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A Report from birdtours.co.uk

THAILAND, April 15-May 1,2001,

Garry George

Participants: Joseph Brooks, Garry George, Joe Thompson
Private group organized by Joseph Brooks
.

Guide: Komol Komolphalin for Nature Tours
http://naturetrails.homestead.com/birdwatching.html

References:
A Guide to the Birds of Thailand, Lekagul & Round, Illustrated by Wongkalasin and Komolphalin, 1991, Saha Karn Bhaet Co., Ltd.
Oriental Bird Club Special Issue on Thailand, June 200, http://www.orientalbirdclub.org
Taxonomy: Clements, Dr. James, BIRDS OF THE WORLD: A CHECKLIST
Threatened Birds of the World, several editors, BirdLife Intl & Lynx Edicions, http://www.hbw.com/

The Birds of Thailand
Craig Robson: Buy from Amazon.com orAmazon.co.uk

  • At last, the quality of field guides for the Far East has caught up with those of Europe and America. Craig Robson's "Birds of Thailand" is a tour de force...950 mouth watering species all beautifully illustrated and expertly described, each with its own distribution map. The natural riches of Thailand make it an ever more popular birding destination and this indispensible guide will set the standard there for years to come.

A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia
Craig Robson: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

  • A new flexi-cover edition of this superb and influential book is now available (UK) making it far more useful in the field. The birds of South-East Asia details the identification, voice, breeding, status, habitat and distribution of the 1250 species and distinctive sub-species of the region covering Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, West Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. The illustrations are excellent and Craig Robson's text reflects his position as one of the foremost ornithological authorities of S.E.Asia. Indispensable for anyone visiting the area.

Day 1-Fly to Bangkok from Los Angeles via Osaka (19 hours)
Day 2-AM Fly to Krabi PM Birding Ban Nai Chong
Day 3-AM Drive to Khao Nor Chuchi (1.5 hours) PM Birding KNC
Day 4-AM Drive to KNC PM Birding KNC
Day 5–AM-Boat to Krabi mangrove with Mr. Dai, PM-Drive to Phuket Island
Day 6–Boat to Similan Island from Phuket Island
Day 7-AM Fly Narathiwat, drive to Sugai Kolok PM Birding Halabala
Day 8–Birding Halabala
Day 9-AM Birding Pa Pru PM Fly to Bangkok, drive to Khao Yai
Day 10-Khao Yai
Day 11-Khao Yai PM drive to Bangkok
Day 12-AM Drive to Kaeng Krachan PM Birding Kaeng Krachan
Day 13-Kaeng Krachan
Day 14-AM Birding Kaeng Krachan PM drive to Bangkok
Day 15-Fly to Los Angeles via Tokyo (19 hours)

Background and Overview:

Thailand’s geographical location, stable politics by a benevolent monarchy and economic development policies are unique in SE Asia and have given Thailand a leading place in that region. Educational benefits, a booming tourism infrastructure and political safety have collaborated in making Thailand a well-studied and well-travelled ornithological destination for over a century. But the boom and bust economy and unchecked development along with other factors have made it subject to a faster rate of loss of natural resources and habitat for species other than homo sapien as the rest of SE Asia. It’s ironic that the least economically developed political entities seem to have the most, best and relatively unstudied remaining habitat, and it’s possible that in the future Myanmar and Viet Nam might surpass Thailand as birding destinations simply because they don’t have the resources to “develop” their remaining natural resources including forests.

There are 935 species of bird that occur in Thailand, 125 of them classified as threatened by BirdLife International http://www.birdlife.net. It’s interesting that Thailand has the fewest endemics in the region, with only two: Deignan’s Babbler (Stachyris rodolphei) in the North near Doi Chiang Dao, a controversial split from Rufous-fronted Babbler (Stachyris rufifrons); and White-eyed River-Martin (Pseudochelidon sirintarae) disovered in 1968 and currently presumed extinct. An excellent article on the story of the discovery of this species is in the Oriental Bird Club Bulletin 31, June 2000 http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/feature/eyedmart.html.

Surely the “canary in the mine” of the loss of biodiversity in Thailand and all of SE Asia is the critically endangered Gurney’s Pitta (Pitta gurneyi),a Holy Grail of world birders on a mission to see the more spectacular species before they leave the planet. There are approximately 10 pair left in a rapidly shrinking lowland forest known for world efforts and failing conservation. There are no governments protecting this species at the moment only the considerable efforts of the Oriental Bird Club in the UK (www.orientalbirdclub.org.) This species drove our desire to return to Thailand.

