The cinereous vulture, which is considered the largest of the birds of prey, has been classified as “endangered” according to the “Red List” of Threatened Species criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The bird plays an important role in its various ecosystems by eating carcasses, and which in turn reduces the spread of diseases. The cinereous vulture is a Eurasian species. The western limits of its range are in Spain and inland Portugal, with a reintroduced population in south France. They are found in Greece, Turkey and throughout the central Middle East. Their range continues through Afghanistan to northern India to its eastern limits in central Asia, where they breed in Mongolia, northern Manchuria, and Korea. Their range is fragmented especially throughout their European range. It is generally a permanent resident except in those parts of its range where hard winters cause limited altitudinal movement and for juveniles when they reach breeding maturity. In the eastern limits of its range, birds from the northernmost reaches may migrate down to South Korea and China. A limited migration has also been reported in the Middle East but is not common. The main grazing area of the cinereous vulture in Mongolia is the Ugtam Nature Reserve located across the Bayandun and Dashbalbar soums of Dornod Province. The Mongolian Bird Conservation Center and the Eastern Mongolia Strictly Protected Area Administration have jointly started a study in the area to determine the migration of the endangered vulture.

It was determined in advance that adult vultures stay in their breeding areas for the winter, while young birds reach North Korea, the border region of China, and Vladivostok which is the southeastern part of Russia in the cold season. In 1993, Mongolia took Ugtam Nature Reserve, which is located in the area of Bayandun and Dashbalbar soums, under special protection of the state as a natural reserve. The results of the research will answer whether the ecosystem of this area, which is an important region for migratory birds, is still friendly to the birds, what problems the birds are facing in their habitat, and how their migration routes have changed.