Birding trip report: Central and Northern Thailand, January 01 - 20, 2014 Participants: Joachim Bouwmeester, Thijs de Kruif, Jelmer Poelstra, Rutger Wilschut, The Netherlands. Contact: jelmerpoelstra at gmail dot com. Introduction This is a report of a 20-day independent birding trip to Central and Northern Thailand, during which we recorded 472 species. We arrived in Bangkok on the evening of the 31st of December, 2013, and rented a Toyota Camry 2.0 at National Car Rental at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. The car was returned at Chiang Rai airport on January 20th, 2014, from where we flew back to Bangkok Don Mueang Airport with Air Asia and then via Suvarnabhumi (with shuttle) on to Amsterdam, via Dubai, with Emirates. Most of our observations, with accurate gps positions, can be found at the observation.org website at: http://observation.org/user/view/14085?q=&from=2014-01-01&to=2014-01-20&rows=100 . We entered them on-site using Obsmapp, the mobile phone app for Android: http://obsmapp.org . 1
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Birding trip report: Central and Northern Thailand,January 01 - 20, 2014
Participants: Joachim Bouwmeester, Thijs de Kruif, Jelmer Poelstra, Rutger Wilschut, The Netherlands. Contact: jelmerpoelstra at gmail dot com.
IntroductionThis is a report of a 20-day independent birding trip to Central and Northern Thailand, during which we recorded 472 species. We arrived in Bangkok on the evening of the 31st of December, 2013, and rented a Toyota Camry 2.0 at National Car Rental at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. The car was returned at Chiang Rai airport on January 20th, 2014, from where we flew back to Bangkok Don Mueang Airport with Air Asia and then via Suvarnabhumi (with shuttle) on to Amsterdam, via Dubai, with Emirates.
Most of our observations, with accurate gps positions, can be found at the observation.org website at: http://observation.org/user/view/14085?q=&from=2014-01-01&to=2014-01-20&rows=100.We entered them on-site using Obsmapp, the mobile phone app for Android: http://obsmapp.org.
Itinerary1/1 Pak Thale & Laem Pak Bia 07-16h, PBR 17-18h, → Kaeng Krachan2/1 Kaeng Krachan3/1 Kaeng Krachan4/1 Kaeng Krachan5/1 Kaeng Krachan 07-11h, PBR 13-15h, → Khao Yai6/1 Khao Yai7/1 Khao Yai8/1 Khao Yai 07-11h, Bueng Borapeth 16-18h9/1 Bueng Borapeth 07-09h, Mae Wong 13-1810/1 Mae Wong11/1 Mae Wong 07-10h, Doi Inthanon (parakeet roost) 1730-18 h12/1 Doi Inthanon13/1 Doi Inthanon14/1 Doi Inthanon, → Fang15/1 Doi Lang16/1 Doi Lang17/1 Doi Lang 07-12h, Doi Ang Khang 17-18h18/1 Doi Ang Khang 07-15h, Tha Ton 16-18h19/1 Tha Ton 07-09h, Mekong river 11-13h, Chiang Saen 14-18h20/1 Chiang Saen 10-11h
Comments on the itinerary: We had hoped for Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant on the recently opened western approach at Doi Lang, but didn’t get it (Giant Nuthatch on the other hand was easy). With some time left after two and a half days at Doi Lang, we decided to backtrack slightly, since both Doi Ang Khang and Doi Chiang Dao also have the pheasant. We went for the former site and luckily did find one there.
TravelIn general, road conditions were good and driving wasn’t particularly treacherous. That said, some of the more dangerous aspects of Thai traffic are scooters, which also appear on highways and regularly have no or poor lights, and U-turns on highways (there are often no proper exits, so to take a right, one needs to drive past the turn-off, take a U-turn, and then turn left).
We used a Garmin car GPS for navigation, with uploaded waypoints relevant for birding, and a Thailand map purchased from gpstravelmaps.com for $25. This map was quite incomplete, though; Garmin’s South East Asia City Navigator ($100) is possibly a better choice.
We weren’t able to secure a four-wheel drive car due to late booking. We therefore had to go with a saloon car (Toyota Camry), which can be problematic at a few sites (note that in the dry season, the issue is mostly or entirely clearance level rather than the number of powered wheels). First, at Kaeng Krachan, the stretch from Bang Krang campsite to the upper campsite (Khao Panoen) has some poor parts and, in particular, three tricky stream crossings. It is not impossible to drive this stretch with a saloon car (we actually saw a few going up), but it’s not recommended, and we didn’t attempt this. Instead, we arranged a taxi to take us up there and then walked back to Bang Krang camp (15km, though we hitched the last few km’s). Second, atDoi Lang, some of the lower parts of the eastern (Tha Ton) approach are apparently in a poor state. Fortunately, the western (Fang) approach has been accessible since late 2012, and we drove via that side both on our way in and out. Third, at Doi Chiang Dao, the DYK substation area (where Giant Nuthatch and Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant are found) can only be reached by 4x4.
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We ended up seeing these species at Doi Lang and Doi Ang Khang, respectively, and thereforedidn’t go to Doi Chiang Dao at all.
Accommodation and foodCamping is necessary at several sites and optimal for birding purposes at a few others. We camped at Pak Thale (PT), Kaeng Krachan, Khao Yai, Mae Wong, and Doi Lang. At the latter two sites, it is also advisable to bring cooking gear along, since the nearest restaurants are at least an hour’s drive away.
* While birding PT, most birders stay in Phetchaburi, but we arrived fairly late and decided to just drive to the spoonbill site where we parked our car and slept in the open air. * In Kaeng Krachan, we camped at the HQ the first night, and then for three nights at Bang Krang camp, which is generally nice and quiet (the upper campsite, where people e.g. come to watch the sunrise, is much more crowded) and also has an excellent little restaurant. Many resorts are present near the park entrance, but since this is a few hour's drive from the upper sections of the park, camping at one or both of the upper campsites is advisable.* In Khao Yai, we camped at Pa Gluay Mai campsite for two nights, which is at a great location but was quite crowded and a bit noisy. There is no restaurant at the campsite, but a restaurant and several food stands are located opposite the old HQ. Several other campsites as well as bungalows are also available inside the park.* While birding Bueng Borapeth, we stayed at a hotel in Nakhon Sawan.* In Mae Wong, we stayed at the uppermost campsite, Chong Yen, for two nights. Neither of theupper two campsites has a restaurant: the only restaurant in the park is at the HQ, which is quite far down, so we cooked our own food at Chong Yen.* In Doi Inthanon, we stayed at Mr. Deang’s in the HQ area, which also served good food. The campsite and several other options for accommodation are also present in that area. Nights were cold (below 10°C) here.* In Doi Lang, the only place to stay is the campsite at km 31, which is not manned and has some run-down toilets but no showers. Many birders seem to stay in Tha Ton, but considering the drive there, we would only recommend this if you have no camping and/or cooking gear. Here it also got quite cold at night, so take a warm sleeping bag.* In Doi Ang Khang, we stayed in a kind of bungalow that we got offered upon arriving in the Ban Koom town (we had checked Ban Luang Resort before that, but they were fully booked). Ban Koom also has plenty of restaurants.* In Tha Ton and Chiang Saen, we stayed at hotels whose names we have forgotten.
