Birding trip report
Central & Northern Thailand9 February - 4 March 2016
Ruben & Anne Vlot, Pieter van Veelen & Thijs Fijen
Birdwatching Trip Report Central & Northern Thailand
9 February – 4 March 2016
Participants: Ruben & Anne Vlot, Pieter van Veelen & Thijs Fijen - The Netherlands
Contact: [email protected]
Itinerary
9 Feb Arrival in Bangkok – Saraburi (near Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi)
10 Feb Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi – Khao Yai
11 Feb Khao Yai
12 Feb Khao Yai
13 Feb Khao Yai – Pak Thale & Laem Pak Bia
14 Feb Pak Thale, Laem Pak Bia & Petchaburi
15 Feb Petchaburi – Kaeng Krachan
16 Feb Kaeng Krachan
17 Feb Kaeng Krachan – Bueng Borapeth
18 Feb Bueng Borapeth – Mae Wong
19 Feb Mae Wong
20 Feb Mae Wong – Doi Inthanon
21 Feb Doi Inthanon
22 Feb Doi Inthanon
23 Feb Doi Inthanon – Doi Ang Khang
24 Feb Doi Ang Khang – Doi Lang
25 Feb Doi Lang
26 Feb Doi Lang – Thaton
27 Feb Thaton – Chiang Saen
28 Feb Chiang Saen – Fang
29 Feb Chiang Saen – Chiang Mai
1 Mar Chiang Mai – Doi Inthanon (Pieter & Thijs)
2 Mar Doi Inthanon – Mae Ping (Pieter & Thijs)
3 Mar Mae Ping – Chiang Mai (Pieter & Thijs)
4 Mar Chiang Mai – Bangkok – Amsterdam (Pieter & Thijs)
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Introduction
As part of a bigger world travel, Ruben Vlot got the idea of doing a bird watching trip in Thailand. He convinced
his wife Anne to join and asked around whether there were more people back in Holland who were in for some
serious birding in the Orient. Soon it appeared that Pieter van Veelen and Thijs Fijen did think of something
similar, so the decision was easily made. Preparations could start: Read other trip reports, define target species,
plan a route, get familiar with the birds and rent a reasonable car. The trip itself proved to be very successful.
Almost all our sightings are submitted in the field by Thijs via Obsmapp, an Android app. Sightings can be found
at www.observation.org (link goes directly to our sightings). Thijs recorded many bird sounds as well, which can
be found at www.xeno-canto.org. Pictures were taken by Pieter van Veelen and a selection can be found on his
website: www.pbase.com/pietervanveelen. All pictures in the report are made by Pieter as well.
> Logistics
On the 9th of February Pieter and Thijs arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport at night, where Ruben and Anne were
already waiting. They arrived earlier that day from Cambodia. We picked up our car. In other trip reports we
read that for some places a 4x4 with high clearance is needed. Therefore we did not save on the car rental and
booked a Toyota Hilux. Although not often, in the end it proved to be very helpful. Especially at Kaeng Krachan
and the eastern slope of Doi Lang.
Road conditions in general are fine. Warnings for the bad traffic in Thailand were a bit overdone in our opinion.
Besides the cities, the traffic was not too bad. Be aware of the U-turns at highways. Driving at night is possible,
but always with extra caution.
We didn’t use a paperback map, but the app maps.me on both our smartphone and Ipad. We did not have any
issues with navigation. We also used a GPS, but mainly at the birding sites. We downloaded several useful GPS-
points from other trip reports and got quite some useful coordinates along the way from local birders.
> Sources
Next to the many trip reports we read via www.cloudbirders.com, I would like to mention some sources in
particular.
// Trip reports:
>> Birding Trip Report: Central and Northern Thailand - 1 - 20 January, 2014 by Jelmer Poelstra.
Very detailed report with exact GPS coordinates for many sites.
http://www.cloudbirders.com/tripreport/repository/POELSTRA_Thailand_01_2014.pdf
>> Birding Trip North and Central Thailand - 19 December - 8 January by Julien Mazenauer
Recent report with same route like ours
http://www.cloudbirders.com/tripreport/repository/MAZENAUER_Thailand_1201_20142015.pdf
// Websites
>> www.thaibirding.com
Extremely helpful in the planning of your trip. Detailed description of many locations, with useful maps and
target species. Great work done by Nick Upton.
>> www.norththailandbirding.com
Another helpful source, mainly for the northern region. By Dave Sargeant
- 4 -
> Sleeping and Eating
We did not book any accomodation in advance. We never had problems with finding a hotel room, except at Doi
Inthanon, where a big cycling event took place during our visit. But even here we found a place to sleep after
a while. Need to say that it was really helpful that the app maps.me (and google.maps as well) indicate hotels,
so at least we had an idea where to go. Hotels are often not signposted in English in smaller towns, so knowing
where to find it is helpful. A double or twin room normally did not cost us more than 350-450 Baht per night
(around 10 Euros). We also camped quite often, in Khao Yai, Pak Thale, Kaeng Krachan, Mae Wong, Doi Inthanon
and Doi Ang Khang. Camping is ridiciously cheap in the national parks and comes with the additional advantage
of paying entry fees only once.
For Khao Yai and Mae Wong it is necessary to bring your own food (Khoa Yai HQ has a restaurant but it closes
really early). The Ban Krang campsite in Kaeng Krachan has a good restaurant and in Doi Ang Khang there are
some nice food stalls in Ban Khoom. Staying at Mr. Daeng at Doi Inthanon is not only a good choice birdwise,
but you can also get some delicious Thai meals here as well. Doi Lang has no facilities at all, so bring enough for
the day. When you stay in town, there is no problem in finding a decent food stall at all. Fried rice with chicken
for just a few baht is never far away.
> Visited sites
Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi
Khao Yai
Pak Thale & Laem Pak Bia
Kaeng Krachan
Bueng Borapet
Mae Wong
Doi Inthanon
Doi Ang Khang
Doi LangThaton
Chiang Saen
Mae Ping
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Site by site report
In the sections below we describe each visited site, including specific info. Main target species are discussed as
well, as species which we did hardly see elsewhere or which are just interesting to mention. Species which are
only seen in that particular area are indicated in red. A heard only bird is indicated by (H) and the link to a sound
recordings can be accessed by clicking on the loudspeaker (X). If available, the link to the site description on
www.thaibirding.com and/or www.norththailandbirding.com is given.
> Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi (see Thaibirding)
From the airport we drove straight to Saraburi where we spent the night. At dawn we arrived at the Wat Pra
Puttabaht Noi with Large-tailed Nightjar as our first bird in Thailand. Main target here was the calcicola race
of Limestone Wren-babbler. At the site is a small temple complex where you can wander around. Soon our
first Limestone Wren-babblers X were found, foraging on the rocks of the limestone cliffs behind the temple.
Another pair was found near the parking area. A fancy staircase is leading to a small Buddha statue. Here we
had our only Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher of the trip. Other noteworthy birds here were Dark-necked Tailorbird,
Eyebrowed Thrush and Blue Rock Thrush ssp pandoo.
> Khao Yai NP (see Thaibirding)
After an early morning birding at Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi, we continued towards Khao Yai. Here we camped for
two nights at the Pha Kuai Mai campsite. We were advised to avoid the weekends, and so we did. In the last
years, many birders visited the park with as main target the Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo. Unfortunately there
was not a clear stake-out for this species this year so we were dependant on luck to stumble across a bird on
one of the trails. We spent one afternoon and two full days in the park. The main visited sites are described here
in more detail.
// km 33 (roadbirding)
Arriving from the northern entrance you drive through some good forest. We parked the car near the km
33 road sign. From here we walked southwards and found our first targets. A calling Banded Broadbill X
got our attention and soon we got great views of two birds. Puff-throated Bulbuls were foraging on the
forest floor next to the road and a White-handed Gibbon was just looking at us from a nearby tree. After
about 500m there is a clearing on the eastern side of the road and a big fruiting tree on the other side.
This fruiting tree attracted many birds including Thick-billed Green Pigeons, a Great Iora, several barbets,
warblers, minivets, bulbuls and our first Great Hornbill of the trip.
Orange-headed Thrush Eared Pitta
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// km 33 (trail)
The trail at km 33 is found at the western side of the road close to the parking space. Although we did
not see too many birds along the trail, the quality was really rewarding. At first we found a very close
male Banded Kingfisher. Not much after Thijs found two resting Dusky Broadbills in the canopy. An
unexpected find! Great Hornbill here as well.
// Trail B (near HQ)
We birded two mornings and an afternoon along this trail, which starts a little uphill south of the HQ. The
first moning, White-handed Gibbons were calling all the time and White-crested Laughingthrushes
made the noise complete. The beautiful Red-headed Trogon X sat on a hanging-over branche, a White-
crowned Forktail flew around near one of the stream crossings and our first Silver-breasted Broadbills
showed up. The trail is known for being a good spot for Blue Pitta. Halfway we heard one calling and
it responded to tape. With some perseverance only Thijs and Anne had a short view on this male Blue
Pitta X. Later we heard two other birds calling, and had short views on a female. Other good birds
along the trail during the morning visits included Scaly Thrush, Abbott’s Babbler, Sultan Tit and Little
Spiderhunter. The area near the obvious plank root tree was quite productive with a big flock with mainly
warblers: Alström’s Warbler, Claudia’s Leaf Warbler, Sulphur-bellied Leaf Warbler and Two-barred
Warbler. With a small group of some splendid Long-tailed Broadbills we expected to have seen the
highlight of the visit. However, by some rustling on the forest floor the star bird revealed itself: Next to trail
two Eared Pittas were foraging!
For our late afternoon visit we expected less birds, but actually the activity was rather high. Birding
was good with Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Chinese Blue Flycatcher X and our only Laced
Woodpecker of the trip.
// Around Headquarters
A quick lunch at the HQ did not specifically produce good birds, but a Smooth-coated Otter caused some
excitement while eating our daily Thai fried rice.
// Stake-out Pha Kuai Mai campsite (behind toilet building)
Behind the toilet building on the campsite some photographers made a feeding place. This used to be the
well-known stake-out for the Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo. Unfortunately this bird did not visit the stake-
out anymore this season. Still, the stake-out attracted some birds: Orange-headed Thrush, Siberian Blue
Robin, Abbott’s Babbler, Asian Stubtail and we got a second chance for Blue Pitta. Attracted by tape
and mealworms it hopped around the stake-out area, but without coming to the real open.
// Pha Kuai Mai campsite
A short walk over the campsite produced some Thick-billed and Yellow-vented Flowerpecker, Stripe-
throated Bulbul and Black-crested Bulbul ssp johnsoni. At night Brown Hawk-Owl X and Mountain
Scops Owl were calling.
For your information:
Unfortunately we did not find the Ground Cuckoo.
However, just a couple of days after we left Khao
Yai NP we heard that there was a more or less
reliable stake-out at the start of Radar Road.