While there, we decided to explore a recently re-opened park on the border of Malaysia that had been off limits the last few years due to the activity of radical Muslim seperatist groups, visit Khao Yai National Park briefly in hopes of sighting the Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo that has been seen there recently, and visit the largest national park in Thailand Kaeng Krachan on the border of Myanmar.

We were motivated by chances to sight rare species that we had missed in prior trips and/or that were highly endangered and endemic to the region. We based our trip around the following species in the following order : Gurney’s Pitta, Masked Finfoot, Malaysian Rail-Babbler, Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo, Siamese Fireback, Silver Pheasant, Gray Peacock-Pheasant, Khalij Pheasant, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Great Hornbill. We saw four of these species.

We hired Komol Komolphalin, illustrator of many of the species in the field guide for Thailand as our guide and http://naturetrails.homestead.com/birdwatching.html run by his wife Patcharee to plan our itinerary. The tour ran smoothly although it was expensive and only first class air-conditioned hotels were booked as they were preferred by Komol. We were very disappointed in Komol who was unprepared and unprofessional, and seemed to feel that his status in the Thai birding community excused his lack of professionalism. He was very familiar with the locations and the birds. However, Komol showed up without a SONY tape recorder despite lengthy email guarantees of his equipment and the list of species for which he would bring tapes. It seems his recorder had broken a week or two before, and he felt no need to replace it except with a taped together boom box with no ablity to tape and play back. Shocked, we requested that he get a professional tape system for our trip. He ignored this repeated suggestion until his wife showed up at the END of the tour with, of course, a replacement SONY which could have been provided earlier. In addition, our tour mate Joe Thompson had requested tapes of only two species for one location on the trip. These were two of only a handful of species that he needed after his many trips to SE Asia. When we arrived there Komol had forgotten the tapes in Bangkok. His response was to laugh about it. This lack of professionalism at the high prices charged by Nature Trails would definitely cause me NOT TO RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY OR THIS GUIDE for a trip to Thailand for serious birders.

Next:Krabi & KNC

Day 1
After the long flight from Los Angeles to Bangkok (19 hours total) we landed 11 pm and walked from the exit from customs about 1 km to the nearby Amari Airport Hotel http://www.amari.com/airport/index.htm expensive at around $ 175 US but worth it for the ease of an overnight connection.

Day 2
We met our guide Komol Komolphalin and his wife Patcharee at the domestic airport and flew to Krabi (approximately 1.5 hours). We waited on the esplanade above the river while Komol spent approxiamately two hours in the bank, presumably changing our dollars or arranging wire transfers. Pacific Swallows were nesting under the esplanade and Asian Palm-Swifts in the palm trees.

The legendary Mr. Dai approached us hoping that we would take his boat to the mangroves. Komol arrived (finally) and explained that we were already booked for two days away. We asked Mr. Dai if the Finfoot had been seen and he initially replied NO but in Thai to Komol explained that it had been seen recently. The tide was too high in the mornings, he explained to us before Komol arrived. He was more enthusiastic about the possibility of seeing the bird in Komol’s translation.

We drove to Ban Nai Chong, a shallow strip of roadside forest near Krabi that extends for quite a few kilometers on the road outside Krabi. Malaysian Rail Babbler has been seen there along with a few other species. We didn’t hear it or see it but did see some other species on our two stops at this small roadside strip of forest. We found two Thai men cutting trees and burning inside the forest and reported them to the local forest authorities.

After checking in at the fancy Krabi Meritime Hotel http://asiatravel.com/thailand/krabimeritime/ where we would be based for the next three days commuting to KNC a little over an hour away. We walked to the edge of the mangrove at the hotel to see a few species and to a pond behind the hotel in the manicured ornamental garden.

Ban Nai Chong and Krabi:
Brahminy Kite (Haliastur Indus)
White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis)
Red Collared-Dove(Streptopelia tranquebarica)
Black-bellied Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus diardi)-VULNERABLE
Green-billed Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus tristis)
Raffles' Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus chlorophaeus)
Chestnut-breasted Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus curvirostris)
Asian Palm-Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis)
Brown-winged Kingfisher (Pelargopsis amauropterus)-VULNERABLE
Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis)
Striated Swallow (Hirundo striolata)
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike (Hemipus picatus)
Stripe-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus finlaysoni)
Red-eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus brunneus)
Gray-cheeked Bulbul (Alophoixus bres)
Buff-vented Bulbul (Iole olivacea)-VULNERABLE
Lesser Green Lea bird (Chloropsis cyanopogon)-VULNERABLE
Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)
Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea)
Ferruginous Babbler (Trichastoma bicolor)
Black-throated Babbler (Stachyris nigricollis)
Chestnut-winged Babbler (Stachyris erythroptera)
Striped Tit-Babbler (Macronous gularis)
Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra)
Gray-breasted Spiderhunter (Arachnothera modesta)
Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus)
Black Magpie (Platysmurus leucopterus)
Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer Montana)
White-rumped Munia (Lonchura striata)
Nutmeg Mannikin (Lonchura punctulata)
Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica)
Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Blue Whistling-Thrush (Myophonus caeruleus)
Abbott's Babbler (Malacocincla abbotti)
Horsfield's Babbler (Malacocincla sepiarium)
Moustached Babbler (Malacopteron magnirostre)
Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis)

