

Many temporary staff, including drivers, cooks, and field research assistants.

Many local observers, with whom we regularly discuss bustard populations and movements.

David McAdams. Rare bird specialist; photographer. Germany.

Todd Forsgren. Photographer. Fulbright Fellowship, USA.

Igor Tupitsyn. Ornithologist. Irkutsk State University, Russia.

Denis Sandanov. Botanist, Traditional Medicinal Plants. Ulan-Ude, Russia.

Konrad Schleicher. Ornithologist. GTZ Development Agency, Germany.

Matthew Toomey. Post-doc. Washington University, USA. Avian Coloration and Sexual Selection.

Ramona Flatz is a researcher in Chris Smith's lab at Willamette University.

Jacob Munson-Magee is an undergraduate at Willamette College.

Association for Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan (ACBK). A non-governmental organization focusing on bird conservation, ACBK generously supported our bustard surveys in Kazakhstan in 2006. We continue to communicate regarding bustard conservation activities.

In Kazakhstan, we have worked and corresponded with a network of 15 regional specialists, covering much of this vast country.

We'd like to thank Beth Schreiber for her fantastic improvements to the functionality of this website and Jessica Tew for her long-term contributions towards design and layout.

Arizona State University students including Steve Blackwell and Janetta Emmelhainz were of great help with computer analyses and lab work.

A number of professional and expert photographers have contributed their images towards our work. D. McAdams, M. Gilbert, T. Forsgren, and B.S. Chun have provided photographs of notoriously wary Mongolian Great Bustards - an extremely challenging feat. I. Tupitsyn, D. Sandanov, M. Toomey have documented our team's work in the Mongolian countryside.

Jessica Tew designed logos for branding in our Cafe Press shop.

Arizona artist Jacob Meders has generously contributed time to create a poster for public outreach in Mongolia.