Siamese Fireback
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// TAT-pond
Around 5:00pm a group of approximately 50 Brown-backed Needletails gave a spectacular air show
above the pond. Slowly more and more needletails started to come for a drink. Three Silver-backed
Needletails joined the group while a Stork-billed Kingfisher was a co-spectator on the electricity wires.
// Radar road (towards Khao Khieo viewpoint)
The road towards the viewpoint has been a well-known spot for pheasants in the early morning. And
yes, at our first attempt we saw a male Silver Pheasant in one of the gullies near the bridges. Other birds
along the road included Alström’s Warbler and Hill Myna. From the viewpoint we saw our first Asian
Elephant walking around on one of the clearings.
With just a few hours left in the park, we still did not see a Siamese Fireback. In a last try to find this
species we drove the road up and down twice. In the last section a male Siamese Fireback slowly
crossed the road. Luck on our side!
// Watch tower
On our last evening we paid a visit to the watch tower area just before dusk. The open fields resulted
in Golden-headed Cisticola and Olive-backed Pipits. At dusk the first Great Eared Nightjar started to
fly around just above our heads and gave a really nice show, with a calling Collared Scops Owl in the
background. Suddenly Thijs noticed that something was watching us: an Asiatic Black Bear was shortly
staring at us, but ran away quickly after.
> Pak Thale & Laem Pak Bia (see Thaibirding)
At night we drove towards Pak Thale, where we arrived just before midnight. Main target for next morning:
Spoon-billed Sandpiper. We pitched our tents right next to the salt pans while listening to a distant Indian
Nightjar. Next morning we could start searching for one of the world’s most-wanted birds.
// Wader hotspot Pak Thale
Waking up around 6:30am we started birding the salt pans south of the curve in the road (see map on
Thaibirding). This resulted immediately in three Spoon-billed Sandpipers in a flock of Red-necked Stints,
foraging at close range. A group of flying by Eurasian Curlews contained some Far Eastern Curlews.
Other waders here include Long-toed Stints, Red-necked Phalaropes, Broad-billed Sandpipers, Great
Knots and a single Dunlin. Amongst the many Little Terns we found a few Gull-billed Terns and a
Slender-billed Gull. A Golden-bellied Gerygone was singing in one of the bushes along the road and a
quick scan at the beach resulted in several Terek Sandpipers.
White-faced Plover Spoon-billed Sandpiper
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// Laem Pak Bia (sandpit)
We had lunch at Mr. Daeng’s place and booked a boat trip to the sandpit just after it. We did not book in
advance, but although he was already booked by other birders Mr. Daeng arranged another guy from the
village who could bring us there. Four targets here, and soon we saw the first one: four Chinese Egrets
along the canal towards the sandpit. At the sandpit we quickly had the other three targets: Malaysian
Plover, White-faced Plover and Pacific Reef Heron. A Pallas’ Gull amongst the Heuglin’s Gulls, Greater
and Lesser Crested Terns, was a nice bonus. Here we met Ralph Parks, his wife Nit and two fellow
birders, who had some valuable inside information for us and who proved to be extemely helpful in the
remaining part of the trip. Big thanks to Ralph!
// Laem Pak Bia (salt farms)
We drove to the salt farms as described on Thaibirding. Along the first stretch of the road we had seven of
the endangered Nordmann’s Greenshanks in a huge group of Great Knots.
// King’s project
We visited the King’s project, just north of Laem Pak Bia, in the late afternoon. It proved to be a very
productive spot. The small ponds near the entrance produced Common Snipe, a female Greater Painted
Snipe and a Ruddy-breasted Crake. Several White-winged Terns flew around and we had our only
Temmincks Stints. Just before dusk several groups of White-shouldered Starlings flew along, on their
way to the roosting sites.
// Roadside birding
Near the abonded building we were alerted by Ralph on a roosting Indian Nightjar. Here we also had
several Indochinese Bushlarks. Other noteworthy birds along the road where Black-capped Kingfisher,
Collared Kingfisher X, Blue-tailed Bee-eater and Painted Stork.
> Petchaburi (see Thaibirding)
The agricultural area around Petchaburi is a good spot to add some open-country and wetland species to your
list. The area is mainly used for rice farming, but also contains some fish ponds or land for cattle.
// Radio tower & Fish pond road
The road east of the radio tower was quite productive with Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Baya Weaver,
Asian Golden Weaver, Sand Martin and Chestnut Munia. One of the fishponds produced Bronze-winged
and Pheasant-tailed Jacana, White-browed Crake and Yellow Bittern. The area around the radio tower
itself held Brown-throated Sunbird, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Black-browed Reed Warbler and Zitting
Cisticola.
Pheasant-tailed Jacana Black-winged Kite
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// North of Fish pond road
We heard that a big group of Asian Dowitchers stayed at a pond about five kilometers north of fish pond
road. An early morning attempt resulted indeed in a distant group of about 300 Asian Dowitchers. Other
birds included Black-headed Ibis, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Golden-bellied Gerygone and several Pintails.
// Raptor watch point
A few kilometers west of the radio tower you can easily overlook some open plains, which could be good
for raptors. And it was. First a Greater Spotted Eagle flew over us, followed by a Peregrine. While eating
our noodles and looking at several Black Kites, another eagle approached us, which turned out to be an
Eastern Imperial Eagle. Not long after that we found a 2nd cy Steppe Eagle as well. To top it all, a distant
Lesser Adjutant flew along. Other birds here include hundreds of Asian Openbills and Black-winged
Kites.
> Kaeng Krachan NP (see Thaibirding)
We spent three nights on the Ban Krang campsite. Here are some basic facilities and a small restaurant where
you can have lunch and dinner. Make sure you don’t come too late, because the restaurant already closes at
7:00pm. From the campsite we birded all the main sites in the park, and here it was really helpful that we rented
a 4x4. From Ban Krang campsite to the upper campsite Panoen Tung it is not possible to drive with a normal
car. And indeed, the state of the road at some points is terrible. Also make sure that you take note of the times
you can ascend or descend the road. It is a one-way road, but the directions vary every few hours (uphill: 05:30-
07;30 and 13:00-15:00, downhill: 09:00-10:00 and 16:00-17:00). The road from the HQ to Ban Krang campsite is
perfectly paved (unlike what is written on Thaibirding) and freely accessible during the day. After sunset you are
not allowed to leave the campsite. Sites are described from bottom to top.
// Headquarters
Actually located out of the park itself, the HQ area offers a possibility to find some open-country species.
An hour of birding here produced some Racket-tailed Treepies X, a female Watercock, Cinnamon and
Yellow Bittern, Stripe-throated Bulbul and Mugimaki Flycatcher.
// Entry road
Before the real forest starts, you will drive through some dry and fragmented areas, not particularly
good for birds. We did stop however at a small overgrown pool where we had Thick-billed Warbler and
Plaintive Cuckoo.
// km 9
Near the km 9 sign the forest is a bit more open, and it is worth it to park your car here and walk around
a bit. We visited this area on several occasions and had a good number of birds. Black-thighed Falconet
was present several times, and two Heart-spotted Woodpeckers were seen here. Other goods birds
along the road were Golden-crested Myna, Greater Yellownape, Sultan Tit, Himalayan Cuckoo, Black
Great Hornbill Black-and-Yellow Broadbill
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Baza and Jerdon’s Baza. During our final visit, Thijs and Anne were lucky to catch up with two passing
Tickell’s Brown Hornbill, but despite the effort we put into it, Ruben and Pieter could not add this species
to their life list. A few hundreds meters uphill is another open space where we had Racket-tailed Treepie
and a well showing Blue-bearded Bee-eater.
// Ban Krang campsite
The campsite itself is a good site to explore. The fruiting trees attracted Great Hornbill, many Oriental
Pied Hornbills, many barbets, Black-headed Bulbul, Black-naped Oriole, and our only Buff-vented
Bulbul. At night we did some owling. Biggest Year birder Arjan Dwarshuis had some great views of an
Oriental Bay Owl near the campsite one week earlier, but unfortunately it did not respond to our tape.
We did however have a nice Brown Hawk-Owl in the spotlights, as well as a Brown Wood Owl. Collared
Scops Owl, Mountain Scops Owl, Large-tailed Nightjar and Great Eared Nightjar were calling at night.
The campsite was also a good place for mammals. Spectacled Leaf Monkeys inhabit the forest edges,
at dusk a Red Giant Flying Squirrel went from tree to tree, at night an Asian Elephant walked along our
tents and during dinner a Sun Bear enjoyed the left-overs at the dump, as well as a couple of Porcupine.
// Youth camp loop
From the campsite you can walk a short loop around the nearby youth camp. Our first hours in the park
were spent here. Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo X was easily located by its call, some Silver-breasted
Broadbills were present, and all of a sudden a Black-and-Yellow Broadbill was amongst them. When a
Banded Broadbill turned up nearby, we were hoping to complete our broadbill-list, but the Black-and-Red
Broadbill did not show up unfortunately. Other birds along the trail included Plain Sunbird, Violet Cuckoo
and Asian Emerald Cuckoo. At the youth camp itself we had a Grey-headed, Streak-breasted and Heart-
spotted Woodpecker (only seen by one of us).
// Stream crossings
The birding we did around the stream crossings mainly focused on the area between crossing 2 and 3.
A very early morning visit to stream 2 resulted in a singing White-fronted Scops Owl X. In the afternoon
we came back to do some proper road birding. Soon we could add Ochraceous Bulbul, Green-legged
Partridge, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, Orange-breasted Trogon and a calling Ferruginous
Partridge to our list. A Grey Peacock-Pheasant called nearby, but despite our efforts we could not locate
it. Also White-fronted Scops Owl was calling again. Other birds here were Black-and-Yellow Broadbill
and a Greater Yellownape.
// km 27.5
On our way back from the upper campsite we slowly birded along the road, and especially along the
stretch between km 27 and 28. A male Kalij Pheasant crossed the road in front of the car. Km 27,5 is a
well-known for Ratchet-tailed Treepie. As soon as we stepped out of the car, a bird was sitting above us.
Also the other targets here, Black-throated Laughingthrush and Collared Babbler, were found without
too much efforts.
Violet Cuckoo Sun Bear
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// Panoen Tung campsite
A short time was spent on the upper campsite. Noteworthy birds here included Streaked Spiderhunter,
Martens’s Warbler, Grey-throated Babbler, Asian House Martin and Grey-rumped Treeswift. We walked
the Orchid Nature trail with as main target the Collared Babbler. Around noon activity here was really low,
and no Babblers were found (we found it later near km 27.5). The only bird worth mentioning was a skulky
Rufous-browed Flycatcher.
// Trail to Tortip waterfall
We drove all the way up towards the parking area where you can start the steep trail to the waterfall.
