Azerbaijan has an incredible diversity of habitats and bird species, says an article about the rich fauna of Azerbaijan published on Forbes, according to Report.
During a trip to Azerbaijan, visitors to the capital city of Baku can find eccentric modern architecture, vibrant bazaars, and a historic walled city—but beyond the municipality’s borders, there’s a wealth of wildlife just waiting to be discovered.
“Azerbaijan has an incredible diversity of habitats and bird species crammed into a very small country,” says Tomas Axén Haraldsson, a Swedish international birdwatching tourism expert. “
“Within a couple of hours driving from the capital Baku you reach both high alpine zones in the Greater Caucasus, desert-like steppe, huge wetlands, flowering foothills and dense forests. All with its set of attractive birds and during a week in May you can see up to 230 different species, many of which are very difficult to see elsewhere.”
In addition to the rich avian biodiversity found across the nation, Haraldsson also notes that Azerbaijan is a particularly viable destination for spotting species that have been driven from parts of Western Europe by habitat loss, including the Eurasian hoopoe and European roller. Beyond these few species, the exclave of Nakhchivan offers the opportunity to spot the Mongolian finch and see-see partridge, while the Caucasus region as a whole is home to endemics ranging from the Caucasian black grouse to the Caucasian snowcock.