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Early morning at Pake Thale. We slept just near our car. Our first Spoon-billed was in the salt pan just right of the car. (Jan 1)
Weather & seasonThe weather was generally sunny and with little wind. Cloudy days with sometimes misty mornings were encountered in the north, especially at Doi Inthanon, Doi Lang and Doi Ang Khang. In Doi Inthanon, the higher sections were covered in thick fog on the morning of the 14th, but fortunately we had already birded those on the 13th when it had been sunny. In Doi Ang Khang, it was very foggy until about 10am on our only morning there, which made birding hard. Temperatures were overall quite pleasant. The PT area and especially Bueng Borapeth were the hottest sites: especially at the latter, temperatures are commonly above 30°C. At Kaeng Krachan and Khao Yai, afternoons were warm but still okay with temperatures around 25°C and not very high humidity. Some of the northern sites, in particular Doi Inthanon and Doi Lang, had cold nights, and on cloudy days, temperatures would stay well below 20°C in the higher parts even at midday.
Daylight was by and large between 7 and 18h. Dawn chorus was very modest to absent, but bird activity did usually seem highest early in the morning. Nevertheless, late morning to early afternoon also provided good birding (with the exception of Doi Lang where after 11-12h, little seemed to be going on), with relatively many mixed species flocks encountered during that partof the day. From about 14h to dusk was often the most quiet part of the day, with a late afternoon increase in singing but not so much general activity.
Biting insects and leeches were barely encountered. Two of us had a single leech at Khao Yai. A few mosquitoes were around here and there, but never at annoying levels. However, at Mae Wong, small biting flies were present, as promised on Thaibirding. We used mosquito spray there most of the time, and didn’t end up getting many bites, but one of us did respond quite strongly to these bites.
January is at the height of the dry season, and visiting Thailand a bit later should overall be beneficial: more daylight, an increase in activity of some species from late February - March (most notably Pittas and Broadbills), and the possibility of encountering species that only migrate through the area. On the flipside, chances for rainy weather and disappearing winter visitors will increase especially during March.
PreparationMost information was gleaned from the excellent websites www.thaibirding.com and www.norththailandbirding.com. We also downloaded many trip reports from www.cloudbirders.com. Some of the more useful ones include a report by Hans Maltheve from 2012 (link) and John van der Woude from 2003 (link).
GPS pointsReferences to GPS points in the text are abbreviated and underlined (e.g. PT01), and their locations can be found in the Google map (link).
Site-by-site reportThe site-by-site part following below lists mostly main targets and birds seen little or not at all elsewhere. Species names are both italicized and in boldface if observed by us, only italicized ifdiscussed in another context, and starred (e.g. Plain Sunbird*) if the species was only observed at the focal site and not at other sites.
At the Spoon-billed Sandpiper site (PT04), a flock of Red-necked Stints* containing two Spoon-billed Sandpipers* came flying in around 0645, and started foraging in saltpans directly to the west of the road (PT05). Some of the many other birds observed here included a flock of at least 1000 Eurasian Curlews* (this flock contained at least four Far Eastern Curlewsaccording to a birder we spoke to, but they were impossible to check from our position due to distance and poor light, and we decided not to walk around them via the dikes), two first-winter Pallas's Gulls*, and a Red-necked Phalarope*. Swiftlets were common and should have beenGermain’s Swiftlet, but not all of them appeared particularly pale. At the tiny pool that is right where the track to PT04 meets back up with the track around the village, we saw our first passerines and a Cinnamon Bittern.
We saw 11 Nordmann’s Greenshanks* from the main road at PT06, where we also had our only Great Knots*. One can drive around these salt pans (PT07, referred to as Laem Phak Bia Salt Farms on Thaibirding), but we didn’t do this after seeing the greenshanks from the main road.
At the King’s Project (PT09), Golden-bellied Gerygones were common in the mangroves, and other sightings included Pin-tailed Snipes, Ruddy-breasted Crakes and Paddyfield Pipits. At the Abandoned Building (PT14), we saw Pacific Golden Plovers*, Plaintive Cuckoo, White-shouldered Starlings, and Plain-backed Sparrows (along the dirt track on the way in).
Late morning, we had booked a boat trip to the sandspit (PT12) at Mr. Deang’s (PT11) for 1430,where we arrived a bit earlier to first eat lunch. At the sandspit, we saw the three main targets Malaysian Plover* (at least four), White-faced Plover* (a single female) and Chinese Egret* (one). Mr. Daeng knew exactly where to find these species. We also had at least four Black-headed Gulls* and a couple of Heuglin’s Gulls* and Lesser Crested Terns* among a congregation of gulls and terns.
2. Phetchaburi (PBR) [01/01: 17-18, 05/01: 13-15]
At the Narrow Track (PR03 - PR04, see Thaibirding), we saw a male Pied Harrier, a 2cy Greater Spotted Eagle*, several Black-eared Kites*, Oriental Pratincole*, Freckle-Breasted(Fulvous-breasted) Woodpecker, and ca. 20 Baya Weavers.
The Fish Pond Road (PR06 - PR07) was quite productive even at midday with e.g. a flock of Pink-necked Green Pigeons* in a tree right along the main road, both species of Jacana, a Watercock, and an Asian Golden Weaver*.
3. Kaeng Krachan [02/01 - 04/01, 05/01: 07-11]
02/01:Because entrance tickets are sold only from 8h at the HQ (KK01), we first birded the HQ campsite in the early morning. A tiny pool with surrounding vegetation behind the toilets (at KK02) attracted quite some birds, such as our only Chestnut-capped Babbler* as well as Grey-breasted and Yellow-bellied Prinias, a Thick-Billed Warbler, Brown-throated Sunbirds and a Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker.
We visited the Baan Song Nokh hide (KK03) and the garden there from about 0930-1030. We hadn’t booked in advance, but we could walk straight on since there were no other birders. It
was rather quiet while we visited (early morning and also afternoon, when more birds come to drink, may be better), highlights being two Kalij Pheasants and a female Siberian Blue Robin.