Along the way we ticked off our only Barred Cuckoo-Dove. Arrived at the end of the road It started well
with a Dark-sided Flycatcher and Greater Green Leafbird near the parking place. At the start of the trail
a Wreathed Hornbill perched in a tree, but during the rest of the hike we got a bit demoralized because
of the very low activity and some noisy Chinese tourists. We decided to turn around and do some
proper birding elsewhere. However, on our way back we came across a nice feeding flock including
some Martens’s Warblers, Oriental Paradise Flycatcher, Eastern Crowned Warbler and a calling Large
Scimitar Babbler X. Suddenly Anne said: ‘I see a green bird... with a red head’. The rest of us didn’t know
how fast we had to stand next to her and look into the direction she pointed. Not much after we were
staring at a Red-bearded Bee-eater X, the main target here. Thanks Anne!
Motivated again, we arrived at the car again. First, Ruben had a flying by Forest Wagtail and soon after
five Pin-tailed Parrotfinches were present in the flowering bamboo at the parking place, while a Vernal
Hanging Parrot flew by.
> Bueng Borapet (see Thaibirding)
We arrived late in the afternoon from Kaeng Krachan at Bueng Borapet, but just in time to arrange a boat trip
for next morning on the lake with mr. Phanom. We met him at the head office near the River Martin monument.
A short walk around produced Freckle-breasted Woodpecker, White Wagtail ssp leucopsis, Yellow-vented
Bulbuls, White-shouldered Starlings and our first Siberian Rubythroats. A Pied Harrier, Eastern Marsh Harrier
and Oriental Pratincole were flying over the marshes.
Around 7:00am, after spending the night in nearby Nakhon Sawan, we met our guide for the morning. Because
the water level was really low, it took some time to get to the middle of the lake to search our target: Baer’s
Pochard. On the way we encountered many wetland species including Striated Grassbird, Oriental Darter,
Glossy and Black-headed Ibis, Grey-headed Swamphen, White-browed Crake and both Jacanas. Arrived
at some open water, the first diving ducks were seen. Mostly Ferruginous Ducks, but soon the three present
Baer’s Pochards were located. One male and two females (however, there is still some discussion about the ID).
Other ducks here include Cotton Pygmy Goose, Common Pochard and Tufted Duck, all pleasant additions to
our trip list. During a short stroll around the pier we could also add Red Avadavat and Eurasian Bittern.
Cotton Pygmy Goose Baer´s Pochard
- 12 -
> Mae Wong NP (see Thaibirding & North Thailand Birding)
Around 11.00am we left Bueng Borapet and headed to Mae Wong. At the entrance we got the bad news that
camping was not allowed in the park, because of issues with the water. We tried to convince them that we did
not mind to use a nearby tree as a natural toilet and that we brought enough water to cover the next two days.
But no, only day visits were allowed. Disappointed we went into the park, but with the idea of trying it again at
the HQ. And with some perseverance, we arranged that they let us camp on the Khun Nam Yen campsite, the
middle one of the three campsites. We could directly celebrate this fact with two crossing Kalij Pheasants near
the HQ.
// Krating viewpoint
About 16 km from the HQ you will drive over a ridge with a beautiful view. Sightings here included two
Great Hornbill and Mountain Imperial Pigeon. A bit more uphill we had our only Ashy X and Olive
Bulbuls of the trip.
// Khun Nam Yen campsite
No specific birding on the campsite, but noteworthy birds here are Lesser Coucal, Grey-backed
Shrike and a calling Brown Wood Owl and Mountain Scops Owl X at night. Spotlighting at night was
disappointing, with nothing worth mentioning.
// Road between middle and upper campsite
The evergreen forest along the road here rewarded us with some nice birding. Somewhere halfway a hide
has been set-up in a outer bench of the road. This used to be a good spot for Rusty-naped Pitta, but this
year there were no reliable sightings yet. Still, the time spent at the hide resulted in some good species,
with our only Buff-breasted Babblers and Streaked Wren-babblers X. Other birds here include a very
intrepid White-tailed Robin and a male Hill Blue Flycatcher.
We walked a large part of the road, waiting for feeding flocks to close in. A good number of birds were
found: Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo, Black Bulbul, Long-tailed Broadbill, Large Cuckooshrike X, Maroon
Oriole, Striated Yuhina, Grey-throated Babbler, Davison’s Leaf Warbler, Stripe-breasted Woodpecker,
White-browed Piculet, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Large Scimitar Babbler (H) and Bay Woodpecker (H).
On two occasions we had a Grey Peacock-Pheasant X crossing the road and as a bonus we had a fly-by
Rufous-bellied Hawk Eagle near the top.
// Chong Yen campsite
The upper campsite offers nice views over the park. If possible, it is a great place place to pitch your
tent. Birding around the campground resulted, after a long search, in a sought-after Coral-billed Scimitar
Babbler X. A stake-out near the toilet building attracted White-necked X, Silver-eared and Black-
throated Laughingthrushes. The small trail leading towards the top of the hill delivered some great views
of a couple Rufous-throated Partridges X.
Rufous-bellied Hawk Eagle White-necked Laughingthrush
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// Umphang trail
From the upper campsite, a trail leads into the forest. This trail is the place in Thailand to find Burmese
Yuhina, but is getting extremely difficult. This year there were no records yet and although we tried, we
couldn’t find it either. Still, the trail is worth visiting. We had a very funny Slaty-bellied Tesia X, loudly
singing and dancing on a branch. Moreover, we had our first Silver-eared Mesias (what a beautiful bird!),
Blue-bearded Bee-eater and Small Niltava.
// Headquarters
Birding around the HQ at mid-day wasn’t the best idea. It was extremely hot and bird activity was really
low. By this time, the only noteworthy bird was Hainan Blue Flycatcher, which appeared to be our only
one of the trip. Another morning visit resulted in a few more birds, A Black Baza flew around, an Asian
Emerald Cuckoo showed up and our only Bamboo Woodpecker was foraging in the trees. However, our
main target here, Red-billed Blue Magpie, was only seen by two of us.
> Doi Inthanon (see Thaibirding & North Thailand Birding)
With no doubt Doi Inthanon is one of the best birding locations in Thailand. With a large variety in habitats it
offers a home to many species. Below the visited sites are described from bottom to top. From Mae Wong we
drove in about 6,5 hours to the foot of the Doi Inthanon. A day with not much birding after leaving Mae Wong,
but at the end of the afternoon we could still add our only Crested Treeswifts of the trip to our list. In a village
not too far from the entrance of Doi Inthanon six birds sat on the electricity wires.
// Blossom-headed Parakeet pre-roost
Close to the entrance a local birdwatcher made a watch tower, from where you can easily watch the
Blossom-headed Parakeets which are said to fly around here either early morning or late afternoon.
We paid an early morning visit here, but no activity of any parakeets. Only a calling Chinese Francolin,
Golden-fronted Leafbird and a Red-billed Blue Magpie. We decided to leave the place. Just before we
entered the main road again, a few Blossom-headed Parakeets flew along. Check!
// km 13 road
Near the km 13 sign you can find a small parking place. From here a steep track leads into the dry
diptocarp forest. With a 4x4 the road can be driven easily, but with a saloon car I advise some care. We
visited the area on three occasions. The site is known to hold some White-rumped Falcons.
During our first time hardly any birds were found, but since we knew it is not a habitat rich of birds we
persisted resulting in a first Black-headed Woodpecker, Collared Falconet X and Eurasian Jay. Our
second visit was a bit more successful with better views on a couple of Black-headed Woodpeckers,
Purple Sunbirds and a Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker. In the forest edge near the first houses
(after a few kilometers) we found a Russet Bush Warbler, Rufous-winged Buzzard and an unexpected
Ultramarine Flycatcher.
Crested Treeswift Collared Falconet
- 14 -
At the end of the trip Pieter and Thijs visited the area once more. In an ultimate try to find White-rumped
Falcon they only could add Rufous Treepie to the trip list.
// Vatcharitan Waterfall (km 19)
An early morning visit did result in our only Black-backed Forktail. Next to a Siberian Blue Robin and the
yellow-billed race of Blue Whistling Thrush X (ssp caeruleus) it wasn’t very productive. No White-capped
or Plumbeous Water Redstart.
// Sirithan Waterfall (km 22)
A short track leads to a small platform from where you can see the waterfall. To come closer you have the
descend the steep trail next to the platform. On our first visit we directly found a Slaty-backed Forktail
and a White-capped Water Redstart. A second visit and our 8th (!) attempt to find a Plumbeous Water
Redstart at one of the waterfalls finally delivered a short sighting of a female.
// Siriphum Waterfall
Two visits at the Siriphum waterfall did not result in a sighting of Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker and White-
headed Bulbul, while many other birders found it here. Our efforts only resulted in White-capped Water
Redstart, Small Niltava, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker X, Slaty-blue Flycatcher and a singing Pygmy
Wren-babbler.
// Campsite & Road #1284.
Near the campsite is a pond which used to be the home of a Black-tailed Crake. However, after a mowing
machine went through the area it did not return. Road #1284 goes northwards along the campsite. As a
back-up site for White-headed Bulbul we drove the road late afternoon without too much hope. But after
approx. six kilometers a few bulbuls were seen from the car, which appeared to be our desired White-
headed Bulbul. Other birds along the road were Maroon Oriole and Striated Yuhina.
// Mr. Daeng’s place
As a birdwatcher, staying at Mr. Daeng is almost a necessity. It is a good place to meet other birders and
share sightings. There is a logbook in the restaurant and mr. Daeng himself might have some recent
information. We camped at the neighbours, but could make use of the facilities at Mr. Daeng. From the
restaurant you can look down into a small patch where the drainage runs off, infrequently visited by a
Lesser Shortwing and a Siberian Blue Robin.
// km 34.5 trail
We walked the first part of the trail three times. All times we turned around at the viewpoint in the open
woodland (see map on Thaibirding). The first part of the trail contains open forest. Here we had Striated
Bulbul, Little Pied, Slaty-blue and Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher and Yellow-bellied Fantail. After a few
Phayre’s Leaf Monkey Blue-fronted Redstart
- 15 -
hundred metres, the forest is getting more dense. A singing White-gorgeted Flycatcher X showed up
quite well and other birds here were Large Niltava, Rufous-backed Sibia, Bianchi’s Warbler, Chestnut-
crowned Warbler and Speckled Piculet. A bit further on the forest holds more pines and from this point
we had our first Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Blue-winged Minla X, Yellow-cheeked Tits X, Slender-billed
Oriole X and our only Vivid Niltava. Near the forest edge we had a calling Hill Prinia and a beautiful
Clicking Shrike-Babbler X just above our heads.
