Thailand has always been known as one of the best country for birding in Southeast Asia, with over 1,000 species of birds recorded in the country, it is one of the 'birdiest' country in the region, with an incredible diversity of species from north to south. Central Thailand is known for two of its most well known national parks; Kaeng Krachan National Park being the largest national park in the country, and Khao Yai National Park being the oldest. The two national parks are situated just a few hours drive from the bustling city of Bangkok, making them perfect destinations for a short birding trip. Eco Travel partnered up with Frigatefilms for yet another exciting tour to this incredible country, hoping to find some of those amazing birds and animals from this amazingly biodiverse region of Central Thailand.
Day 1 - Khok Kham & Pak Thale Nature Reserve
12 guests plus 3 leaders (James Kwok, Kenneth Lam and myself) took the early morning flight to Bangkok, where we met up with our brilliant Thai birding guide Isara at noon. After a quick lunch of local beef and pork broth noodles, we headed towards Khok Kham to look for the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper. The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is no doubt one of the rarest wader in the world, and Thailand is one of the best country in the world to see this globally rare species. Isara already had his team there before we arrived to look for the bird, so we were able to get straight onto the bird as soon as we arrived. We had incredible views of a single bird feeding on the salt-pans.
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| Spoon-billed Sandpiper - the most sought after wader in the world |
There were a good number of other waders around, mostly Tibetan Sand Plovers, Curlew Sandpipers and Red-necked Stints, a few Little Terns were also seen there.
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| Tibetan Sand Plover |
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| Little Tern |
We moved on towards Pak Thale Nature Reserve, hoping to catch the endangered Nordmann's Greenshanks there before dark. We made it just before it got dark, and saw no less than 17 Nordmann's Greenshanks, together with large flocks of Brown-headed Gulls and Caspian Terns. There were also a good number of other waders around, but by then it was getting too dark to take any good photos. We continued towards our accommodation at Phetchaburi, where we will stay the next 4 nights.
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| Nordmann's Greenshank with Brown-headed Gulls and Caspian Terns |
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| Broadbilled Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper and Siberian Sand Plover |
Day 2 - Kaeng Krachan National Park
We had breakfast near our hotel, where a pair of Siamese Pied Starlings were building their nest above the food stands. I spotted a pair of Asian Barred Owlets nearby which distracted us from finishing our breakfast! Even an Oriental Pied Hornbill decided to drop-by.
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| Siamese Pied Starling |
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| Asian Barred Owlet |
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| Oriental Pied Hornbill - male |
Once we arrived inside Kaeng Krachan, Isara took us straight to check a few Black-and-Red Broadbill nests, where we successfully connected with at the third nest. A pair of Golden-crested Mynas were nesting right above the broadbills, an otherwise tricky species to connect with when they are not nesting.
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| Black-and-Red Broadbill |
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| Golden-crested Myna - a tricky species to find outside of nesting season |
A short break at the campsite area yielded a relatively cooperative Blue-eared Barbet and a lovely looking male Taiga Flycatcher. We added a Red-throated Barbet at its nest, as it peered through the hole to look at us, we could see all the amazing colours on its head.
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| Blue-eared Barbet |
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| Taiga Flycatcher - male |
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| Red-throated Barbet |
Another major target of ours were the nesting Rusty-cheeked Hornbill, also known as the Tickell's Brown Hornbill. This is perhaps the rarest and the most highly sought after hornbill species at Kaeng Krachan. We observed the birds coming back to its nest a few times, it was interesting to see up to 3 birds arriving on one occasion, as this species breeds in family groups, the two younger birds were probably from the previous brood. They brought in various food items, including lizards and centipedes.
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| Rusty-cheeked Hornbill - rarest hornbill species at Kaeng Krachan |
Dusky Langurs were seen nearby the nesting site, we spent some time photographing the young langurs which were a lovely orange golden colour. A pair of Banded Broadbills at close range added some excitement for everyone.
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| Dusky Langur |
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| Banded Broadbill |
After lunch we tried our luck looking for the rare White-fronted Scops Owl, while searching its usual haunts, we chanced upon a very cooperative Orange-breasted Trogon, the whole group enjoyed a long photo session with this handsome looking male!
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| Orange-breasted Trogon - male |
Isara took us to a stakeout for the Blue Pitta, the male was quite the show stopper and came into view many times! The female was a little more skittish, but eventually came in for everyone to get a better view, and was the perfect bird to end our first day at Kaeng Krachan!
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| Blue Pitta - male |
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| Blue Pitta - female |
Day 3 - Kaeng Krachan National Park
It was an earlier start today, as we wanted to explore the upper reaches of Phenoen Thung campsite. This area can only be reached by 4x4, so we had to change vehicle at the lower campgrounds. A few birds were seen there, including two distant Blue-bearded Bee-eaters.
