just a quick glance at a copy of Craig
Robson's "A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand"
will alert birdwatchers to the large number of species present in
Thailand and, indeed, those making their first trip to the country
may be excused for thinking that they will get off the plane and
be bombarded by a vast array of colourful and exotic birds. Unfortunately,
this is not the case and many birders have commented on what they
perceived to be a general lack of birds. Although to many European
visitors there can appear to be a lack of birds, particularly gulls
and ducks which are so common in many northern latitudes, Thailand
is in fact blessed with a particularly rich avifauna and, in contrast
to many Asian nations, birds outside of protected areas are relatively
of the unfamiliar climate and vegetation is to blame for many visiting
birdwatchers finding birds so difficult to locate, with intense
heat during the day making birds very hard to find outside of the
dawn and dusk periods of peak activity and dense vegetation with
a high canopy making it difficult to spot birds even when they are
Here I have
attempted to give ten tips that will help birdwatchers make the
most of their stay in Thailand and identify as many species as possible.
Be familiar with the species: Knowing what
to expect can help when presented with a large number of new
species in a short space of time; this is particularly important
when watching mixed feeding flocks of small birds in forests.
Buying a copy of "A
Guide to the Birds of Thailand" by Lekagul & Round
Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand" by Craig Robson
well in advance of travelling to Thailand will give birders
time to study the species likely to be seen and to become
familiar with the habitats that they occur in, as well as
becoming familiar with the layout of the books themselves.
If both books are being used together, then birders will be
well advisied to spend some time using both as the species
are ordered differently in each. The distribution maps in
both books are useful for giving birdwatchers some indication
of which species are likely to be encountered and where the
may be found, although these maps are far from complete and
it is quite a common occurence to see species outside of these
through the birding
locations pages here on thaibirding.com will
also give you an indication which are the key species for
each birding site and the checklists
should also provide some valuable infomation, although most
of the lists are far from complete.
Get to a good location: Thailand has a lot
of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries and these are generally
for birdwatching. Although illegal hunting and
encroachment occurs in most of the country's protected areas,
generally, sufficient habitat remains and hunting pressures
are low enough for birds to remain abundant.
rural parts of Thailand birds can still be found in good numbers
even outside of protected areas. Where farming and aquaculture
is extensive enough to create diverse habitat patchworks,
a good number of bird species can often be found. Temple grounds
can often be good places to look for birds as large, mature
trees often remain within them and hunting is forbidden.
of farmers around the country have retained wild patches of
ground and waterbird colonies have thrived within these. Indeed,
large waterbirds appear to be making something of a comeback
as hunting pressures subside.
birdwatchers make the mistake of expecting to see large numbers of
bird species in areas such as rubber and palm oil plantations; these
areas are very poor in species, similarly to monocultures in other
parts of the world. Parts of the Central Plains are very intesively
farmed for rice, and although some waterbirds can be seen in these
areas, they are generally rather poor for other species.
Get up early:
The importance of this cannot be overstated: the sun rises between
6 and 7 am and by 9.30 to 10.30 am bird activity, particularly in
forests, has noticeably decreased. Don't make the mistake of having
a lie-in and going birding after a sedate breakfast - you will see
very little and become uncomfortably hot. The period before dusk
(about 2-3 hours before sunset) can also be good for birdwatching,
but the level of bird activity rarely becomes as intense as the
this, birders who stay out all day will see more species than those
who retire for an afternoon nap, and by getting to a good raptor
watch site or wetland, the most can be made of the afternoon period.
Be sure to take plenty of water and sunscreen!
Learn some bird calls: With such a huge number of
species present, and the skulking nature of many of them, it is
important to learn the calls of some species. It is a very good
idea to learn the calls of any target species you may have and also
of secretive ground-dwelling species such as Pittas.
practice is to quickly learn the calls of the most common species,
so that when something unusual is heard one can concentrate upon
finding the species that made it.
bird calls can be an effective way of finding some difficult species,
but quite frankly, at some locations in Thailand this practice has
become quite abused; I'm told that using taped calls at a stake-out
for Rusty-naped Pitta near Malee's at Doi
Chiang Dao became such a problem that eventually the
bird abandoned its territory. Please be sparing in this practice
and completely refrain from doing it in areas that receive large
numbers of other birdwatchers.