// km 37.5 trail
This trail starts just after the second checkpoint, on the right side of the road. At the parking area we had a
tame Phayre’s Leaf Monkey. One of the first birds along the trail was a singing Eyebrowed Wren-babbler
(H). Other birds here included Hume’s Treecreeper, Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher, Blyth’s Leaf
Warbler X, Yellow-cheeked Tits and Rufous-winged Fulvetta. Pieter and Thijs visited the trail during the
last days, resulting in a calling Green Cochoa X (H).
// km 42
We were alerted by other birders that in the early morning some Speckled Wood Pigeons used a tree
just north of the parking area at km 42 as an ‘after-roost’-spot. And indeed, around 7:00am a group of 16
Speckled Wood Pigeons came along and showed well in the tree. Other birds during our brief visit here
were Spectacled Barwing, Large Hawk-Cuckoo and Rufous-throated Partridge (H). At the next (small)
parking place a male Blue-fronted Redstart was attracted by meal worms and another few hundreds
meters northwards a female Daurian Redstart used the ridge as her wintering grounds accompanied by a
Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush.
// Summit & Ang Ka board walk
An early start at the summit resulted in some fly-by’s of Ashy Wood Pigeons. Other birds at the summit
include some very tame Bar-throated Minlas, Dark-backed Sibias and Silver-eared Laughingthrushes X.
Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker frustrated us a lot by not showing up, but finally we could add it to our list.
It showed up in the small trees near the coffee shop after an 8th attempt and more than 8 hours! But with
satisfying results and we were even able to record it X.
The Ang Ka board walk goes through some amazing forest. At the start of the trail we immediately had a
Grey-sided Thrush X, seen on all our four visits to the summit trail. Other highlights along the trail were
the beautiful Mrs. Gould and Green-tailed Sunbird X, a skulky male White-browed Shortwing, Snowy-
browed Flycatchers, Himalayan Bluetail and a good view at a Pygmy Wren-babbler X. Several species
of warbler were present, including Buff-barred, Blyth’s and Chinese Leaf Warbler. At the open space
in the forest we did see a Chestnut Thrush, Yellow-browed Tits, Hill Prinia and close views of Rufous-
winged Fulvetta X. Highlight along the trail were the two Dark-sided Thrushes, foraging freely on the
forest floor.
Dark-sided Thrush Snowy-browed Flycatcher
- 16 -
> Doi Ang Khang (see Thaibirding & North Thailand Birding)
Arriving at midnight we pitched our tents at the desolate campsite a few kilometers before Ban Khoom. With a
calling Mountain Scops Owl in the background we got a few hours of sleep. We only scheduled one day in Doi
Ang Khang, so the next day we had to do well.
// King’s Project
In the weeks before our trip a couple of Rusty-naped Pittas regularly visited a stake-out in the King’s
project, so we arrived there with good hope. We positioned ourselves and waited for some activity.
Silver-eared Minlas, a male White-tailed Robin and a female Rufous-bellied Niltava were present while
a Hill Blue Flycatcher and a Black-breasted Thrush paid a quick visit every now and then. And suddenly
they were there, two Rusty-naped Pittas! Skulky, but with some patience we got nice views. A short ride
afterwards through the King’s project resulted in our only Striated Swallows of the trip.
// Chinese cemetary
In the forest behind the cemetery we flushed a female Mrs. Humes Pheasant, but we couldn’t locate it
afterwards. Other noteworthy birds here were Slaty-backed Flycatcher, Grey-crowned Warbler, Claudia’s
and Chinese Leaf Warbler. The fields opposite of the road held Grey-breasted and Hill Prinia, White-
browed Laughingthrush and surprisingly our only Burmese Shrike.
// Army’s camp
A stroll around the army’s camp produced several Scarlet-faced Liocichla, White-browed
Laughingthrush, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler and Spectacled Barwing. In the late afternoon we
came back and climbed the stairs to the top of the hill resulting in our first Buff-throated Warbler, while
the many Cook’s Swifts came along at a close distance. It can be distinguished from Pacific Swift by a
narrower white rump patch (therefore it is often mistakenly ‘stringed’ as Dark-rumped Swift) and Cook’s
Swift has P10 as the longest primary, while Pacific Swift has P9 as longest. Moreover, Cook’s Swift favors
limestone areas.
Earlier at the Chinese cemetery we could not find the Brown-breasted Bulbul, but we made it up by
finding this local specialty here.
// Firebreak trail
We were told that a Chestnut-headed Tesia was often singing along the Firebreak trail, so we spent
some time here. We couldn’t find the Tesia, but had our first Aberrant Bush Warbler. Activity was rather
high here and the forest delivered good sightings of Speckled Piculet X, Bianchi’s Warbler, Pallas’ Leaf
Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Yellow-bellied Warbler and Little Pied Flycatcher.
Rusty-naped Pitta Red-faced Liocichla
- 17 -
> Doi Lang (see North Thailand Birding)
We spent the night in Fang, with the western slope on next day’s program.
Nowadays it is not always easy to access Doi Lang. At the western side
we could drive until the second army checkpoint (W4 on the map on next
page and km 35.1 on North Thailand Birding). From there we were allowed
to walk only a small bit further.
The eastern slope is more difficult to get to. First of all you need a 4x4,
and secondly the police is rather strict here. In contrary to the western
side, here the police is in charge, instead of the army. Luckily we met
Ralph Parks and his wife Nit (who speaks Thai) again, who come here
more often. With a bit of persuasiveness they arranged access and we
were allowed to drive all the way along the Burmese border to San Ju
viewpoint, but nowhere further. Strange enough you are almost at the
army checkpoint of the western side again, but make sure you don’t show
up here coming from the other side! The police and army are not going
really well together here. However, in the end we covered almost the
whole road around Doi Lang.
// Western slope
We visited the western side twice. During the first visit it was really
foggy, but still a good number of birds were seen when the clouds
opened a bit. We left Fang early in the hope to come across a
Mrs. Humes Pheasant on the road, but no luck. Along the road,
several hides are set-up. Our first stop was 2,5km before the army
checkpoint (point W3) at a forest edge. Two hides are set-up here
attracting Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler X, Siberian Rubythroat,
Rufous-bellied Niltava, Hill Prinia, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher,
Slaty-blue Blue Flycatcher and a female White-bellied Redstart,
a scarce winter visitor. In the fields around the hides we saw Spot-
breasted Parrotbill X and Chestnut Bunting. The nice forest patch
just south of the hides produced a Hume’s Treecreeper, White-
browed Piculet, Rufous-fronted Babbler and our only Pale Blue
Flycatcher and Sapphire Flycatcher. Unfortunately only Ruben was
able to catch up with a Himalayan Cutia, first seen by other bird watchers, but disappearing soon after.
Via Biggest Year birder Arjan Dwarshuis we heard of a roosting Hodgson’s Frogmouth along the road, a
most-wanted species. Armed with the GPS-coordinates and a picture we went to the army checkpoint,
where the bird should be located. An initial search was not successful but luckily our ‘knight in shining
W5
W4
W3
W2
W1
towards Fang >>
Hodgson’s Frogmouth Ultramarine Flycatcher
armour’ Ralph arrived, who knew the exact tree. And not long after we were looking at the odd-looking
Hodgson’s Frogmouth. Other targets in the form of Long-tailed Sibia and Crested Finchbill were also
found here, and as a bonus four Spot-winged Grosbeak perched in a nearby tree.
During our second visit a few days later, with a clear sky this time, we again tried for Mrs. Humes
Pheasant and this time luck was at our side. One male and four females were foraging on the road
around 7:00am at point W2. The stake-out at point W1 resulted in a tame Ultramarine Flycatcher X,
Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush and Slender-billed Oriole. At point W3 we just missed a view on Purple
Cochoa X (H), seen by Ralph and his group just a few seconds after we left, but during our second visit
one individual was calling all the time without coming nearer. We could also tick off Crimson-breasted
Woodpecker. This time we were allowed to walk a bit further after the army checkpoint (towards point
W5) with satisfying results. Giant Nuthatch, Crested Bunting and Grey-headed Parrotbill could be added
to the trip list.
// Eastern slope
Our second day, still misty, we visited the eastern side, together with Ralph Parks and his group. Going
through the first police checkpoint (E1) went quite straightforward. The lower parts were so cloudy that we
could not see a thing. The first hours of the day were almost birdless. At the first bridge (E2) we met Ralph
and companions. Only noteworthy bird here was a Collared Babbler. We were told that this spot could be
good for Pale-billed Parrotbill. The clearing at E3 produced Black-collared Starling and our only Grey-
faced Buzzard in the pouring rain.
Bird activity was rather high at the second police checkpoint (E4). Scarlet-faced Liocichla, Spectacled
Barwing, Himalayan Bluetail and Dark-backed Sibia were attracted by the mealworms. Local specialties
here included Black-throated Bushtit and Whiskered Yuhina. After some discussion we were allowed to
go through. In the stretch of the road just after the checkpoint we had a Striated Bulbul, Chestnut Thrush
and a calling Black-eared Shrike-Babbler (H). At the top we were lucky that the fog disappeared every
now and then. With amazing looks into Myanmar we searched with success for Fire-tailed Sunbird X. A
feeding flock here produced good views on Whiskered Yuhina and Black-eared Shrike-Babbler.
> Thaton (see Thaibirding & North Thailand Birding)
After a foggy morning at Doi Lang we continued to Thaton, looking for Jerdon’s Bush Chat. We tried hard near
the water tower, but did not succeed. We flushed a Barred Buttonquail and ticked Chestnut-capped Babbler,
Richard’s Pipit X and Small Pratincole. At dusk we had our only Spotted Owlet near the bridge in the village
and a calling Western Barn Owl at our hotel. Next morning we visited the rice fields were we saw Yellow-bellied
Prinia X, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Citrine Wagtail and two additions to our trip list: Grey-headed Lapwing and
Pin-tailed Snipe.
W5E1
E2
E3
E4
E5
towards Thaton >>
- 19 -
In a last try for the bush chat and buntings we had a Chestnut-tailed Starling along the road near Thaton and
Black-faced, Yellow-breasted and Chestnut-eared Bunting in the fields near the water tower. No sign of the
bush chat.
> Chiang Saen (see Thaibirding & North Thailand Birding)
We already planned a visit to Chiang Saen, mainly for the Mekong river and the Chiang Saen lake. When we
heard that the Firethroat which was trapped and ringed the year before in Nam Kham reserve, had been seen
again this year, we could add another major target to our list. In the weeks before our visit the bird was seen
every now and then in the ‘Cetti’s Warbler hide’. A late afternoon visit to the hide did not result yet in a sighting
of this most-wanted bird, but we had a very aggresive Siberian Rubythroat and Puff-throated Warbler.
Next morning we already occupied the hide (which is made for max. 5 persons) from 05:45h. Just to be sure to
have space. We got only one more chance, so this should be it. A calling Grey Nightjar was #500 for our trip
list but we had to wait until 08:15am before we could add another major highlight. The Firethroat (still in winter
plumage) came to have a drink at the man-made pool. A really nice addition to our list! In the nearby ‘Rubythroat
hide’ Pieter had quick views on a Baikal Bush Warbler.
