Birdwatching Trip Report from Ko Rah Ecolodge, Thailand

My wife Maria and I spent 2 weeks at on Ko Rah island at the ecolodge in February 2010. This is an amazingly tranquil place and after a few days of “island time” you totally relax. The accommodation is basic but clean and we had a fantastic sea view with the bungalow virtually on the beach. You could view the sunrise from the balcony of the bungalow as well as watch Pied Hornbills on the Beach! Other birds seen from the balcony included Plaintive Cuckoo, Chestnut headed Bee eater and White-capped Kingfisher. This is an Ecolodge in the true sense of the word and Kim the manager has stuck to his eco principles. (check the website www.thaiecolodge.com ).


Chestnut-headed Bee-eater	Pied Hornbill

The ecolodge is surrounded by sea on one side with a distinct lack of sea birds as elsewhere in Thailand and Primary rainforest on a hill behind which is difficult to penetrate. Maria did Yoga at dawn and 4.00p.m which unfortunately meant I had to birdwatch. We didn’t leave the island and amassed 61 species which I felt was quite good. There are walks in the secondary forest and savannah and Nick a volunteer has marked the paths and set a basic hide in the forest. Around the accommodation and sala Asian Fairy bluebirds, White Rumped Shama, Forest Wagtail, and Pied Hornbills were regular as were various Bulbuls and a White Throated Rock Thrush. A good list of raptors suggests a good balance in the largely unexplored Primary forest and I’m sure there are many more species to be found. Also of note are the large number of deserted beaches and mangroves around the island coastline (the island measures 3 x 12 Km) which could well harbour Beach Thick knee. You can kayak around the island in a day (Nick has done it in 6 hrs or less) but judging by my attempts it would take 6 days so wasn’t attempted! I didn’t have a scope with me but IDd raptors on the ridge with photos. Other wildlife included Wild Pig, Dusky Langur, Gliding Geckos and I saw a cobra. 2 lucky guests saw a Dugong by the pier! Overall a very relaxing holiday totally away from the world with only a handful of people on the island. The birding was relaxed and rewarding as was the photography.


White-throated Rock thrush	Forest Wagtail

Birding List for Ko Rah Feb 2010 (asterisk* denotes birds which should be seen reasonably easily)

Common Name	Latin Name
Common Flameback*	Dinopium javanense Fairly Common
Oriental Pied-Hornbill*	Anthracoceros albirostris Common, seen daily often 10+ in pines by jetty
Great Hornbill	Buceros bicornis Occn sightings on ridge
Dollarbird*	Eurystomus orientalis Common up on bare branches in savannah
Black-capped Kingfisher*	Halcyon pileata Fairly common
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater*	Merops leschenaultia Common partic in evenings down by beach
Plaintive Cuckoo	Cacomantis merulinus One seen
Greater Coucal	Centropus sinensis Heard more often tha n seen
Vernal Hanging-Parrot*	Loriculus vernalis Fairly common in savannah -noisy
Asian Palm-Swift*	Cypsiurus balasiensis Common in savannah
pacific swift / Fork-tailed Swift	Apus pacificus Fairly common
Grey-rumped Treeswift	Hemiprocne longipennis One seen
Great Eared-Nightjar	Eurostopodus macrotis Seen once at dusk from beach heading towards savannah
Pink-necked Green-Pigeon*	Treron vernans Common in mixed flocks
Thick-billed Green-Pigeon*	Treron curvirostra Fairly common in mixed flocks
Common Sanpiper*	Tringa hypoleucos Seen most days
Brahminy Kite*	Haliastur Indus Fairly common
White-bellied Sea-Eagle*	Haliaeetus leucogaster Common
Crested Serpent-Eagle	Spilornis cheela Occn sightings on ridge (Photo ID)
Shikra*	Accipiter badius Occn seen in savannah
Japanese Sparrowhawk	Accipiter gularis One sighting in forest (Photo ID)
Grey-faced Buzzard	Butastur indicus Uncommon
Greater Spotted Eagle	Aquila clanga One fly over(Photo ID)
Blyth's Hawk-Eagle	Spizaetus alboniger Uncommon on ridge (Photo ID)
Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus Seen once
Pacific / Eastern Reef Egret	Egretta sacra Uncommon by jetty
Chinese Pond-Heron*	Ardeola bacchus Common up to 4 seen on beach
Mangrove Pitta	Pitta megarhyncha Heard very difficult to see
Asian Fairy-bluebird*	Irena puella Common around sala and accomodation
Blue-winged Leafbird	Chloropsis cochinchinensis Seen occn
Brown Shrike	Lanius cristatus Seen occn in savannah
Large-billed Crow*	Corvus macrorhynchos Common
Black-naped Oriole*	Oriolus chinensis Common noisy gregarious
Ashy Minivet	Pericrocotus divaricatus One sighting
Ashy Drongo*	Dicrurus leucophaeus One regular by water tank
Bronzed Drongo	Dicrurus aeneus Seen in forest once
Common Iora*	Aegithina tiphia Fairly common
White-throated Rock-Thrush*	Monticola gularis One regular around accommodation (winter visitor)
Orange-headed Thrush*	Zoothera citrina Common around accommodation/sala
Asian Brown Flycatcher*	Muscicapa dauurica Common around accommodation/sala
Oriental Magpie-Robin	Copsychus saularis uncommon
White-rumped Shama*	Copsychus malabaricus Common around accommodation/sala
Hill Myna	Gracula religiosa Heard in primary forest
Barn Swallow*	Hirundo rustica Common
Pacific Swallow*	Hirundo tahitica Common
Stripe-throated Bulbul*	Pycnonotus finlaysoni Common around accommodation/sala
Yellow-vented Bulbul	Pycnonotus goiavier Uncommon
Olive-winged Bulbul*	Pycnonotus plumosus Common around accommodation/sala
Grey-eyed Bulbul*	Iole propinqua Fairly common
Lanceolated Warbler	Locustella lanceolata Seen several times in thick grass by the red trees-not definite but right habitat/jizz + habits. Difficult to flush almost stood on it
Dusky Warbler	Phylloscopus fuscatus Uncommon in mangroves
Arctic Warbler	Phylloscopus borealis Fairly common
Abbott's Babbler	Malacocincla abbotti Seen a few times
Thick-billed Flowerpecker*	Dicaeum agile Fairly common in savannah
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker*	Dicaeum trigonostigma Common in forest
Plain-throated Sunbird*	Anthreptes malacensis Common in forest
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird	Anthreptes singalensis Fairly common
Purple-throated Sunbird*	Nectarinia sperata Common
Olive-backed Sunbird*	Nectarinia jugularis Common
Crimson Sunbird	Aethopyga siparaja Fairly common
Forest Wagtail*	Dendronanthus indicus Common everywhere in the forest

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