Yolyn Am

{{Short description|Canyon in Mongolia}} {{More citations needed|date=February 2024}} right|thumb|Remnants of the Yolyn Am ice field, September 2006 '''Yolyn Am''' ({{langx|mn|Ёлын Ам}}, ''Lammergeier Valley'')<ref name="Sundev Leahy 2019 p. 57">{{cite book | last1=Sundev | first1=G. | last2=Leahy | first2=C. | title=Birds of Mongolia | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing | series=Helm Field Guides | year=2019 | isbn=978-1-4729-4949-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hhB-DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT57 | access-date=2024-02-04 | page=57}}</ref> is a deep and narrow gorge in the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains of southern Mongolia. The valley is named after the Lammergeier, which is called ''Yol'' in Mongolian. The Lammergeier is an Old World vulture, hence the name is often translated to ''Valley of the Vultures'' or ''Valley of the Eagles''.

The valley is located within Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park.

Yolyn Am is found in the Zuun Saikhanii Nuruu (the ''Eastern Beauty'') subrange of the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains. The area, as part of the Gobi Desert, sees little precipitation. However, Yolyn Am is notable for a deep ice field. The ice field reaches several meters thick by the end of winter, and is several kilometers long. In past years it remained year round, but the modern ice field tends to disappear by September.

==Wildlife== Apart from the lammergeir, both the Himalayan and Cinereous vulture can be found in the gorge.<ref name="Sundev Leahy 2019 p. 57"/> Other birds that live in the gorge are the Altai snowcock, wallcreeper and the Mongolian finch. Mammals that live in the valley include the Argali, Siberian ibex and snow leopard.<ref name="Sundev Leahy 2019 p. 57"/> Numerous pika can also be found in the valley, especially near the ice field area.

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{commons}}

{{Coord|43.4931|104.0838|display=title}} Category:Canyons and gorges of Mongolia