From other birders in Nam Kham reserve we heard of a wintering male Baikal Teal on one of the small lakes
near Chiang Saen lake. We successfully twitched the bird which was amongst hundreds of Lesser Whistling
Ducks X, Indian Spot-billed Ducks, Garganey and a single Eurasian Teal. Chiang Saen lake itself produced our
only Mallard and Northern Shoveler of the trip and a distant couple of the endangered Baer’s Pochard.
Along the Mekong we had a coffee at the Rhimkong restaurant from where we had a Grey-throated Martin,
Small Pratincoles and a Blue Rock Thrush ssp philippensis. A search for River Lapwing was hampered by some
road construction, so we decided to give up and spent our last day together at Doi Lang.
> Last days
Ruben and Anne left three days earlier than Pieter and Thijs. Before they were brought to the airport we paid
a short visit to terrain of the Mae Hia Agricultural University in the outskirts of Chiang Mai. The last Thai birds
Ruben and Anne saw were Yellow-eyed Babbler, Grey-throated Prinia and Indochinese Bush Lark.
Pieter and Thijs tried to increase the trip list with another visit at Doi Inthanon and added a visit at Mae Ping.
Interesting additions in Doi Inthanon are already included in the text above. Mae Ping resulted in the addition
of Booted Eagle, Oriental Scops Owl, Great Slaty Woodpecker, White-bellied Woodpecker, Eurasian
Sparrowhawk, Grey-headed Parakeet, Common Woodshrike, Burmese Nuthatch and Rosy Minivet. Overall,
the trip total ended at 525 species, an unexpected high amount!
Mrs. Humes Pheasant Firethroat
- 20 -
List of observed species
// Abbreviations
KY Khao Yai
PT Pak Thale
LPB Laem Pak Bia
PTB Petchaburi
KK Kaeng Krachan
- UC: upper campsite (Panoen Tung)
- LC: lower campsite (Ban Krang)
- S: stream crossings
- TT: trail to Tortip waterfall
- “#”: resp. km 9 or 27.5
- YL youth camp loop
// Species list (if noteworthy, subspecies are mentioned)
1 Chinese Francolin Francolinus pintadeanus
Heard at DI (parakeet roost) and in Nam Kham Reserve at CS
2 Rufous-throated Partridge X Arborophila rufogularis
Seen at MW (upper campsite), heard at DI, DAK and DL
3 Green-legged Partridge Arborophila chloropus chloropus / peninsularis
Seen and heard several times in KY (ssp chloropus) and KK (ssp peninsularis)
4 Ferruginous Partridge Caloperdix oculeus
One heard at KK-S
5 Mountain Bamboo Partridge Bambusicola fytchii
Seen and heard at DL
6 Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus
Seen and heard in most forested areas
7 Kalij Pheasant Lophura leucomelanos lineata
Seen at KK-27.5 and MW (headquarter)
8 Silver Pheasant Lophura nycthemera jonesi
Seen 2 times at KY (radar road)
9 Siamese Fireback Lophura diardi
Seen along radar road in KY
10 Mrs. Humes Pheasant Syrmaticus humiae
A female flushed in DAK behind the Chinese cemetery and 1 male + 4 female at DL-W2
11 Grey Peacock-Pheasant X Polyplectron bicalcaratum
Heard at KK-S and seen on 2 occasions in MW (in forest near hide)
12 Barred Buttonquail Turnix suscitator
One bird flushed at TT (near water tower)
13 Lesser Whistling Duck X Dendrocygna javanica
Common at PT, PTB and CS lake
14 Cotton Pygmy Goose Nettapus coromandelianus
Several seen during boat trip at BB
15 Northern Pintail Anas acuta
Several at PTB and CS lake
16 Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
A single male at CS
BB Bueng Borapet
MW Mae Wong
DI Doi Inthanon
- “#” resp. km 13, 34.5, 37.5 or 42
DAK Doi Ang Khang
DL Doi Lang
- W# map indications western side
- E# map indications eastern side
TT Thaton
CS Chiang Saen lake
MP Mae Ping
- 21 -
17 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
A single male at CS lake
18 Garganey Anas querquedula
Several birds at PTB, BB and CS lake
19 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
A single male at CS lake
20 Indian Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha
Common at CS lake and along the Mekong river
21 Common Pochard Aythya ferina
4 birds during the boat trip at BB
22 Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri
1 male + 2 female at BB and 1 male + 1 female at CS lake
23 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
4 birds during the boat trip at BB
24 Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca
Several birds at BB and CS lake
25 Baikal Teal Anas formosa
1 male in a small lake south of CS lake
26 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Common in marshy and wetland areas
27 Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala
Several at PT and PTB
28 Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans
Very common in open-country areas
29 Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
A few at PTB and a several birds at BB
30 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
One big flock at BB
31 Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris
A single bird at BB
32 Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis
Single sightings at PTB and BB
33 Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus
One bird at KK (HQ) and one at BB
34 Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus
Only a few birds could be positively identified as a certain Chinese Pond Heron, all in the north. Most
birds were still in full winter plumage in which they are very hard to distinguish from Javan Pond Heron.
35 Javan Pond Heron Ardeola speciosa
Only a few birds could be identified as a certain Javan Pond Heron. Pond Heron spec. is really common.
We assumed that birds in the north are Chinese and that you can find both in central Thailand.
Mountain Bamboo Partridge Black Baza
- 22 -
36 Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Few sightings at LPB, BB and TT
37 Striated Heron Butorides striata
Seen at several occasions in wetland areas
38 Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus
Common
39 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Quite common
40 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Quite common in marshy areas
41 (Eastern) Great Egret Ardea alba
Common
42 Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia
Quite common in marshy areas
43 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Very common
44 Pacific Reef Heron Egretta sacra
One dark morph at LPB sand pit
45 Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes
4 birds at canal to LPB sand pit
46 Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus
A single bird at PTB raptor watch point
47 Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger
Common in central Thailand
48 Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
Several birds in marshy areas
49 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
A single bird flying over at PT
50 Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster
A single bird at BB during boat trip
51 Osprey Pandion haliaetus
A single bird at PT and one at CS lake
52 Black Baza Aviceda leuphotes
2 birds seen at KK-9 and 2 birds at MW (HQ)
53 Jerdon’s Baza Aviceda jerdoni
A single bird at KK-9
54 Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus
Quite common
55 Black Kite Milvus migrans lineatus
Some birds at PBR raptor watch point
56 Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus
Several birds at PT, LPB and PTB
57 Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela
Seen at KY, KK, MW and DAK
58 Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus spilonotus
Seen at BB, TT and CS
59 Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos
Seen once at BB (near monument)
60 Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus
Quite common
- 23 -
61 Shikra Accipiter badius
Quite common in forest areas
62 Besra Accipiter virgatus
Seen only once at MW
63 Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
a single bird at MP
64 Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga
3 birds at PBR raptor watchpoint and 1 at BB
65 Steppe Eagle Aquila nepalensis
One 2cy bird at PBR raptor watch point
66 Booted Eagle Hieraaetus kienerii
One flying over the car near Chiang Mai
67 Rufous-winged Buzzard Butastur liventer
2 birds at DI-13
68 Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
A single bird at PBR raptor watch point
69 Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus
A single bird at DL-E3
70 Eastern Buzzard Buteo japonicus
Seen at DI, DL and TT
71 Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle Lophotriorchis kienerii
A single bird at MW near upper campsite
72 Mountain Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus nipalensis
Seen at KK-9, KK-LC and TT
73 Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus
Quite common
74 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
A few birds at MW, TT and CS
75 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus japonensis
One at PBR raptor watch point and at DI (parakeet watch tower)
76 Collared Falconet X Microhierax caerulescens
Seen on all 3 visits at DI-13
77 Black-thighed Falconet Microhierax fringillarius
2 birds at KK-9
78 White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus
Common in marshy areas
79 Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca
A single bird at LPB King’s project
80 White-browed Crake Porzana cinerea
Several birds along Fish pond road, PBR and a single bird at BB
81 Watercock Gallicrex cinerea
One female at KK HQ
82 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Quite common near open water
83 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Some birds at BB and CS lake
84 Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus
Some birds at BB and CS lake
85 Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus
A single bird flying along at TT rice fields and one at CS lake
- 24 -
86 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
Almost frustratingly common
87 Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva
Several birds at PT and LPB King’s project
88 Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
Around 30 birds present at PT
89 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Regularly found in marshy areas
90 Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus
Present at PT and LPB sand pit
91 White-faced Plover Charadrius alexandrinus dealbatus
4 birds at LPB sand pit
92 Malaysian Plover Charadrius peronii
2 birds at LPB sand pit and 1 bird at LPB salt farm
93 Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus
Common at PT and a single bird at BB
94 Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii
Common at PT
95 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Common in marshy areas
96 Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
Several at PT
97 Pin-tailed Snipe Gallinago stenura
A few birds flushed in the rice fields at TT
98 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
Several at LPB King’s project and BB
99 Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis
1 female at LPB King’s project
100 Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus
About 300 at PBR
101 Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus
Several birds at PBR, BB and CS
102 Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus
Several birds at PBR and BB
103 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Common at PT
104 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
A few birds at PT
105 Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
Large group at PT
106 Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis
About 15 birds in a group of Eurasian Curlew at PT
107 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
A few at PT, LPB and a large group at PBR
108 Common Redshank Tringa totanus
One at LPB
109 Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
Very common at PT and LPB
110 Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus
A few birds on the beach at PT
- 25 -
111 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
A few birds at PT and LPB
112 Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer
7 birds in a large group of Great Knots at LPB salt farms
113 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
A couple of birds at TT and CS
114 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Several birds at PT, PTB and BB