Be quiet and vigilant: Birding in tropical forests
can be really frustrating at times and it is possible to walk for
an hour without seeing anything. Walking slowly and quietly will
help birders locate species as it is easy to detect movements by
ear or sight. However, it is a good strategy to occasionally stop
and wait for birds to come into view, particularly in an area where
there may be a good food or water source.
it is good practice to lift one's feet at each step to avoid making
noisy rustling sounds and of course, if birdwatching in company
only speak very quietly and only when necessary.
it is advisable to walk briskly, but quietly, along a trail in order
to surprise species that become aware of your presence very quickly,
even when quiet.
Look out for fruiting and flowering trees:
In forests in Thailand flowering and fruiting trees can be
a fantastic opportunity to watch a large variety of species
in one location. If a suitable tree is found it is a good
strategy to just sit and watch what is visiting; rarely does
one have to wait long for something of interest to show up.
trees can attract large numbers of Drongos, Barbets and Bulbuls
and banana flowers are favourites of Spiderhunters whilst
fruting trees are often the feeding places of Hornbills and
Green Pigeons; Pittas and Pheasants sometimes feed on fallen
fruit too. Creeping up to a fruiting tree and watching from
below will sometimes reward observers with sightings of large
mammals too, such as Gibbons, Langurs and Civets in addition
to being a good way of finding birds.
Wear the right clothes: Wearing appropriate clothing
will help birders remain comfortable and devote more energy and
attention to finding birds. Long-sleeved cotton shirts are advisable
for dealing with sweat and preventing insect bites. Similarly, canvas
trousers are suitable for walking through grasslands and forest
(avoid shorts), and army trousers are particularly good at drying
quickly, even in humid atmospheres. In the rainy season leech socks
are an excellent addition to the birder's wardrobe; although lecches
are harmless they are fairly unpleasant and can prove a real distraction
in some lowland forest regions, most notably Khao
Sok and Hala-Bala.
Carry an umbrella: An umbrella is a useful tool
for birdwatchers in Thailand. Umbrellas can be used to give shade
from the sun in exposed areas as well as protect from the rain.
Some people will opt for coats of some design to avoid a soaking
but the disadvantage is that the hoods obstruct hearing and create
rustling noises that can be mistaking for foraging birds. An umbrella
with a hook at the handle's end is best as it can hook onto a day
pack and this type is also sturdy enough to be used for bashing
unruly dogs or moving spiky vines aside.
Don't get lost: Rather an obvious statement, but
sticking to well-worn trails can be good practice as these are usually
free from fallen leaves and twigs that will make a noise when walking.
Following streams or gulleys can be very useful as some secretive
species stick to these areas and they are easily followed. However,
stepping off the main trail in forested areas can result in getting
lost remarkably quickly as vegetation can be extremely dense. If
one gets lost in this fashion then it can take ages to find one's
way and by then the best of the day's birding has passed.
main trails also reduces the likelihood of wandering onto private
land and getting into trouble.
Submit your records: By submitting your records
I can keep the latest
sightings section of thaibirding.com as up-to-date
as possible and others will be able to make use of the information
when planning their own trips. Additionally, these records are sent
to the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand for their records.
There are very
few sightings submitted between the months of May and November,
so almost anything from this period is of interest.
Tours : Check the suggested itineraries
for ideas on creating a tailor-made birdwatching trip
to Thailand: Thailand
are just ten useful ideas that will help birders enjoy their experience
in Thailand, but I'm sure there are more. If anyone has anything
to add to this list please e-mail me with your suggestions and I'll
happily add to it.