After a few stops along the entrance road, we arrived at the Bang Krang campsite (KK05) by mid-afternoon and birded the campsite and the tracks around the Youth Camp (KK06). The Youth Camp itself with its small open area and decent views over the area was particularly productive, with Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Green-billed Malkoha, a pair of Violet Cuckoos*, and Hill Myna flying by, while we saw a Streak-breasted Woodpecker* along the track leading there.
In the evening, we heard a White-faced Scops Owl* directly below the campsite and two Collared Scops Owls* directly above the campsite (both could also be heard from the campsite restaurant).
03/01:Most of the day was spent birding along the road in the area of the stream crossings (KK07 - KK09) and the stretch of road leading there from the Bang Krang campsite. Activity wasn’t very high but new birds did appear at a steady rate, with highlights including fly-by’s of both Hill and Jungle Myna* in the morning, calling Bar-backed (Green-legged) Partridge* (several, and wemay have overlooked vocalizations of other partridges), calling Grey Peacock-Pheasant (along a small trail leading north between stream 2 and stream 3), Streak-breasted Woodpecker* (about 200m west of the campsite), several Orange-breasted Trogons (also quite vocal), Brown-rumped (Swinhoe’s) Minivets, Greater* and Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrushes, Yellow-bellied Warbler, Bronzed Drongo, Crimson Sunbird, Dollarbird*, and Banded Broadbill (HO, responding to tape directly to the west of stream 2).
At dusk, walking back to the car that was parked at stream 1, we heard White-faced Scops Owl* (which we had also briefly heard at the same location at 13h!), Asian Barred Owlet, Brown Hawk Owl, and saw a Great Eared Nightjar*, at KK10.
04/01:We had arranged for a 4x4 taxi to drive us from Bang Krang campsite up to Panoeng Thong campsite (KK11) early in the morning (from there, we eventually walked all the way down to thestream crossings). We first spent over an hour near the entrance of the campsite, with a good view over the surroundings. Activity was high and many new birds were noted, such as Black Baza, Asian Emerald Cuckoo*, Rufous Woodpecker, Grey-breasted Spiderhunter*, and Dark-sided Flycatcher*. Great and especially Moustached Barbets were common and very vocal, with the latter having quite a repertoire of calls (these species are absent lower down where replaced by, most commonly, Blue-throated and Green-eared Barbets).
After briefly visiting viewpoint 2 (KK12) we started descending, first walking the Orchid Nature Trail that starts just below the campsite entrance at KK13. There we had our only Bamboo Woodpecker*, Martens’s Warbler (Seicercus split) and White-browed Scimitar-Babbler. Wetaped for Rufous-browed Flycatcher but didn’t find any.
Birding continued to be good while walking down, with our only Black-and-buff Woodpeckers*(a pair, noticed as they were drumming), Wreathed Hornbill* (in the top of a distant tree), our only White-hooded Babbler*, Mugimaki Flycatcher, a flock of Striated Yuhinas, and a Large Scimitar Babbler. When we finally arrived in the km27.5 area (KK14, note that we are not certain if that GPS point is entirely accurate) where Racket-tailed Treepie can be found, we felt we didn’t have much time left since we still had a long walk to go. We spent a birdless twenty or so minutes at the exact km27.5 spot, where they are often seen, and then moved on. The rest of the walk down to the streams area produced several Grey-rumped Treeswifts*, Emerald Doves, a singing Banded Bay Cuckoo that we taped into view, singing Thick-billed
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Green Pigeons, our only Rufous-fronted Babblers* among the common Pin-striped Tit-Babblers, and our only Thick-billed Flowerpecker*.
05/01:We first walked a km or so up along the road from the Bang Krang campsite after reading abouta gully along this stretch being good for Blue-Bearded Bee-eater, with the same trip report also reporting Sultan Tit and Raffles’ Malkoha from that spot. We couldn’t find any of these and activity was low, but we did have a Crested Goshawk, and two Wreathed Hornbills flying by. We then briefly revisited the Youth Camp, e.g. taping Red-and-Black and Black-and-Yellow Broadbills to no avail. We left Kaeng Krachan by late morning.
General notes:* Great Hornbills were commonly heard but only seen a few times, while Oriental Pied Hornbillswere much more common. We heard and sound-recorded Tickell’s Brown Hornbill at least once, but didn’t see it -- though we are likely to have overlooked their vocalizations in a few other instances.* Kaeng Krachan appears to have, by far, the highest density of woodpeckers of the sites we visited. Several species can only be found here along a Central/Northern Thailand route: Streak-breasted, Crimson-winged, and probably Buff-rumped and Grey-and-Buff (of these we only got Streak-breasted). Yet even among the seemingly widespread species, many are most easily seen here, such as both Flamebacks (common but far more heard than seen), Yellownapes, Bamboo, Black-and-Buff, Heart-spotted, Great Slaty and White-bellied Woodpecker (we didn’t get the latter two).* The higher stretches of the park that we visited (Panoeng Thong campsite to km27.5) seemedto have quite a bit more activity than the area around Bang Krang campsite and the stream crossings.
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Outside Kaeng Krachan, agricultural areas with e.g. Indian Roller. (01/01)
4: Khao Yai [06/01 - 07/01, 08/01: 07-11]
06/01:We started by driving the Radar Road (KY07), hoping for Siamese Fireback which often appears on or by the road in the stretch before the large clearing early in the morning. We didn’tsee any, and several other cars were driving around. Birding was nevertheless good, with alongthat stretch Barred Cuckoo-Dove*, Red-headed Trogon, White-crested* and Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrushes. At the large clearing (KY08), we saw two Rufous Woodpeckers, Lesser Coucal, and Rufescent Prinia*. A bit further up, a roadside tree had 18Thick-billed Green Pigeons and we saw a Large Scimitar-Babbler foraging on the ground. Inthe area around the bridges, we had a male Silver Pheasant (in one of the gullies that are crossed by the bridges), our only Large Woodshrikes*, Alström’s Warbler (Seicercus split from Plain-tailed Warbler), our first Grey-eyed* and Puff-throated* Bulbuls (both are common here but were not observed elsewhere; Grey-eyed Bulbuls and its sister species Olive -at Mae Wong- and Buff-vented -at Kaeng Krachan- have similar and distinctive calls that are worth memorizing).
At Bonsoon Lekgul Camp (KY04), photographers had put down meal worms that attracted two male White-throated Rock-Thrushes* and a Mugimaki Flycatcher.
From about 13-16h, we birded the first km of trail B (KY03), racking up a male Blue Pitta (only seen by two of us), a pair of Silver Pheasants, two Green Magpies, and White-crowned Forktail. We then walked along the restaurant to check out the large fruiting tree behind it, and ran into a Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo*! The bird was attracted to a small muddy section with much vegetation that receives drainage from the restaurant (at KY20), and returned at least three times in the following hour and a half, but was very hard to see well. The mud also attracted several Red Junglefowl and our only Orange-headed Thrush*. In the fruiting tree we saw, among others, four Hill Mynas.