115 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Seen sometimes in marshy areas
116 Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris
A large group at PT and LPB salt farms
117 Sanderling Calidris alba
Few birds at PT
118 Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis
Many at PT and LPB salt farms
119 Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii
2 birds at LPB King’s project
120 Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta
Several birds at PT and LPB King’s project
121 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
Several at PT
122 Dunlin Calidris alpina
A single bird at PT
123 Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus
At least 3 birds at PT
124 Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus
A few birds at PT
125 Ruff Philomachus pugnax
A few birds at PT and LPB
126 Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
3 birds at PT
127 Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum
Seen at PBR, BB and CS lake
128 Small Pratincole Glareola lactea
A few birds at TT and a large group at CS along the Mekong river
129 Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei
2 birds at PT
130 Heuglin’s Gull Larus (fuscus) heuglini
10 birds present at LPB sand pit
Chinese Egret Baikal Teal
- 26 -
131 Brown-headed Gull Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus
Seen at PT, LPB and PTB
132 Pallas’s Gull Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus
A single bird at LPB sand pit
133 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
Several at PT
134 Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
A single bird at PT
135 Little Tern Sternula albifrons
Common at PT and LPB
136 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Common at PT and LPB
137 White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
Several at PT and LPB
138 Whiskered Tern X Chlidonias hybrida
Several at PT, LPB, PTB and BB
139 Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis
A few at PT and LPB
140 Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii
A few at PT and LPB
141 Ashy Wood Pigeon Columba pulchricollis
A few sightings at DI summit
142 Speckled Wood Pigeon Columba hodgsonii
16 birds roosting at DI-42
143 Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis
A single bird at DL, eastern slope
144 Red Turtle Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica
Common
145 Barred Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia unchall
A single bird near KK-TT
146 Common Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica
Seen in most forested areas
147 Zebra Dove Geopelia striata
Common
148 Pink-necked Green Pigeon Treron vernans
A couple along fish pond road, PBR
149 Thick-billed Green Pigeon Treron curvirostra
Seen in KY, KK and MW
150 Mountain Imperial Pigeon Ducula badia
Seen in KK, MW and DL
151 Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis
Very common
152 Vernal Hanging Parrot Loriculus vernalis
Seen in KY and KK
153 Blossom-headed Parakeet Psittacula roseata
A few flying along at the foot of DI
154 Grey-headed Parakeet Psittacula finschi
Several birds in MP
155 Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis
Common
- 27 -
156 Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis
Seen in MW and TT
157 Green-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus tristis
Seen regularly in KY, KK and DI
158 Asian Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx maculatus
Seen and heard in KK (KK-Y and DI
159 Violet Cuckoo Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus
Seen at KK-YL
160 Banded Bay Cuckoo X Cacomantis sonneratii
Quite common in KY, KK, DI and DL. More often heard than seen
161 Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinus
A single bird at KK (entry road) and a few at BB near the River Martin monument
162 Asian Koel X Eudynamys scolopaceus
Common
163 Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo X Surniculus lugubris
Easy in KK
164 Large Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides
Several sightings at KY, KK, DI and DL
165 Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx nisicolor
A single bird along the road in MW
166 Himalayan Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus
Seen and heard in KK and DI
167 White-fronted Scops-Owl X Otus sagittatus
Heard on 2 occasions at KK-S (crossing 2)
168 Mountain Scops-Owl X Otus spilocephalus
Heard in KY, KK, MW and DAK
169 Collared Scops Owl Otus lettia
Heard at KY, KK and DI
170 Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia
Heard in MP
171 Brown Wood Owl Strix leptogrammica
Seen at KK-LC and heard in MW
172 Brown Hawk-Owl X Ninox scutulata
Seen at KK-LC and heard at KY and TT
173 Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodiei
Often heard in forested areas
174 Asian Barred Owlet X Glaucidium cuculoides
Regularly heard in forested areas, seen at KK-S
175 Spotted Owlet Athene brama
A single bird in TT
176 Eurasian Barn Owl Tyto alba
Heard at our hotel in TT
177 Hodgson’s Frogmouth Batrachostomus hodgsoni
A splendid male at near the army checkpoint at DL-W4
178 Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus jotaka
Heard at Nam Kham Reserve at CS
179 Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus
Commonest nightjar, heard and seen in most forested areas
180 Great Eared Nightjar Lyncornis macrotis
Heard at KK-LC, seen at KY near the watch tower
- 28 -
181 Indian Nightjar Caprimulgus asiaticus
Heard at PT, seen near LPB
182 Grey-rumped Treeswift Hemiprocne longipennis
Only seen at KK-UC
183 Crested Treeswift Hemiprocne coronata
Several birds in a village in the foothills of DI
184 Brown-backed Needletail Hirundapus giganteus
A group of about 50 birds at the TAT-pond in KY
185 Silver-backed Needletail Hirundapus cochinchinensis
3 birds amongst the Brown-backed Needletails at the TAT-pond in KY
186 Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis
Fairly common
187 Pacific Swift Apus pacificus
Seen in KK and DL
188 Cook’s Swift Apus cooki
Many at army’s camp in DAK
189 House Swift Apus nipalensis
Common, mainly in the north
190 Himalayan Swiftlet Aerodramus brevirostris
Common
191 Germain’s Swiftlet Aerodramus germani
Common around PT, LPB and KK
192 Orange-breasted Trogon Harpactes oreskios
Heard in KY on several occasions, seen at KK-S
193 Red-headed Trogon X Harpactes erythrocephalus
Seen in KY along trail B and along the road in MW
194 Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
Fairly common
195 Oriental Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis
A few times in KK, mainly around KK-9
196 Red-bearded Bee-eater X Nyctyornis amictus
1 bird along the trail at KK-TT
197 Blue-bearded Bee-eater Nyctyornis athertoni
Good sightings at KK-9 and heard along the Umphang trail at MW
198 Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis ferrugeiceps
Common in open-country
199 Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus
Seen at KY, PT and BB
200 Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaulti
Common
201 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
Seen several times in central Thailand
202 Banded Kingfisher Lacedo pulchella
Great views of a male in KY along the km 33 trail
203 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
Common
204 Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata
Along the road at PT
205 Collared Kingfisher X Todiramphus chloris
Along the road at PT
- 29 -
206 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Common in the lowlands
207 Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis
A single bird at the TAT-pond in KY and in PBR
208 Pied Kingfisher Ceryl rudis
2 birds at BB
209 Tickell’s Brown Hornbill Anorrhinus tickelli
2 birds flying by at KK-9
210 Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris
Common in KY, KK and MW
211 Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis
Seen on several occasions in KY, KK and MW
212 Wreathed Hornbill Rhyticeros undulatus
2 birds flying by near the HQ in KY and a single bird perched in a tree at KK-TT
213 Great Barbet X Psilopogon virens
Quite common in KK, MW and DI
214 Lineated Barbet Psilopogon lineatus
Quite common in forested areas
215 Green-eared Barbet Psilopogon faiostrictus
Common in KY and KK
216 Golden-throated Barbet Psilopogon franklinii
Seen and heard in MW, DI, DAK and DL
217 Blue-throated Barbet Psilopogon asiaticus
Seen and heard in MW and DI
218 Moustached Barbet Psilopogon incognitus
Seen and heard in KY and KK
219 Blue-eared Barbet Psilopogon australis
Common in KY, KK and MW
220 Coppersmith Barbet Psilopogon haemacephalus
Common
221 Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla
One at KY and one in TT
222 Speckled Piculet X Picumnus innominatus
Seen at DI-34,5 and DAK along the Firebreak trail
223 White-browed Piculet Sasia ochracea
Seen in MW near upper campsite and HQ and one bird at DL-W3
224 Black-and-Buff Woodpecker Meiglyptes jugularis
A single bird at KK-UC
225 Grey-capped Woodpecker Dendrocopos canicapillus
One at DI-13 and at DL-W4
226 Freckle-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos analis
One at BB near the River Martin monument
227 Stripe-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos atratus
Seen in MW, DI and DL
228 Laced Woodpecker Picus vittatus
Along trail B in KY
229 Streak-breasted Woodpecker Picus viridanus
Quite common in KK
230 Black-headed Woodpecker Picus erythropygius
Along the road at DI-13
- 30 -
231 Common Flameback Dinopium javanense
Once in KY and common in KK
232 Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus
Commonly seen in KK and once in MW
233 Bamboo Woodpecker Gecinulus viridis
A single bird at the HQ of MW
234 Bay Woodpecker Blythipicus pyrrhotis
Heard only in MW and DL-W3
235 Heart-spotted Woodpecker Hemicircus canente
2 birds at KK-9 and 1 at KK-YL
236 Greater Yellownape Chrysophlegma flavinucha
Seen on several occasions in MW and once in MW
237 White-bellied Woodpecker Dryocopus javensis
2 birds in MP
238 Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus
A single bird at KK-YL
239 Great Slaty Woodpecker Mulleripicus pulverulentus
2 birds in MP
240 Crimson-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos cathpharius
A single bird at DL-W3
241 Long-tailed Broadbill Psarisomus dalhousiae
KY along trail B, KK-TT, MW near the upper campsite and DL-W3
242 Silver-breasted Broadbill Serilophus lunatus
KY along trail B, KK-YL
243 Banded Broadbill X Eurylaimus javanicus
KY near km 33, KK-YL and KK-S
244 Black-and-Yellow Broadbill Eurylaimus ochromalus
2 birds seen at KK-YL and heard at KK-UC and KK-S
245 Dusky Broadbill Corydon sumatranus
2 birds at the km 33 trail in KY
246 Rusty-naped Pitta Pitta oatesi
A couple at the stake-out in King’s project, DAK
247 Blue Pitta X Pitta cyaneus
Heard and seen along trail B and at behind the toilet building in Pha Kuai Mai campsite in KY
248 Eared Pitta Pitta phayrei
2 birds along trail B in KY, near the obvious plank root tree
249 Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike Hemipus picatus
Several birds in KY, KK and DI
Banded Kingfisher Blue-bearded Bee-eater
- 31 -
250 Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus
3 birds in MP
251 Oriental Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone affinis
Seen on several occasions in KK, MW and DI
252 Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea
Fairly common in forested areas
253 Common Iora Aegithina tiphia
Surprisingly uncommon, with only sightings at Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi and BB
254 Great Iora Aegithina lafresnayei
Seen in KY near km 33 and in KK-YL
255 Large Cuckooshrike X, Coracina macei
Seen along the road in MW, on the eastern slope of DL and in MP
256 Black-winged Cuckooshrike Coracina melaschistos
Fairly common in forested areas
257 Rosy Minivet Pericrocotus roseus
5 birds present in MP
258 Swinhoe’s Minivet Pericrocotus cantonensis
Seen in KY and KK
259 Grey-chinned Minivet Pericrocotus solaris
Seen at MW, DI, DAK and DL
260 Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus
A few at DI near the campsite and DL-W3
261 Short-billed Minivet Pericrocotus brevirostris
DI-34.5, army’s camp in DAK and DL-W2