41 species

Days 3-4

We left Krabi for Khao Nor Cuchi at 5 a.m. and arrived just after dawn to meet our local guide Yothin (Mr. Yothin Meekaeo, Krabi, mobile telephone and fax: (66) 01-2284586) who led us quickly to a location just off of trail R where a pair of Gurney’s Pitta were known to have a territory. We entered a temporary hide and watched the gully below carefully. A Tree Shrew and White-rumped Shama got our attention until Joseph noticed a bird on the ridge of the opposite side of the gully. Bingo. We all enjoyed views of a male Gurney’s Pitta looking for earthworms on the ridge, in the gully 25 feet in front of us and I got a look at the male in a ray of light just outside the left side of the hide. Our main target for the trip was in the bag in the first few hours of our stay here. The pressure was off! We heard other Gurney’s Pittas calling as we walked the trails of KNC but doubted that we could get looks as good as we already had.

KNC continues to be reduced by cutting for agriculture including coffee plantations, and for firewood. We heard stories of resentment from the locals who reportedly did not share in any of the income from the research and protection grants and our limited impression is that the conservation of this piece of lowland forest is complicated by many factors causing a great deal of tension between factions of international conservationists, local exploiters of habitat and the Royal Forest Service who’s armed, sleeping presence was noticed both days. Neotropical Bird Club in the UK has taken up the admirable task of attempting to save the Gurney’s Pitta from imminent extinction. http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/savegurneyspitta/index.html.
If you intend to visit Khao Nor Chuchi this year, please contact Marcus Kohler at the OBC. Birders are also reminded that the use of tape playback to lure in Gurney's Pittas is prohibited at Khao Nor Chuchi.

Crested Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis cheela)
Chinese Goshawk (Accipiter soloensis)
Wallace's Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus nanus)-VULNERABLE
Vernal Hanging-Parrot (Loriculus vernalis)
Asian Drongo-Cuckoo (Surniculus lugubris)
Red-billed Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus javanicus)
Chestnut-breasted Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus curvirostris)
Spotted Wood-Owl (Strix seloputo)
Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus)
German's Swiftlet (Aerodramus germani)
Brown-backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus)
House Swift (Apus nipalensis)
Gray-rumped Treeswift (Hemiprocne longipennis)
Orange-breasted Trogon (Harpactes oreskios)
Red-throated Barbet (Megalaima mystacophanos)-VULNERABLE
Green Broadbill (Calyptomena viridis)-VULNERABLE
Banded Pitta (Pitta guajana)
Gurney's Pitta (Pitta gurneyi)-CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica)
Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus)
Black-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus atriceps)
Stripe-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus finlaysoni)
Cream-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus simplex)
Red-eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus brunneus)
Ochraceous Bulbul (Alophoixus ochraceus)
Gray-cheeked Bulbul (Alophoixus bres)
Buff-vented Bulbul (Iole olivacea)-VULNERABLE
Streaked Bulbul (Ixos malaccensis)
Great Iora (Aegithina lafresnayei)
Dark-necked Tailorbird (Orthotomus atrogularis)
Rufous-tailed Tailorbird (Orthotomus sericeus)
Yellow-bellied Warbler (Abroscopus superciliaris)
Fulvous-chested Jungle-Flycatcher (Rhinomyias olivacea
Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica)
Korean Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia)
Tickell's Blue-Flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae)
White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus)
Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea)
Ferruginous Babbler (Trichastoma bicolor)
Abbott's Babbler (Malacocincla abbotti)
Horsfield's Babbler (Malacocincla sepiarium)
Short-tailed Babbler (Malacocincla malaccensis)
Puff-throated Babbler (Pellorneum ruficeps)
Black-capped Babbler (Pellorneum capistratum)
Moustached Babbler (Malacopteron magnirostre)
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird (Chalcoparia singalensis)
Purple-throated Sunbird (Leptocoma sperata)
Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker (Prionochilus maculates)
Yellow-vented Flowerpecker (Dicaeum chrysorrheum
Plain Flowerpecker (Dicaeum concolor)
Tiger Shrike (Lanius tigrinus)
Crow-billed Drongo (Dicrurus annectans)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montana)