In the evening, we took a wildlife night tour, but this lasted less than an hour and we only saw Porcupine, several deer species, and Large-tailed Nightjar (on the sign opposite the new HQ, between the road and the reservoir). On these tours, you stand on the back of a jeep while being driven around on some of the park roads, while a guide is shining around with a flashlight(it is not allowed to use spotlight outside of these tours). At the old HQ / visitor centre (from where these tours leave), a Brown Hawk Owl was calling.
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Forest at trail B in Khao Yai, where we had Blue Pitta,Silver Pheasant and Siamese Fireback. (07/01)
07/01:We first walked the trail behind the Pua Gluay May campsite (starting at KY13), where Lieven de Temmerman had seen Blue Pitta and Siamese Fireback two days earlier. Blue Pittas responded to tape at two places along this trail (within the first few couple of hundred meters), but did not show. At the campsite, we saw several Fire-breasted Flowerpeckers, with a male Siberian Blue Robin and an Asian Paradise Flycatcher at the gully behind the toilets (KY12).
We spent late morning and early afternoon on the trail at km33 (KY17), seeing all the three broadbill species that we had during the entire trip: Banded Broadbill (a pair at KY21 and one calling at the start of the trail), Long-tailed Broadbill* (one or a few birds responding to tape at several places along the trail, and at last showed briefly), and Silver-breasted Broadbill* (at KY22). Other sightings included Red-headed Trogon, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, and our only Sultan Tits*.
The open area around the tower at KY16 produced our only Golden-headed Cisticolas* and Rufous-bellied Eagle*, a few House Swifts, and a Burmese Shrike.
Late afternoon was again spent on trail B, finally delivering Siamese Fireback. Blue Pittas responded to tape but did not show, and we saw two Silver-breasted Broadbills.
In the evening we briefly drove around and saw an Asian Elephant at KY23.
08/01:We again birded trail B in the early morning and had a great turn out. We saw both Eared Pitta (at KY24, showing very well) and Blue Pitta (at KY19), a male Banded Kingfisher (at KY25), and had three separate sightings of Siamese Firebacks. We ran into an Italian birder who had seen an Asian Black Bear at the spot where we had Banded Kingfisher.
We then drove up the Radar Road again, since the Italian birders had seen an interesting array of raptors there the previous day. However, it was foggy up at the viewpoint (KY10), and the only raptor we saw was a displaying Crested Goshawk.
General notes:* Trail B was very productive for us. We only walked the first km or so, until the large tree near KY25. All ground birds (1x Eared Pitta, 2x Blue Pitta seen and 1x several exx. heard, 5x Fireback, 1x Silver Pheasant) were seen and heard along the first few hundred of meters, where the trail regularly crosses small streams.* We later learned that the Ground-Cuckoo has been seen before at the spot near the restaurant, especially during weekends when there is more drainage from the restaurant. Two days before our observation, it was also seen right by the road at the start of trail B.
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Large clearing at KY08 towards the radar road. (Jan 7)
5: Bueng Borapeth [08/01: 16-18, 09/01: 07-09]
08/01:We walked some of the tracks (we didn’t go on the actual boardwalk) around the River Martin Monument at BB02, seeing a Darter*, several Indian Cormorants*, a Cotton Pygmy Goose*, a Cinnamon Bittern, Yellow-vented Bulbuls*, a Yellow-breasted Prinia, and several Siberian Rubythroats (much more heard than seen). Among the Barn Swallows, one individual was clearly rufous below and was therefore identified as belonging to ssp. tytleri. We were approached by a woman who asked us if we wanted a boat tour with Mr. Phanom, and booked a tour for the next morning.
09/01:We took a two-hour boat trip starting at 07h, and some of the new birds included two White-browed Crakes*, several Striated Grassbirds, Garganey* (two flying; we didn’t see any large numbers of ducks other than many Lesser Whistling Ducks), Eurasian Bittern*, Glossy Ibis*, and Black-headed Ibis* (presumably rare here - Mr. Phanom wouldn’t believe that we saw this species, and it unfortunately disappeared before we could show him).
6: Mae Wong [09/01: 13-18, 10/01, 11/01: 07-10]
09/01:After a nice lunch at the HQ restaurant, we made a brief stop at the campground a few hundredmeters up along the road (MW03), where one can overlook the river and hope for a Crested Kingfisher. We saw our only Rufous-winged Buzzard here. We also stopped a couple of timeson the way up towards the Khun Nam Yen campsite, seeing Emerald Dove, our first Red-whiskered, Black and Olive* Bulbuls, and Grey Treepies.
At the Khun Nam Yen campsite, we met a ranger who told us that he had a hide set up along the road to the uppermost (Chong Yen) campsite. He drove ahead of us on his scooter and showed us the hide (at MW06), where a couple of Thai photographers were already seated. Within the next half an hour, we saw a White-browed Shortwing, several Spot-necked and Buff-breasted Babblers, Streaked Wren-Babblers, a female White-tailed Robin, and a female Rufous-bellied Niltava, all visiting the mealworms that were put on rocks in the stream.From the road there, we had a flock containing several Long-tailed Sibias. While driving further up, we flushed a Large Hawk-Cuckoo.
During the last hour of light, we first walked up the hill that is indicated on the map on Thaibirding (the top is at MW08), by taking a right at the beginning of the “steep trail”. Here we ran into a mixed species flock containing a number of new species including Yellow-cheeked Tit and Chestnut-eared Shrike-Babbler. We then walked the first hundred or so meters of the Umphang Trail, again seeing a flock, with Silver-eared Mesia, as well as a great surprise: a Rusty-capped Fulvetta*. The bird was foraging fairly low and seemed to be mostly associatingwith Grey-cheeked Fulvettas (the next day, we saw possibly the same individual at about the same spot, MW09, again in a large flock). Another surprise was a Blue Pitta foraging mostly invisibly next to the trail, and then briefly hopping onto it and flying away upon noticing our excitement.
We camped at Chong Yen, where a Mountain Scops Owl called in the evening.
10/01:We had been told that a Rusty-naped Pitta generally visits the stream at the hide between seven and nine in the morning, so we were present during that time. It might only come when mealworms are being presented and the bird is called (by whistling or playing the song…). The
ranger came by briefly and did just that, but the pitta did not appear. Otherwise the exact same species were again attracted to the mealworms, while several Rufous-throated Partridges were calling, and Maroon Oriole and Rosy Minivets were seen along the road near the hide.