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| Blue-bearded Bee-eater |
Along the way we added a few Lar Gibbons, which showed quite nicely. Further up we chanced upon a group of Robinson's Banded Langurs, but they were quite shy and I only managed a record photo.
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| Lar Gibbon |
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| Robinson's Banded Langur |
We added a few species of higher elevation at Phenoen Thung campsite, but nothing overly exciting. The best bird was probably an extremely friendly Great Hornbill, which made its way around the campsite, attracting a few dozens tourists. It was quite an experience to see this majestic species up close.
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| Great Hornbill - the largest Asian hornbill is a majestic bird to see up close |
Seeing that there weren't many birds around, we headed back down the road, along the way we stopped at a Long-tailed Broadbill nest, where we had excellent views of this comical looking species.
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| Long-tailed Broadbill - nest |
Isara had us stopped further on to try for Red-bearded Bee-eaters but had little luck, a small flock of Pin-tailed Parrotfinch were found feeding on some flowering bamboos, this nomadic species can be very hard to track down if there are no suitable food for them.
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| Pin-tailed Parrotfinch - male |
Lower down, we stopped at the Olive-backed Woodpecker nest, a rare species here in Thailand and a species very uncommon throughout its known range. The male came back once while we were there, showing its incredible bright red and pointed crest. Nearby, a male Hill Blue Flycatcher made an apperance.
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| Olive-backed Woodpecker - one of the rarest woodpecker species in Thailand |
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| Hill Blue Flycatcher - male |
Before we headed for lunch, we stopped along a ridge to check for birds. A Red-bearded Bee-eater called nearby, after some searching we spotted the bird, a lovely looking male perched at eye-level! In the same area we also had two Banded Kingfishers calling, which we ultimately got good views of the male.
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| Red-bearded Bee-eater - male |
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| Banded Kingfisher - male |
After lunch, things were quieter in the midday heat, we visited a Black-naped Monarch nest, which was built just by the roadside. The female just sat there, unbothered being surrounded by people.
Isara took us to an area with a pair of nesting Great Slaty Woodpecker, after a little bit of waiting the pair came back and we had brilliant close views of the birds, especially the female! This is perhaps the strangest looking woodpecker out there, and no doubt the largest in Southeast Asia!
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| Great Slaty Woodpecker - female |
We didn't add too many new birds in the afternoon, Black-and-Yellow Broadbill kept calling but didn't show for us. I managed to find a perched female Banded Kingfisher along the road, which showed well for everyone. Overall, it was another successful day at Kaeng Krachan.
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| Banded Kingfisher - female |
Day 4 - Kaeng Krachan National Park
We wanted to focus our efforts in looking for the Black-and-Yellow and Silver-breasted Broadbill in the morning. At the campsite we had a strange encounter with a dying Great Eared Nightjar, it was a shame to see this beautiful creature at such a state.
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| Great Eared Nightjar - not in the state we wanted to see it in |
Along the road we kept trying for the two broadbills, ultimately a pair of Silver-breasted Broadbills showed briefly, but not very well. A Yellow-bellied Warbler came through for better views instead. A family of Heart-spotted Woodpecker provided some excitement, though they were a little far away, we had decent view of this generally uncommon species.
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| Yellow-bellied Warbler |
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| Heart-spotted Woodpecker- female |
Around late morning we headed into one of the many bird hides created by locals outside the park vicinity, these bird hides provide good viewings of many common species, as well as a few rarer ones. Due to the hot and dry weather, the pond at the hide provided much needed water for many species in the area. It was so hot in the bird hide that I was tempted to jump into the water myself! Common species at the hide were Puff-throated Babbler, Greater and Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Black-crested Bulbul and Stripe-throated Bulbul.
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| Puff-throated Babbler |
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| Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush |
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| Brown-cheeked Fulvetta |
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| Stripe-throated Bulbul |
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| Black-crested Bulbul |
Bronzed Drongos came in a few times, as did Greater Racket-tailed Drongos and many Racket-tailed Treepies.
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| Bronzed Drongo |
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| Greater Racket-tailed Drongo |
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| Racket-tailed Treepie |
Both Streak-breasted Woodpeckers and Greater Yellownapes came in to drink, providing eye-level views to these usually tricky species.
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| Greater Yellownape - female |
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| Greater Yellownape - male |
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| Streak-breasted Woodpecker - female |
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| Streak-breasted Woodpecker - male |
White-browed Scimitar-Babbler and Abbott's Babbler came in a few times, while several flycatcher species also gave great views, including a beautiful male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, an Indochinese Blue Flycatcher and a Chinese Blue Flycatcher.