53 species

Next: Krabi mangroves, Ko Similan, Halabala

Day 5

This was the morning of our boat ride with the legendary Mr. Dai in hopes of seeing the Masked Finfoot that is traditionally seen in one of the tributaries of the river that flows through Krabi. We had been informed that early morning low tide before all of the fishing boats take to the canals is best, but we had to settle for early morning high tide.

The river and the canals were filthy with plastic bags and litter and noisy and smelly with boat exhaust and lots of traffic. Only when we were in the smallest unpassable canals was it quiet but of course we couldn’t pass either.

We did not find the Finfoot despite Mr. Dai’s theatrical efforts but did see a few other mangrove specialties.

Striated Heron (Butorides striatus)
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
Black-bellied Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus diardi)-VULNERABLE
Green-billed Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus tristis)
Chestnut-bellied Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus sumatranus) – JT only
Gray-rumped Treeswift (Hemiprocne longipennis)
Brown-winged Kingfisher (Pelargopsis amauropterus)-VULNERABLE
Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis)
Common Flameback (Dinopium javanense)
Black-and-red Broadbill (Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos)
Mangrove Pitta (Pitta megarhyncha)-VULNERABLE
Striated Swallow (Hirundo striolata)
Olive-winged Bulbul (Pycnonotus plumosus)
Ashy Tailorbird (Orthotomus ruficeps)
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird (halcoparia singalensis)Plain-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis)
Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus)
Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus)

17 SPECIES

We drove to Phuket after the boat ride and another stop at Ban Nai Chong. We stayed away from the town of Phuket in Pearl Village Hotel, http://www.phuket.com/pearlvillage/, a fancy resort with a terrific floating restaurant that we enjoyed.

Day 6

Early in the morning we drove along the beautiful Phuket coastline to a beach boat landing where we caught a tourist vessel for the over 2 hour boat ride to Ko Similan (island number 4). We rode inside air conditioned cabin (no one allowed outside) where we were a captive audience for high volume amplified speechs in Thai and English (for our benefit only) describing in detail what we were about to see. The island was beautiful and we managed to get in one hour of snorkeling in addition to the birding on the small island before lunch and the boat ride back.

Although crowded with tourists we did manage to see well the target species, and even heard a migrant Blue-winged Pitta among the dried dense shrubs in the central part of the island, but couldn’t see it or get it to move.

Interesting was a colony of Flying Fox (Pteropus scapulatus) that were protected on the island.

Javan Pond-Heron (Ardeola speciosa)
White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana)
Bridled Tern (Sterna anaethetus)
Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica)-NEAR THREATENED
Pied Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula bicolor)

6 species

Days 7, 8, 9

We flew from Phuket to Narathiwat and drove to the Bala section of Halabala, a forest reserve on the border of NE Malaysia near the Sugai Kolok district of Thailand whre we checked into the Genting Hotel (073-613-600-5 phone)for 3 nights. A stronghold in Thailand for Muslim separatists, the area was considered unsafe for a few years but now generates less risk. The forest is magnificent and the presence of large raptors indicated the health of this patch of forest. We could easily have spent more time here although we were surprised to see government relocations from the North colonizing the park: a wat of monks ironically cutting the forest to build meditation huts, a small village of Thai silk weavers working for the Queen of Thailand.

Highlights included a pair of Bat Hawk on a nest, a Malaysian Rail Babbler viewed from a small hill inside the forest (near the wat) where we could watch it sneaking in a circle below us, a fruiting tree with three species of Barbet and two species of Flowerpecker, a pair of Chestnut-naped Forktail at the waterfall, Forest Wagtail in the road, and great, vocal troups of visible White-handed Gibbon.