We had been told by several birders in the area that Rufous-necked Hornbill is exceedingly difficult in general, and mostly seen in the summer months (cf. Thaibirding, which says October-November). Our other main target here was Burmese Yuhina, which is best looked for near the Chong Yen campsite, so we spent both late morning and late afternoon time at the trails surrounding the campsite. We didn’t find the Yuhina but did see Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Large Cuckoo-Shrike*, calling Bay Woodpecker, White-browed and Coral-billed* (exactly by the sign at the start of the Umphang Trail) Scimitar-Babblers, Grey-throated and Spot-necked Babblers, again Rusty-capped Fulvetta*, White-necked Laughingthrush and a pair of GreyPeacock-Pheasants (the latter two at a small open spot where birds are sometimes fed at MW10).
We spent early afternoon birding along the road down towards the hide, seeing Changeable Hawk-Eagle*, Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, White-browed Piculet, Indochinese Cuckoo-Shrike*, Bronzed Drongo, and Grey-crowned Warbler (Seicercus split).
11/01:A second try for the pitta was quickly successful: around 0715, the ranger came, put down mealworms and started whistling, and almost immediately a Rusty-naped Pitta* jumped into view (and apparently the bird had also shown up the previous afternoon around 4pm). We then headed out of the park, making a brief stop at the river near the HQ, this time a few hundred meters up from the campsite, where a signposted track goes down to some rapids (MW04). Here we had a singing Banded Bay Cuckoo, an Asian Paradise Flycatcher, a White-browed Piculet, and a Red-billed Blue Magpie*. We then had an early lunch at the HQ restaurant and drove off towards Doi Inthanon at 1030.
11/01:The drive from Mae Wong took longer than we had anticipated (among others due to a wrong turn which cost us at least 30 min, and quite a lot of traffic around Chiang Mai). Whereas we had hoped to do some late afternoon birding at km13 or so, we ended up only having time to visit the Blossom-headed Parakeet pre-roost site at DI02, but arrived at 1730 and were told the last parakeets had left ten minutes earlier. We did see our first Striated Swallows and several Lineated Barbets that were perched in the leafless trees. To reach the pre-roost site, turn east at DI01, from where there are signs directing you to the site. We stayed at a small guesthouse outside of the park gates.
12/01:We birded the track at km13 (starting at DI05) from just after dawn, and were disappointed by a general lack of activity. We did see the main target Black-headed Woodpecker* (around DI06), as well as a Purple Sunbird*, some Rosy Minivets, and our first Black-hooded Orioles. We then moved on to the Wachira waterfall (DI08), where we saw a male Plumbeous Redstart and a pair of Slaty-backed Forktails, but no White-capped Water Redstart. We then had to head back and forth to Chom Thong as we had forgotten to fill up our gas tank.
Early afternoon we birded the km34.5 track (DI17), seeing a couple of new birds but nothing noteworthy. We then moved on to the km37.5 track. This track is really a trail instead, and runs north off the road; the entrance (DI19) is easy to overlook, it is just after the checkpoint, opposite the turn-off to Mae Pan. On the south side of the road, ten or so meters after (west of) the Mae Pan turn-off, photographers have made a small gap in the vegetation and put down a log where they provide mealworms. This attracted Large Niltavas and a Pygmy Wren-Babbler. Birding along the km37.5 trail is quite different from the km34.5 track, with much higher trees making birding more difficult, but with nice undergrowth directly along the track providing good opportunities for seeing understorey birds. Activity was rather low, but we saw a pair Eyebrowed Wren-Babblers and several (and many more heard calling with their winter wren-like call) Slaty-bellied Tesias. A Zoothera thrush, most likely a Dark-side Thrush, was flushed from a shady section at the base of a large fallen tree between 200m and 300m (the trail is marked with signs indicating every 100m, though some signs are missing).
We had a brief look at the Chedis (DI21), but it was exceedingly crowded here. We then went tothe Black-tailed Crake* pond at DI13, near the campsite (DI12). There, we met Lieven de Temmerman who had heard the crake once in response to tape. We waited around for a while, not seeing or hearing anything, and then played its song again, to which we got an immediate response (but only once, and the bird did not show). Just before dusk, we had a look at the orchard (DI14) and saw an Asian Barred Owlet. We stayed at Mr. Daeng’s where an Asian Barred Owlet was also calling.
13/01:At dawn, we were at the viewpoint (DI22) just before the summit boardwalk. We had two separate fly-by’s of Ashy Wood-Pigeons*, our only observations of this species. As the first sun rays started to shine on the tops of trees on the western side of the road, quite some bird activity ensued, and we saw Yellow-browed Tit, Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker, many Mrs. Gould’s Sunbirds, a Buff-barred and several Ashy-throated Warblers, and many Chestnut-tailed (Bar-throated) Minlas and Dark-backed Sibias. At the summit boardwalk (DI23), we saw many of the same species as well as our first Hill Prinia and several Green-tailed Sunbirds (these were also in the trees among the small shops opposite the road at the start of the trail). Note that the Green-tailed Sunbirds have a largely blue-ish head, and can often appear redder than on the drawing, thus resembling Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird closer than one would expect. Both at the viewpoint and the summit trail, it was very crowded with tourists
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present from dawn onwards (many people looking at the sunrise and then taking a walk), despite it being a Monday morning.
A brief look around the start of the km37.5 trail produced a Grey-sided Thrush eating berries inthe tree that hangs right over the entrance of the trail. We then had lunch at Mr. Daeng’s, paying close attention to the feeding place that is visible from some of the tables, but not seeingDark-sided Thrush (we tried again the next day in vain, but the bird was seen at least twice by other birders during these days...).
From 14-17h we again walked the km37.5 trail, hearing a Brown Wood Owl (unexpected…), and seeing Mountain Tailorbird, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Lesser Shortwing and a beautiful male Small Niltava. We then briefly visited the first stretch of the km34.5 trail, first hearing and then seeing at least three White-gorgeted Flycatchers*, and finally some Little Pied Flycatchers*, of which at least four started calling (and sometimes showing) just before dusk.
Entrance of the Doi Inthanon summit boardwalk. The summit is the only place in Thailand were night frost occurs every night. (13/01)
14/01:Still not having seen or heard any cochoas, we spent the morning tried two spots for which we had some information on recent observations: DI18 along km34.5, a spot for Purple Cochoa explained to us by a birder at Mae Wong, and DI20, a spot along km37.5 where Anton Vink hada Green Cochoa in Nov 2013 (and which is in an area that is generally supposed to be good forboth species). We had no luck with any cochoas, but at km34.5, we did get Silver Pheasant (a male on the track in the early morning), singing White-gorgeted Flycatcher*, and at least four Black-throated Parrotbills* (in a mixed species flock, precisely at the start of the track). At km37.5, we had our first certain Pale Blue Flycatcher and our first Black-eared Shrike-Babbler. The morning was overcast and very foggy at higher elevations (we drove up to the Chedis but quickly turned around), so we seemed to be lucky not to have chosen this morning for summit birding, which presumably would have not been possible.