262 Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus speciosus
A few in KY near km 33
263 Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus
Fairly easy in KY and KK
264 Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus
Common in lowland areas
265 Burmese Shrike Lanius collurioides
1 bird near the Chinese cemetary in DAK
266 Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach longicaudatus / tricolor
Common, mainly in the north (ssp longicaudatus in BB)
267 Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus
Seen in KY (radar road), DI (parakeet watch tower), MW and DL
268 Blyth’s Shrike-Babbler Pteruthius aerulatus
Regularly seen in forested areas
269 Black-eared Shrike-Babbler Pteruthius melanotis
One heard near DL-E4 and one seen in a feeding flock at DL-E5
270 Clicking Shrike-Babbler X Pteruthius intermedius
A single bird seen along the trail at DI-34.5
271 Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis
Seen in KY and KK
272 Maroon Oriole Oriolus traillii traillii
Along the road near upper campsite in MW, near HQ in DI and at DL-W4
273 Slender-billed Oriole X Oriolus tenuirostris
At DI-34.5 and at DL-W2
274 Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena puella
Easy in KY and KK
- 32 -
275 Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
Common
276 Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus bondi / leucogenis / salangensis / mouhoti
Common
277 Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus
A few at KK, MW and DAK
278 Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus remifer
Quite common in forested areas
279 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo X Dicrurus paradiseus
Quite common in forested areas
280 Hair-crested Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus
Common in forested areas
281 White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis
Several sightings in KK and DI
282 Malaysian Pied Fantail X Rhipidura javanica
Common in central Thailand
283 Yellow-bellied Fantail Chelidorhynx hypoxantha
On several locations at DI
284 Japanese Tit Parus minor nubicolis
Seen on DI, DAK and DL
285 Yellow-cheeked Tit X Machlolophus spilonotus subviridis
Seen at DI-34.5, DI-37.5 and DL-W4
286 Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus
A few at DI summit board walk
287 Sultan Tit Melanochlora sultanea
Trail B in KY and KK-9
288 Black-throated Bushtit Aegithalos concinnus
A few at DL-E4
289 Red-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa erythroryncha
A single bird at MW near HQ and a group at DI from the parakeet watch tower
290 Common Green Magpie Cissa chinensis
Seen in KY, KK and MW
291 Eastern Jungle Crow Corvus levaillantii
Common
292 Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius leucotis
DI-13 and DL-W3
293 Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda
Seen at DI-13 and MP
294 Grey Treepie X Dendrocitta formosae
Several sightings at MW and DL
295 Ratchet-tailed Treepie Temnurus temnurus
2 birds present at KK-27.5
296 Racket-tailed Treepie X Crypsirina temia
Seen at KK at km 9 and HQ and at Nam Kham Reserve near CS
297 Crested Finchbill Spizixos canifrons
A few birds at DL-W4 and DL-E5
298 Striated Bulbul Pycnonotus striatus
A single bird at DI-34.5 and near DL-W3
299 Black-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus atriceps
In a fruiting tree at KK-LC
- 33 -
300 Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus flaviventris johnsoni / xanthops
Common in central Thailand (KY: ssp johnsoni, KK: ssp xanthops)
301 Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus
Common
302 Brown-breasted Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthorrhous
A few birds at army’s camp at DAK
303 Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster
Fairly common
304 Stripe-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus finlaysoni
Seen in KY and KK
305 Flavescent Bulbul Pycnonotus flavescens
Common
306 Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier
Sightings at PTB, BB and MW
307 Streak-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus blanfordi
Common
308 Puff-throated Bulbul Alophoixus pallidus
Only seen in KY
309 Ochraceous Bulbul Alophoixus ochraceus
Only seen in KK
310 Olive Bulbul Iole virescens
Only seen in MW
311 Grey-eyed Bulbul Iole propinqua
KY, KK and DI
312 Buff-vented Bulbul Iole olivacea
Only seen at KK-LC
313 Ashy Bulbul X Hemixos flavala
Only seen along the road in MW
314 Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus concolor
Near upper campsite in MW and at Siriphum waterfall in DI
315 White-headed Bulbul Cerasophila thompsoni
Along the road near the campsite of DI
316 Mountain Bulbul Ixos mcclellandii
Common in forested areas
317 Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus
Common
318 Grey-throated Martin Riparia chinensis
Seen at CS along the Mekong at Rhimkong restaurant
319 Sand Martin Riparia riparia
Along fish pond road at PBR and at BB
320 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Common
321 Asian House-Martin Delichon dasypus
Seen on several occasions in KY, KK and DI
322 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica japonica
Common
323 Striated Swallow Cecropis striolata
At King’s project in DAK
324 Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus
Several times in lowland scrub
- 34 -
325 Buff-throated Warbler Phylloscopus subaffinis
2 birds at army’s camp in DAK and 1 at DL-W4
326 Buff-barred Warbler Phylloscopus pulcher
Good views at DI summit board walk and at DL
327 Radde’s Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi
Common
328 Ashy-throated Warbler Phylloscopus maculipennis
DI summit board walk
329 Pallas’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus
Firebreak trail at DAK and at DL-W3
330 Chinese Leaf-warbler Phylloscopus yunnanensis
MW, DI summit and DL
331 Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
Very common
332 Humes Warbler Phylloscopus humei
A single sighting at DI summit
333 Two-barred Warbler Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus
Fairly common
334 Davison’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus davisoni
MW, DI and DL
335 Sulphur-breasted Warbler Phylloscopus ricketti
Fairly common in forested areas
336 Claudia’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus claudiae
Seen fairly often in KY and once in DAK
337 Blyth’s Leaf Warbler X Phylloscopus reguloides
Seen on summit of DI and eastern slope of DL
338 Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus
Only seen in KK
339 Golden-bellied Gerygone Gerygone sulphurea
A few birds at PT and PTB
340 Aberrant Bush Warbler Cettia flavolivacea
A single bird along Firebreak trail in DAK and a few at DL-W4
341 Yellow-bellied Warbler Abroscopus superciliaris
Seen in flocks in KK, MW and DAK
342 Chestnut-crowned Warbler Seicercus castaniceps
Seen in DI, DAK and DL
343 Martens’s Warbler Seicercus omeiensis
Seen at KK, MW and DL
344 Alström’s Warbler Seicercus soror
Only in KY, along radar road and trail B
Siberian Blue Robin Wreathed Hornbill
- 35 -
345 Grey-crowned Warbler Seicercus tephrocephalus
MW, DAK and DL
346 Bianchi’s Warbler Seicercus valentini
A few sightings in DAK and DL
347 Slaty-bellied Tesia X Tesia olivea
Great views along the Umphang trail in MW. Also at DI-37.5 and eastern side of DL
348 Mountain Tailorbird Phyllergates cuculatus
A single bird at DI-37.5 and along the Firebreak trail in DAK
349 Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius
Seen in KY and KK
350 Dark-necked Tailorbird Orthotomus atrogularis
1 bird at Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi and a few in KK
351 Asian Stubtail Urosphena squamiceps
1 bird at the stake-out behind the toilet building in KY and along Umphang trail in MW
352 Thick-billed Warbler Iduna aedon
A bird along the entry road of KK and near the River Martin monument in BB
353 Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis
Common in lowland marshes
354 Black-browed Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps
A few birds at PTB and BB
355 Baikal Bush Warbler Locustella davidi
A single sighting in Nam Kham Reserve near CS
356 Russet Bush Warbler Bradypterus mandelli
1 bird singing at DI-13
357 Hill Prinia Prinia superciliaris
DI-34.5, DI summit and at DL-We
358 Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii
Near Chinese cemeteray in DAK and along western slope in DL
359 Yellow-bellied Prinia X Prinia flaviventris delacouri
A few birds at TT
360 Plain Prinia Prinia inornata
Common
361 Striated Grassbird Megalurus palustris
Several birds during the boat trip at BB
362 Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis
Near radio tower in PTB and at rice fields in TT
363 Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis
Near watch tower in KY
364 Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler X Pomatorhinus erythrogenys
A few birds at the western slope of DL
365 Large Scimitar Babbler X Pomatorhinus hypoleucos
Heard only at KK-TT and upper parts of MW
366 White-browed Scimitar Babbler X Pomatorhinus schisticeps
Fairly common in forested areas
367 Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler X Pomatorhinus ferruginosus
A single bird at upper campsite in MW and one near DL-E4
368 Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense
A few birds in TT and at the Mae Hia Agricultural University in Chiang Mai
369 Chestnut-capped Babbler Timalia pileata
A few birds near the water tower in TT
- 36 -
370 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler Macronus gularis
Fairly common in forested areas
371 Grey-throated Babbler Stachyris nigriceps
Seen in KK, MW and DL
372 Golden Babbler Stachyridopsis chrysaea
Fairly common in forested areas, often in feeding flocks
373 Rufous-fronted Babbler Stachyris rufifrons
Seen in KK and DL-W3
374 Puff-throated Babbler X Pellorneum ruficeps
Common in forested areas
375 Buff-breasted Babbler Pellorneum tickelli
In the hide at MW
376 Abbott’s Babbler Malacocincla abbotti
A few along trail B in KY and at KK-S
377 Collared Babbler Gampsorhynchus torquatus
KK-27.5 and at DL-E2\
378 Rufous-winged Fulvetta X Alcippe castaneceps
Seen regularly at DI and at DL
379 Yunnan Fulvetta X Alcippe fratercula
Common in northern forests
380 Limestone Wren-Babbler X Napothera crispifrons calcicola
A few birds at Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi
381 Streaked Wren-Babbler X Napothera brevicaudata
Some at the hide in MW
382 Eye-browed Wren-Babbler Napothera epilepidota
Heard along the DI-37.5 trail
383 Pygmy Wren-Babbler X Pnoepyga pusilla
Heard quite often in DI and seen very along the DI summit board walk
384 Spot-breasted Parrotbill X Paradoxornis guttaticollis
A few birds at DL-W3
385 Grey-headed Parrotbill Paradoxornis gularis
A small group at DL-W5
386 Chestnut-flanked White-eye Zosterops erythropleurus
A few birds in MW and DI
387 Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus
At DI summit
388 Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus williamsoni / siamensis
Common (KY: ssp williamsoni, MW: ssp siamensis)
389 Striated Yuhina Yuhina castaniceps
Several sightings along the road to the upper campsite in MW and near the HQ in DI
390 Whiskered Yuhina Yuhina flavicollis
Seen at DL-E5
391 White-bellied Erpornis Erpornis zantholeuca
Seen quite often in KY and KK
392 Chestnut-vented Nuthatch Sitta nagaensis
Several seen at DI-34.5 and at DL-W3
393 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch X Sitta frontalis
Common in forested areas
394 Burmese Nuthatch Sitta neglecta
A single bird at MP
- 37 -
395 Giant Nuthatch Sitta magna
A single bird near DL-W4
396 Hume’s Treecreeper Certhia manipurensis
One bird at DI-37.5 and at DL-W3
397 Great Myna Acridotheres grandis
Very common
398 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
Common
399 Pied Myna Gracupica contra
Seen at LPB, PTB and BB
400 Common Hill Myna Gracula religiosa
Seen in KY and KK
401 Golden-crested Myna Ampeliceps coronatus
At KK-LC and KK-9
402 Black-collared Starling Gracupica nigricollis
A pair at DL-E3 and several birds in TT
403 White-shouldered Starling Sturnia sinensis
Large groups at LPB King’s project and BB near River Martin monumentt