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| White-browed Scimitar-Babbler |
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| Abbott's Babbler |
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| Yellow-rumped Flycatcher - male |
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| Indochinese Blue Flycatcher |
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| Chinese Blue Flycatcher |
Other birds that came in once or twice was a Green-eared Barbet, a Forest Wagtail, Malaysian Pied Fantail and Black-naped Monarch. A very shy Common Green Magpie eventually gave in to the irresistible lure of fresh water and gave great views to everyone.
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| Green-eared Barbet |
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| Forest Wagtail |
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| Malaysian Pied Fantail |
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| Black-naped Monarch - female |
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| Common Green Magpie |
A pair of Bar-backed Partridge also came in, but were unfortunately our only Galliformes at this hide, as both the Grey Peacock Pheasant and Kalij Pheasants were no show!
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| Bar-backed Partridge |
Other mammals that came into the hide were Northern Treeshrew, Himalayan Striped Squirrel and Lesser Oriental Chevrotain.
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| Northern Treeshrew |
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| Himalayan Striped Squirrel |
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| Lesser Oriental Chevrotain |
Since the pheasants did not show up, we decided to change to another hide, hoping to have more luck with the Ferruginous Partridge instead. It took some effort to call in the birds, but eventually we had incredible views of first a male calling out in the open and a pair feeding together!
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| Ferruginous Partridge |
There were also a few birds at the second bird hide, including a male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Indochinese Blue Flycatcher and a juvenile Siberian Blue Robin. Another Lesser Oriental Chevrotain was also seen there, all in all a very productive day!
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| Yellow-rumped Flycatcher - male |
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| Indochinese Blue Flycatcher - male |
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| Siberian Blue Robin |
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| Lesser Oriental Chevrotain |
Day 5 - Wat Tham Bo Pla
This was more of a travel day, we only had an hour in the morning to try for a few open field birds nearby. The day started with a pair of distant Indian Thick-knees. A few Oriental Pied Hornbills showed well.
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| Indian Thick-knee |
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| Oriental Pied Hornbill |
Around the grassland area we added a few Chestnut-capped Babbler, an attractive looking species that inhabit long grass. We tried for Yellow-eyed Babbler but they didn't show. A Grey-breasted Prinia gave brief views, as did a few other open country species. A Crested Honey Buzzard drifted through above us.
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| Chestnut-capped Babbler |
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| Grey-breasted Prinia |
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| Crested Honey Buzzard |
It was a long drive towards the temple at Wat Tham Bo Pla, the limestone karst landscape is home to one of the three endemic species of Thailand, the Rufous Limestone Babbler. Finding this bird was a little tricky, but we ultimately had quite a few sightings, although getting a photograph of these fast moving birds was no easy task! In the end, everyone got at least a decent view of the bird, a few of us managed to grab some record photos of this range restricted species. After dinner we settled in to our hotel at Pakchong.
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| Rufous Limestone Babbler - endemic to Thailand and highly range restricted |
Day 6 - Khao Yai National Park
This was our only full day at Khao Yai National Park, so we wanted to make the most of it. Our first stop was to try for the Wreathed Hornbill at its nest, while we waited an Asian Fairy-bluebird showed very well for us, and a male Banded Kingfisher also came by. The hornbill ultimately showed up, being one of the larger hornbills, hearing the wingbeats above our heads was in itself an unforgettable experience. We added a few Scaly-breasted Partridges, which provided decent views but not for photos.
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| Asian Fairy-bluebird - male |
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| Banded Kingfisher - male |
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| Wreathed Hornbill - male |
Next we tried for a Dusky Broadbill nest, while an adult was in the nest, its mates never returned. Nearby, we added race johnsoni Black-crested Bulbul with the red throat, a Cambodian Flowerpecker and a very showy Dark-throated Tailorbird. An Orange-winged Flying Lizard glided above our heads and landed right in front of us.
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| Dusky Broadbill inside nest |
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| Black-crested Bulbul - race johnsoni |
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| Cambodian Flowerpecker - male |
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| Dark-necked Tailorbird |
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| Orange-winged Flying Lizard |
We headed for lunch near the main visitor centre, Sambar Deers were a common sight around here, as were numerous cheeky Pig-tailed Macaques, which eyed the food around the restaurants constantly. While a Chinese Water Dragon rested on a tree above the river.
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| Sambar Deer |
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| Pig-tailed Macaque |
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| Chinese Water Dragon |
After lunch we tried our luck nearby and found a very friendly pair of Long-tailed Broadbills, they were not bothered by our presence and showed exceptionally well, certainly a highlight for any visit to Thailand!
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| Long-tailed Broadbill |
Behind the restaurants we added two Vernal Hanging Parrot at close range, a species we usually see flying past at high speed. A Yellow-vented Flowerpecker put on quite a good show for us, while a Moustached Barbet showed very well on a fruiting tree.