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After lunch and thrush searching at Mr. Deangs, we briefly birded the orchard (DI14) early afternoon, only seeing some Eastern Buzzards, both Bush-chats, Hill Prinia, and Great (Japanese) Tits. Remarkably, the Asian Barred Owlet was again in a tree along the road. As we still wanted to see White-capped Water Redstart*, we headed to the Siriphum waterfall (DI15, DI16), where we found one, as well as White-headed Bulbuls (also by the fall); in the gardens at the start of the trail to the falls, we finally had our first Japanese White-eyes and a Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker.
We then birded km13 from 14-16h. It was overcast and cool, but again rather birdless. We headed all the way to DI07, since Lieven had informed us that White-rumped Falcons had bred there. We saw the nest tree, but as we already knew, the falcons had fledged, and we didn’t see any in the area. After a while we moved on, but later heard that Lieven and two other birders did in fact see both White-rumped Falcon and Collared Falconet at that spot a bit later (the falcon had responded to tape). We did see Black-headed Woodpecker* at around the same place as two days earlier, and saw Black-backed Forktail from the bridge at the start of the track.
We arrived at the parakeet pre-roost around 1615, and soon saw two Blossom-headed Parakeets in the top of a tree. These disappeared already around 1645, and after that we only had a couple more flying by, so be there early if you want to be sure (early mornings are also good; better even, according to the person who has built the tower and can always be found there). We then drove to Fang where we stayed in a hotel.
8: Doi Lang [15/01 - 16/01, 17/01: 07-12]15/01:We approached Doi Lang from the western side, that is by turning off the main road at Fang (at DL01). Around 0830 we entered the park and made a stop in a bamboo-rich area, where we heard a Bay Woodpecker (we would hear these quite regularly in Doi Lang, but we never saw one) and saw a few Puff-throated Babblers and our only Plain Flowerpecker*. A birder at Mae Wong had told us to that Ultramarine Flycatcher should be present at a feeding place exactly at the first “Do not feed the birds” sign (the irony...) by the road. Just after 09h, we reached this place (at DL02), and indeed, photographers were present here, as well as a pair ofUltramarine Flycatchers. We also almost immediately saw a Giant Nuthatch* in one of the pine trees there -- this species appeared to be really easy here, since we saw it again the next day at the same spot, as well as at several other spots in the “pine zone” (which extends a few km’s north/upwards from here). They were also quite vocal. Other birds noted included Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush (also attracted to the mealworms), Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher*, Siberian Rubythroat, Aberrant Bush Warbler (noted by its call, then seen, in the tall grass by the roadside), Short-billed Minivet (which was common in the area), and Great (Japanese) Tit.
A stop a little further on (at DL04) produced Buff-throated Warbler (which we would regularly see at Doi Lang), Spot-breasted Parrotbills and Spectacled Barwings (the latter being very common here!). We also had these species at a stop directly behind the second checkpoint (DL05), as well as Large and Rufous-bellied Niltava, our first Brown-breasted Bulbuls (common at Doi Lang) and a displaying Crested Goshawk (characteristic posture). After the checkpoint, a small agricultural area with some houses is reached, and at DL06, there are some fields -- we had been told these can be good for buntings. Walking through these fields, we flushed some 30 Little Buntings* and 90 Olive-backed Pipits. A few hundred meters further on, we saw a mixed flock with among others several Long-tailed Sibias. At a stop just before the highest point (DL07), we saw a mixed species flock containing a few Whiskered Yuhinas.
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A little before 16h, we arrived at the viewpoint at DL10. At a few obvious gaps in the vegetation at the eastern side of the road and south of the parking spot, birds are regularly being fed. We saw a male Red-flanked Bluetail* (not Himalayan, which is much more common here, although that was hard to actually tell, with many more female types seen) and a female Golden Bush Robin* (these two birds were also seen the next two days). Along the trail that goes into the forest here, we saw two Rufous-throated Partridges (seen several more times inDoi Lang). We camped at the campsite at DL14.
Doi Lang campground, nice place with a good view and Pallas' Leaf Warblers. (16/01)
16/01:We had been told by a birder at Mae Wong that Mrs. Humes’ Pheasant should be quite easy in the early mornings on the road at Doi Lang, so today we started by driving around focusing on the area with the pines down until the feeding spot at DL02. We didn’t see any pheasants, either this morning or the next, and birders here told us they were actually quite difficult, though one of them had seen one on the 15th. Before dawn, in the stretch of road between the upper army camp (DL13) and the viewpoint (DL10), we had many bluetails and some thrushes on the roads, among which three separate Grey-winged Blackbirds*. After the highest point, we saw several parties of Mountain Bamboo Partridges* on the road, as well as White-browed Laughingthrushes and Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babblers (these species like scrubby and grassy areas). Around 0830 we went back up and passed by the fields at DL06, and now saw at least six Crested Buntings*, which were first simply sitting on the road, and then moved to the fields.
Just east of the highest point, we ran into a fruiting tree (at DL08) with many bulbuls, among which Crested Finchbills (even though we only now saw this species for the first time, quite a lot more were seen during the remaining time in Doi Lang) and Striated Bulbuls*. A mixed species flock at the same place contained Black-eared Shrike-Babbler and a Bianchi’s Warbler* (Seicercus split with bullfinch-like call). At the San Ju viewpoint, we had a flock of
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Feeding spot at DL02, halfway Doi Lang with Giant Nuthatch, Ultrarine Flycatcher andChestnut-bellied Rock Thrush. Quite cold and misty. (15/01)
possible Dark-rumped Swifts, at least five Fire-tailed Sunbirds* (on the slope below the viewpoint itself; other birders had told us these had been seen here), and Slaty-bellied Tesia along the forest trail. A few hundred meters south of the viewpoint proper, there are obvious sandy slopes on both sides of the road (at DL09), and we had been told that a Blue-fronted Redstart* had been present there. We soon found this bird (a female), as well as a Chestnut Thrush*: Both were foraging on the slopes themselves, and were regularly calling.
The afternoon was spent around the upper army camp, the campsite, and the roadside in between here, searching for e.g. Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Liocichla, Grey-headed Parrotbill, and Black-throated Tit, but not finding any. The only things of note were a Mountain Hawk-Eagle* over the army camp (as well as one over the campsite the next day) and a Whiskered Yuhina. Before dusk, we briefly tried for pheasants along the road above the Ultramarine/Giant Nuthatch site (DL02), only seeing a Grey Nightjar* on the road at the viewpoint on our way back.