404 Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnia malabarica
1 bird at the electricity wires near TT
405 Chestnut Thrush Turdus rubrocanus
A single bird at the summit of DI and at DL-W4
406 Grey-sided Thrush X Turdus feae
A few sightings at the summit of DI
407 Black-breasted Thrush Turdus dissimilis
A single bird at the Rusty-naped Pitta stake-out in King’s project of DAK
408 Eyebrowed Thrush Turdus obscurus
Seen at Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi and in several in KY
409 Orange-headed Thrush Geokichla citrina
Quite often seen in KY
410 Blue Whistling-Thrush X Myophonus caeruleus caeruleus / eugenei
Common (ssp eugenei only in MW)
411 Scaly Thrush Zoothera dauma
1 bird along trail B in KY
412 Dark-sided Thrush Zoothera marginata
2 birds at DI summit board walk
413 Green Cochoa X Cochoa viridis
Heard only at DI-37.5
414 Purple Cochoa X Cochoa purpurea
Heard only at DL-W3
415 White-browed Shortwing Brachypteryx montana
A male at DI summit board walk
416 Lesser Shortwing Brachypteryx leucophrys
1 bird at Mr. Daeng’s place
417 Blue Rock-Thrush Monticola solitarius pandoo / philippensis
Seen in KY, MW, DAK and CS (ssp philippensis)
418 Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush Monticola rufiventris
A single bird near DI-42 and at DL-W2
419 Himalayan Cutia Cutia nipalensis
Seen by only one of us at DL-W3
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420 Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
A few at BB and TT
421 Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope
A few at BB and quite common at DL
422 Siberian Blue Robin Luscinia cyane
A male at the stake-out behind the toilet building at KY and a few at DI
423 Firethroat Luscinia pectardens
A wintering male at Nam Kham Reserve, near CS
424 Himalayan Bluetail Tarsiger rufilatus
A few birds at DI summit board walk and several at DL
425 Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis
Common
426 White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus
Seen in KY and KK
427 White-tailed Robin Myiomela leucura
A female at hide in MW and a male at Rusty-naped Pitta hide in DAK
428 Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus
1 female near DI-42
429 Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis
A male at DI-42
430 Plumbeous Water Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosa
Finally 1 female at Sirithan waterfall at DI
431 White-capped Redstart Chaimarrornis leucocephalus
At several waterfalls in DI and along a stream in DAK
432 White-bellied Redstart Hodgonius phaenicuroides
Attracted by the mealworms in one of the hides at DL-W3
433 Black-backed Forktail Enicurus immaculatus
1 bird at Vatcharitan Waterfall at DI
434 Slaty-backed Forktail Enicurus schistaceus
A pair at Sirithan waterfall at DI
435 White-crowned Forktail Enicurus leschenaulti
2 times along trail B in KY and along the road in MW
436 Pied Bush Chat Saxicola caprata
Common
437 Grey Bush Chat Saxicola ferreus
Common
438 Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri
Common
439 Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
Common in forested areas
440 Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica
A few birds at DI-TT
441 Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa latirostris
Quite common
442 Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki
One at the HQ of KK and one near KY campsite
443 Slaty-backed Flycatcher Ficedula hodgsonii
1 bird at DI-42 and a single sighting at the Chinese cemetery in DAK
444 Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla
Common
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445 Sapphire Flycatcher Ficedula sapphira
A single bird at DL-W3
446 Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra
A few birds along the summit board walk at DI
447 Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher Ficedula strophiata
Several birds near DL-W3
448 Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni
A few birds at DI-34.5 and along the Firebreak trail in DAK
449 Ultramarine Flycatcher X Ficedula superciliaris
1 bird at DI-13 and at DL-W2
450 Slaty-blue Flycatcher Ficedula tricolor
A single bird at the hide at DL-W3
451 Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassinus
Common
452 Chinese Blue Flycatcher X Cyornis glaucicomans
Along trail B in KY and one in KK
453 Hainan Blue Flycatcher Cyornis hainanus
Only seen at HQ of MW
454 Pale Blue Flycatcher Cyornis unicolor
Only seen at DL-W3
455 Hill Blue Flycatcher Cyornis banyumas
Seen in MW and DAK
456 Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher Cyornis tickelliae
Only seen on our first day at Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi
457 Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher Cyornis rubeculoides
At both trails at DI-34.5 and DI-37.5
458 Rufous-browed Flycatcher Anthipes solitaris
A singing bird at the Orchid trail at KK-UC and along the Umphang trail at MW
459 White-gorgeted Flycatcher X Anthipes monileger
Along the trail at DI-34.5 and in one of the hides at DL-We
460 Rufous-bellied Niltava Niltava sundara
In one of the hides at DL-W3
461 Vivid Niltava Niltava vivida
Along the trail at DI-34.5
462 Large Niltava Niltava grandis
Several birds in KK, DI and DL
463 Small Niltava Niltava macgrigoria
A singing bird along the Umphang trail at MW and at the trail at DI-37.5
Green-tailed Sunbird Bar-throated Minla
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464 Orange-bellied Leafbird Chloropsis hardwickii
A few birds in KK, MW and DI
465 Greater Green Leafbird Chloropsis sonnerati
At KK-TT
466 Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis
Fairly common in KY and KK
467 Golden-fronted Leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons
One at KK-LC and at the parakeet watch tower at DI
468 Thick-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum agile
One at the campsite in KY and at KK-9
469 Yellow-vented Flowerpecker Dicaeum chrysorrheum
A few at the campsite in KY and at KK-LC
470 Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker X Dicaeum melanoxanthum
Finally found at the summit of DI
471 Fire-breasted Flowerpecker X Dicaeum ignipectus cambodianum / ignipectus
A few at KY campsite (ssp cambodianum), at KK-UC and at the Chinese cemetery in DAK (ssp ignipectus)
472 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum
A single bird at Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi, at KK-TT and the HQ of KK
473 Brown-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malacensis
Only seen at the radio tower in PBR
474 Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird Aethopyga gouldiae
Seen in MW, the summit of DI and at DL-E5
475 Green-tailed Sunbird X Aethopyga nipalensis
Great views at the summit board walk of DI
476 Black-throated Sunbird Aethopyga saturata
Quite common
477 Fire-tailed Sunbird X Aethopyga ignicauda
A few birds at DL-E5
478 Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Chalcoparia singalensis
Seen at PTB, KK and MW
479 Plain Sunbird Anthreptes simplex
1 bird seen at KK-YL
480 Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus
Only seen along the road at DI-13
481 Olive-backed Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis
Common
482 Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra
Seen in KY and MW
483 Streaked Spiderhunter Arachnothera magna
A few at KK-UC, along the road in MW and at the eastern side of DL
Brown-backed Needletail Dusky Broadbill
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484 House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Quite common in urban areas
485 Plain-backed Sparrow Passer flaveolus
A few birds at Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi, PT and LPB
486 Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Common
487 Asian Golden Weaver Ploceus hypoxanthus
Seen at PTB and BB
488 Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus
Seen at PTB and TT
489 Chestnut Munia Lonchura atricapilla
A few along fish pond road at PTB and BB
490 White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata
Fairly common
491 Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata
Fairly common
492 Pin-tailed Parrotfinch Erythrura prasina
Five birds n the flowering bamboo at KK-TT
493 Red Avadavat Amandava amandava
Only seen at BB
494 Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis tschutschensis / macronyx
Several at PT, BB (ssp macronyx) and TT
495 Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola
Some at BB and at TT rice fields
496 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
A few in KY, PT and KK
497 White Wagtail Motacilla alba leucopsis / baicalensis
At BB (ssp leucopsis) and TT rice fields (ssp baicalensis & leucopsis)
498 Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus
A single bird flying along at KK-TT
499 Richard’s Pipit X Anthus richardi
At TT and at Mae Hia Agricultural University in Chiang Mai
500 Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus
Quite common in open-country areas
501 Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni
Some at KY and fairly common in the north
502 Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus
Quite common in open-country
503 Indochinese Bush Lark Mirafra erythrocephala
A few birds at LPB (near abondoned building) and at Mae Hia Agricultural University in Chiang Mai
504 White-crested Laughingthrush Garrulax leucolophus
A large and noisy group along trail B in KY
505 Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush Garrulax monileger
A few sightings in KY, KK and MW
506 Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush Garrulax pectoralis
Seen in KK and MW
507 White-necked Laughingthrush X Garrulax strepitans
At upper campsite in MW
508 Black-throated Laughingthrush Garrulax chinensis
Near KK-27.5 and at upper campsite in MW
- 42 -
509 White-browed Laughingthrush Garrulax sannio
DL-W1 and DL-W3
510 Silver-eared Laughingthrush X Trochalopteron melanostigma
MW along Umphang trail, DI summit and DL-W3
511 Scarlet-faced Liocichla Liocichla ripponi
Army’s camp in DAK and DL-E4
512 Silver-eared Mesia Leiothrix argentauris
Along Umphang trail in MW, at DI-34.5 and at Rusty-naped Pitta stake-out in DAK
513 Blue-winged Minla X Minla cyanouroptera sordida / wingatei
Sightings at DI (ssp sordida), DAK and DL (ssp wingatei)
514 Bar-throated Minla Minla strigula
Easy at DI summit board walk
515 Spectacled Barwing Actinodura ramsayi
DI-42, army’s camp in DAK and DI-W3 and DI-E4
516 Rufous-backed Sibia Heterophasia annectens
Quite common in forests in the north
517 Dark-backed Sibia Heterophasia melanoleuca
Quite often seen in DI and DAK
518 Long-tailed Sibia Heterophasia picaoides
Seen at DI-W4
519 Chestnut-eared Bunting Emberiza fucata
At TT near water tower
520 Crested Bunting Emberiza latham
A female near DI-W4
521 Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola
At least one bird at TT
522 Chestnut Bunting Emberiza rutila
At DI-W3
523 Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala
2 birds at TT near water tower
524 Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus
A single male at MW near upper campsite
525 Spot-winged Grosbeak Mycerobas melanozanthos
4 birds in a tree near DI-W4
Grey-sided Thrush Giant Nuthatch
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// Mammals
1 Asian Elephant KY and KK-LC
2 Asiatic Black Bear KY (near watch tower)
3 Sun Bear KK-LC
4 Smooth-coated Otter KY (HQ)
5 White-handed Gibbon KY and KK
6 Spectacled Leaf Monkey KK
7 Phayre’s Leaf Monkey DI-37.5
8 Northern Pig-tailed Macaque Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi, KY,
9 Crab-eating Macaque PTB
10 Stump-tailed Macaque KK
11 Malayan Porcupine KY and KK-LC
12 Large Spotted Civet KK-S
13 Small Indian Civet KY
14 Asian Palm Civet KY
15 Sambar KY
16 Northern Red Muntjac KY and KK
17 Lesser Oriental Chevrotain KY
18 Red Giant Flying Squirrel KK-LC
19 Black Giant Squirrel KY and KK
20 Gray-bellied Squirrel KK
21 Variegated Squirrel Wat Pra Puttabaht Noi
22 Himalayan Striped Squirrel KK, DI-13 and DL-W3
23 Asian Red-cheeked Ground Squirrel KK
24 Pallas’ Squirrel DI (summit) and DL-W3
Smooth-coated Otter Spectacled Leaf Monkey