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| Vernal Hanging Parrot |
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| Yellow-vented Flowerpecker |
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| Moustached Barbet |
I spotted a Collared Owlet with a skink in its talons near-by, I ran and told everyone, but by the time we got there the bird was gone! Luckily, the owlet started calling and was ultimately mobbed by the bulbuls, and flew back into the same tree for everyone to get a good look!
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| Collared Owlet |
Bird activity slowed down in the afternoon, we had a cute looking Black Giant Squirrel feeding above us as we looked for the Austen's Brown Hornbill which did not show. Waiting back at the Dusky Broadbill nest yielded very little, and the broadbill never returned! In the end we only added a Lesser Yellownape onto our list. We did get a good look at a few Red Muntjac along the road.
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| Black Giant Squirrel |
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| Lesser Yellownape |
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| Red Muntjac |
Late afternoon we drove along the road hoping to bump into some elephants, it wasn't until after dark while we were on our way back to the hotel that we finally struck luck! A lone bull have wandered close to town and was feeding below a fruiting tree. We had an interesting encounter to see all the police trying to 'persuade' it back into the forest with tractors, a demonstration of how human encroachment can affect wildlife.
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| Asian Elephant |
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| Police trying to push the elephant away from settlements |
Day 7 - Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve
We drove out at 4:45am, as we needed to get to Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve at first light. The main attraction there are the Siamese Firebacks, the national bird of Thailand. We were not disappointed, as several of these magnificent looking birds came in for us to get a good look. A Red Junglefowl was also seen nearby.
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| Siamese Fireback - male |
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| Siamese Fireback - female |
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| Red Junglefowl - male |
There wasn't much else to see there, after lunch we headed towards Lam Ta Khong Dam, hoping to see some wetland species. We were not disappointed, as the area was quite birdy. We added Small Pratincoles among numerous Oriental Pratincoles. Asian Openbills were everywhere, and a good number of Glossy Ibis were present, although never too close.
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| Small Pratincole |
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| Asian Openbill |
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| Glossy Ibis |
Bronze-winged Jacanas were spotted together with Pheasant-tailed Jacana, while a single Lesser Whistling Duck made an appearance in flight. A distant Pied Harrier also came through briefly.
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| Bronze-winged Jacana |
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| Lesser Whistling Duck |
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| Pied Harrier - male |
The area was filled with Paddyfield Pipits and Oriental Skylarks. I saw a Thick-billed Warbler, there were also several Rain Quails calling, Kenneth ultimately flushed one while walking along the grass.
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| Paddyfield Pipit |
Asian Golden Weavers attracted much attention, the males were a brilliant golden yellow colour, while the female were slightly more subtle. We birded there until 3pm and started our journey back into Bangkok, along the way we said our good-byes to Isara. That evening we stayed at the hotel in Bangkok, where most of our guests can relax and enjoy the vibrant city of Bangkok.
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| Asian Golden Weaver - male |
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| Asian Golden Weaver - female |
Day 8 - Benchakitti Park, Bangkok
Some of the guests met us at 6am, the walk to Benchakitti Park only took 15 minutes. This city park provide some of the best urban birding anywhere in Southeast Asia, with a good number of birds utilising this park. Our first bird was the brilliant looking Indochinese Roller. There were also many Black-naped Oriole around the park, no doubt one of the most common bird there.
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| Indochinese Roller |
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| Black-naped Oriole - male |
One of the key birding attraction at this park are the Spotted Owlets, which are not difficult to find providing you know their nest holes. We saw a juvenile with an adult eyeing us from above.
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| Spotted Owlet |
The man-made wetland in the area provide some shelter for wetland birds, Plain Prinias were quite common here, while a Little Cormorant dried its wings in the trees above.
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| Plain Prinia |
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| Little Cormorant |
Another target species we had at the park is the Plain-backed Sparrow, while a common species, they are far less numerous compared to Eurasian Tree Sparrows and House Sparrows. We found quite a few in the park, providing us excellent views of this very pretty and often underrated species.
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| Plain-backed Sparrow |
The park was also home to many Variable Squirrel, while Water Monitors patroled the lawns by the footpaths.
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| Variable Squirrel |
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| Water Monitor |
Finally, a Crow-billed Drongo before we exited the park, which was actually a lifer for me! A perfect ending for this Thailand tour full of exciting birds and wildlife. The rest of the morning we spent relaxing and headed to the airport in the afternoon, where we took the early evening flight back to Hong Kong.
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| Crow-billed Drongo |
I will like to thank our participants for joining and putting their trust in us to provide a good birding experience for them. A big thanks to Derek from Eco Travel for sorting out the logistics of the tour, and to Isara and his team for providing us with excellent guiding and much local knowledge about the local fauna and culture. Finally, a massive thanks to my co-leaders James and Kenneth, who are always a pleasure to travel and bird with. We will be leading another tour later this year, hopefully we will have yet another fruitful journey ahead of us!
Full bird list: https://ebird.org/tripreport/495658
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