17/01:Early morning was spent searching in vain for pheasants, only resulting in more Bamboo Partridges* and Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babblers as well as another Giant Nuthatch*. A female and juvenile Spot-winged Grosbeak* were then seen in the top of a tree along the road, exactly where the road was being repaired, some 500m west of the highest point (DL07). The Blue-fronted Redstart* and Chestnut Thrush were still present on the sandy slopes nearthe viewpoint (DL09), while a Grey-sided Thrush was now also foraging there. On the slope below the viewpoint itself, a small flock a Red-faced Liocichlas was moving through the scrub.A large mixed species flock was present along the forest trail at the viewpoint, and contained Yellow-browed Tit, Whiskered Yuhina, and Mountain Tailorbird.
Just above the upper army camp, at DL12, photographers were feeding by the roadside and this attracted Chestnut-headed Tesia*, Red-faced Liocichla, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher*, and Himalayan Bluetail (first male that we saw well, quite different from the one at the viewpoint). Between the army camp and the campsite, we had a Black-breasted Thrush* (flushed with the car), a Bianchi’s Warbler* and some Grey Treepies. A little after 13h, we headed out of the area, again taking the western route (to Fang) to avoid the potentially poor road on the lower eastern side towards Tha Ton.
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Feeding spot at the do-not-feed sign, DL02, halfway Doi Lang with Giant Nuthatch, UltrarineFlycatcher and Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush. Quite cold and misty. (15/01)
9: Doi Ang Khang [17/01: 17-18, 18/01: 07-15]17/01:Not having seen Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant at Doi Lang, we could then choose between Doi Ang Khang and Doi Chiang Dao for a second chance, and went for the former, even though we realized chances were probably higher at the latter (the flipside was that we would have to arrange a jeep at Chiang Dao and that it was further away). We spent the last hour of daylight along the Ban Arunothai road to look for pheasants, and walked around a bit at km34 (approximately at DA04; this is where a few pairs of pheasants should be according to Thaibirding), which turned up our only Lesser Yellownape*.
18/01:We first drove Ban Arunothai road down until about km30, and up again. By then, traffic was already increasing, and we had not seen a pheasant, so we decided to walk into the forest at a few spots. We first did so just south of the Chinese Cemetery, and were lucky enough to almostimmediately run into a male Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant, at DA03, around 08h15. In this area we also had a pair of Ultramarine Flycatchers, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, and a female Vivid Niltava*, although increasingly thick fog made birding hard. At the Chinese Cemetery (DA02), we had Mrs. Gould's Sunbirds, White-browed Laughingthrushes, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babblers, Spectacled Barwings, and an Aberrant Bush Warbler. We then tried to find the start of the Mae Per Forest trail, which should be near DA08, but were sent away from the most likely option. We did have a drumming Streak-breasted Woodpecker and a White-crowned Forktail here.
Late morning and early afternoon were spent at the King’s Project (DA10), where a lot of bird (and human) activity was going on. Hundreds of bulbuls were present, among which several Crested Finchbills, 20+ White-headed and many more Black Bulbuls. Other birds included our only Grey-capped Woodpecker*, many Common Rosefinches, and a Chestnut-vented Nuthatch. We had lunch at the restaurant (DA11), but did not see any thrushes.
We made a stop at DA12, between Ban Luang and the Chinese Cemetery, and saw our only Slaty-Blue Flycatcher*, and Silver-eared Mesia, Spectacled Barwing, and Red-faced Liocichla. We then again had a look at the Chinese Cemetery and the Pea Farm on the opposite side, because in the morning we had had some unidentified buntings flying around in the mist. At the cemetery, we saw two female Daurian Redstarts* (noticed due to the deep tak-call), a group of Long-tailed Minivets*, and a Buff-throated Warbler. At 15h, we decided to head for Tha Ton.
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Road along the Chinese cemetery near DA03 where we had Mrs. Hume's Pheasant. (17/01)
10: Tha Ton [18/01: 1630-18, 19/01: 07-09]18/01:We immediately went to the water tower at TH03 (which can be reached by turning right (east) either at TH01 or TH02). At this site, one can overlook an island in the river, where Jerdon’s Bush Chat occurs, and we had heard that a bird had been seen here about ten days earlier. Some scanning revealed a female Jerdon’s Bush Chat* at the far western end of the island. We also saw several Wire-tailed Swallows*, and heard a Siberian Rubythroat.
19/01:In the early morning, we checked the fields described at North Thailand Birding reached by going east at TH04 (km2.4) and then turning right immediately at TH05. Despite thick fog, we saw Plaintive Cuckoo, Pin-tailed Snipe, Plain-backed Sparrow, and a single Citrine Wagtail*. We then drove by some fields that looked promising, and walked through them, seeing about 15 Chestnut-eared Buntings*, an Oriental Skylark*, and a Bluethroat*. The fogmade birding very hard, so we decided to move on to Chiang Saen.
11: Chiang Saen & Mekong River [19/01: 11-18, 20/01: 09-12]19/01:We started by having lunch at the Rhimkong restaurant (CS01), which provides good views over a couple of sandbanks in the Mekong river, with possibilities for Little Pratincole, River Lapwing, and Long-billed Plover. Only the former is reliably found, and was indeed the only of these three species that we saw. At least a hundred Little Pratincoles* were present on a very small stony island relatively close in the river (note that they are well camouflaged!). We also saw two Spot-billed Ducks* flying by, and some 20 Brown-throated Martins* were foraging above the river.
We then headed back towards the Chiang Saen lake, first having a look at Nong Bong Khai NHA (CS03), from where we could see that ducks were present further south on the lake. We stopped at the vantage point described at North Thailand Birding, at CS04, where Thai birders were also scanning the lake. We saw about 300 Lesser Whistling Ducks, 100s of Coots, about 20 Ferruginous Ducks*, and several Garganey and Pochards*. A little further on, we were told, two Long-tailed Ducks* (a major rarity in Thailand) were present, and sure enough, we saw these from CS05. Here we also finally saw our first Racket-tailed Treepie*.
Late afternoon was spent at the harrier roost at CS09. Here we heard Chinese Francolin*, and saw Racket-tailed Treepie*, Spot-billed Duck*, and around 300 (!) Little Pratincoles* foraging above the marsh. From a little after 17h, harriers started coming in, mostly adultmale Pied Harriers, and also some Eastern Marsh Harriers. Many more individuals (100+) arrived just before dusk, and they were still arriving when we left a little after 18h. The CS09 waypoint is from where we watched them flying in to the marshy bit to the north. Many Red-throated Pipits were also flying in.
Mekong River south of the Rhimkong Restaurant. We drove around a bit looking for River Tern and Long-billed Plove, but didn't see any. (19/01)
20/01:In the morning, we woke up seeing a text message from a birding friend, saying that a Baer’s Pochard had been seen at Chiang Saen by Peter Ericsson. So after packing, we again headed to the vantage point (CS04) by the lake, where we arrived around a little before 10h. Now, light was better than yesterday afternoon, and more diving ducks were present. Mixed in among the around 70 Ferruginous Ducks at a couple of hundred meters distance, we soon found a singlemale Baer’s Pochard*! Depending on the exact angle at which the bird was swimming, it couldbe either be really hard to pick out or relatively easy. The green head colour was usually the easiest feature to see, and if seen on the side, the pale patch on the side of the breast was alsousually (but not always) obvious. Final additions to our trip list were Great Cormorant* and Tufted Duck* (resulting in a trip total of 472 species), while a Burmese Shrike was also present.
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Complete list of species observedUnfortunately the annotation is not entirely complete.
01/01: One female at LPB sand spit.80 Malaysian Plover Charadrius peronii
01/01: Two birds at LPB sand spit.81 Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus
01/01: Commonest of the two Sand Plovers, only in PT and surroundings.82 Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii
01/01: Several birds in PT/LPB area.83 Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus
Common at BB, also seen at PBR.84 Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus
Several birds at BB and PBR.85 Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola
One seen at dusk at KY campsite.86 Pin-tailed Snipe Gallinago stenura
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01/01: Common at LPB Kings project.19/01: Several at Tha Ton rice fields.
87 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago01/01: Several at LPB Kings project; at wetter places than Pin-tailed.
88 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa01/01: Only seen in PT/LPB areas.
89 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus01/01: Only seen in PT/LPB area.
90 Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata01/01: One large group at PT.
91 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus01/01: At PT/LPB areas.
92 Common Redshank Tringa totanus01/01: At PT/LPB areas.
93 Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis01/01: At PT/LPB areas.
94 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia01/01: At PT/LPB areas.
95 Nordmann's Greenshank Tringa guttifer01/01: One group of 11 birds seen at the viewpoint between PT and LPB.
96 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus19/01: A few at Tha Ton river viewpoint.
97 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareolaSeen in most marsh and saltpan areas.
98 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucosOccasionally seen in lowland areas.
99 Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris01/01: One group of 200 birds at salt pan view point between PT and LPB.
100 Sanderling Calidris alba01/01: Several birds at PT/LPB.
101 Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis01/01: Most common stint in PT/LPB areas.
102 Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii01/01: Several birds at PT/LPB.
103 Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta01/01: Several birds at PT/LPB.
104 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea01/01: Several birds at PT/LPB.
105 Dunlin Calidris alpina01/01: One seen at salt pan view point between PT and LPB.
106 Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus01/01: Two birds at the famous site near PT.
107 Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus01/01: Common at PT/LPB.
108 Ruff Philomachus pugnax 01/01: Several birds at PT/LPB.
109 Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus01/01: One bird in salt pan near PT.
110 Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum
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01/01: Two birds flying by at PBR.111 Small Pratincole Glareola lactea
19/01: Around 100 birds roosting on small pebble island in the Mekong near Chiang Sean.19/01: Several hundreds were seen hunting at Chiang Sean marshes.
112 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus01/01: A few birds at LPB sand spit.
113 Heuglins gull Larus (fuscus) heuglini01/01: Several birds at PT/LPB.
114 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica01/01: Several birds at PT/LPB.
115 Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia01/01: Common in PT/LPB area.
116 Little Tern Sternula albifrons01/01: Several birds at PT/LPB.
117 Common Tern Sterna hirundo01/01: Several birds at PT/LPB.
118 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida01/01: Common in PT/LPB area.
119 Brown-headed Gull Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus01/01: Common in PT/LPB area.
120 Pallas's Gull Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus01/01: Two 2cy flying by at PT.
121 Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis01/01: A few birds at LPB sand spit.
122 Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii01/01: Several birds at PT/LPB.
123 Ashy Wood Pigeon Columba pulchricollisSeveral birds at DI summit.
124 Red Turtle Dove Streptopelia tranquebaricaCommon in lowland areas.
125 Barred Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia unchallTwo birds in KY
126 Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indicaSeen in most forested areas.
127 Zebra Dove Geopelia striataCommon in southern lowland areas.
128 Pink-necked Green Pigeon Treron vernansSmall group seen at PBR, along the main road.
129 Thick-billed Green Pigeon Treron curvirostraGroup of 18 along radar road in KY, also heard in KK.
130 Mountain Imperial Pigeon Ducula badiaCommon in most forested areas.
131 Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensisCommon.
132 Vernal Hanging Parrot Loriculus vernalisSeen in the higher areas of KK and in KY
133 Blossom-headed Parakeet Psittacula roseata3-4 birds seen at the Parakeet sanctuary near DI
134 Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis
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Common135 Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis
Only seen occasionally, mostly in open areas.136 Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo Carpococcyx renauldi
One bird seen just behind the restaurants at KY HQ, where it came back repeatedly in a garbage ditch.
137 Green-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus tristisSeveral birds seen in KY and KK
138 Asian Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx maculatusOne bird seen from the highest viewpoint in KK
139 Violet Cuckoo Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchusOne pair seen very well near KK-LC, at the youth accommodation.
140 Banded Bay Cuckoo Cacomantis sonneratiiOften heard in forested areas, also seen in KK
141 Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinusSeveral sightings in open lowland areas
142 Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceusCommon
143 Large Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioidesOne bird seen well near MW upper campsite
144 White-fronted Scops-Owl Otus sagittatusHeard only. One calling at KK-LC and one heard at KK stream crossings.
145 Mountain Scops-Owl Otus spilocephalusSeveral calling at MW upper campsite
146 Brown Wood Owl Strix leptogrammica One calling during daytime along the 37.5 jeep track, DI.
147 Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodiei Regularly heard in forest areas
148 Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides One seen near campsite of DI, also heard in KK
149 Brown Hawk-Owl Ninox scutulata Heard near KK-S, seen near visitor centre Kao Yai
150 Collared Scops Owl Otus lettiaHeard on KK-LC
151 Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus jotakaOne seen at night on the road and Doi Lang.
152 Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurusOne seen near bungalow park in KK, one seen in KY.
153 Great Eared Nightjar Lyncornis macrotisSeveral seen hunting near KK-S
154 Grey-rumped Treeswift Hemiprocne longipennisFairly common in KK.
155 Brown-backed Needletail Hirundapus giganteusSmall group seen around pool in KY.
156 Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensiscommon in lowland areas