Bat Hawk (Macheiramphus alcinus)
Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus)
Crested Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis cheela)
Japanese Sparrowhawk (Accipiter gularis)
Mountain Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus nipalensis)
Blyth's Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus alboniger)
Black-thighed Falconet (Microhierax fringillarius)
Thick-billed Pigeon (Treron curvirostra)
Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot (Loriculus galgulus)
Asian Drongo-Cuckoo (Surniculus lugubris)
Chestnut-breasted Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus curvirostris)
Glossy Swiftlet (Aerodramus esculenta)
German's Swiftlet (Aerodramus germani)
Silver-rumped Needletail (Rhaphidura leucopygialis)
Whiskered Treeswift (Hemiprocne comata)
Scarlet-rumped Trogon (Harpactes duvaucelii)
Red-bearded Bee-eater (Nyctyornis amictus)
Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis)
Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros)
Bushy-crested Hornbill (Anorrhinus galeritus)
Wrinkled Hornbill (Aceros corrugatus)
Wreathed Hornbill (Aceros undulates)
Plain-pouched Hornbill (Aceros subruficollis)- VULNERABLE
Lineated Barbet (Megalaima lineate)
Blue-eared Barbet (Megalaima australis)
Brown Barbet (Calorhamphus fuliginosus)
Olive-backed Woodpecker (Dinopium rafflesii)
Maroon Woodpecker (Blythipicus rubiginosus)
Orange-backed Woodpecker (Reinwardtipicus validus)
Buff-rumped Woodpecker (Meiglyptes tristis)
Dusky Broadbill (Corydon sumatranus)
Green Broadbill (Calyptomena viridis)-VULNERABLE
Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus)
Fiery Minivet (Pericrocotus igneus)
Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus)
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike (Hemipus picatus)
Black-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus atriceps)
Black-crested Bulbul (Pycnonotus melanicterus)
Cream-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus simplex)
Red-eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus brunneus)
Spectacled Bulbul (Pycnonotus erythropthalmos)
Ochraceous Bulbul (Alophoixus ochraceus)
Ashy Bulbul (Hemixos flavala)
Greater Green Leafbird (Chloropsis sonnerati)
Lesser Green Leafbird (Chloropsis cyanopogon)-VULNERABLE
Blue-winged Leafbird (Chloropsis cochinchinensis)
Rufous-tailed Tailorbird (Orthotomus sericeus)
Yellow-bellied Warbler (Abroscopus superciliaris)
Siberian Flycatcher (Muscicapa sibirica)
Brown-streaked Flycatcher (Muscicapa williamsoni)
Verditer Flycatcher (Eumyias thalassina)
Hainan Blue-Flycatcher (Cyornis hainanus)
Gray-headed Canary-flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis)
Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis)
White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus)
Chestnut-naped Forktail (Enicurus ruficapillus)-VULNERABLE
Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone atrocaudata)-VULNERABLE
Short-tailed Babbler (Malacocincla malaccensis)
Sooty-capped Babbler (Malacopteron affine)-VULNERABLE
Scaly-crowned Babbler (Malacopteron cinereum)
Rufous-fronted Babbler (Stachyris rufifrons)
Black-throated Babbler (Stachyris nigricollis)
Brown Fulvetta (Alcippe brunneicauda)-VULNERABLE
White-bellied Yuhina (Yuhina zantholeuca)
Malaysian Rail-babbler (Eupetes macrocerus)-VULNERABLE
Plain Sunbird (Anthreptes simplex)
Long-billed Spiderhunter (Arachnothera robusta)
Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra)
Gray-breasted Spiderhunter (Arachnothera modesta)
Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker (Prionochilus maculates)
Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker (Prionochilus percussus)
Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker (Prionochilus thoracicus)-VULNERABLE
Thick-billed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum agile)
Yellow-vented Flowerpecker (Dicaeum chrysorrheum)
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker (Dicaeum trigonostigma)
Everett's White-eye (Zosterops everetti)
Dark-throated Oriole (Oriolus xanthonotus)
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus)
Crested Jay (Platylophus galericulatus)-VULNERABLE
White-bellied Munia (Lonchura leucogastra)

80 Species

Next: Narathiwat peat swamp, Bangkok roadside marsh and fields, Khao Yai

Day 10

We drove early to one of the last remaining peat swamp forests in Thailand in the town of Narathiwat. We had targeted two species at this location, but our guide Komol had forgotten the tapes. We whistled in a lame attempt to see the birds but we couldn’t get the Shama to move. We walked through the peat swamp on a boardwalk built above the flooded forest.

White-chested Babbler (Trichastoma rostratum)-VULNERABLE
Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler (Macronous ptilosus)-VULNERABLE
Rufus-tailed Shama – HEARD ONLY

3 species

We flew to Bangkok and drove to Khao Yai stopping along the way on Ranjgit Highway 1 in the afternoon at an agricultural field with marshes. The Asian Openbills were circling above the fields which gave us the location.

Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger)
Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis
Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans)
Lesser Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna javanica
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus)
Oriental Pratincole (Glareola maldivarum)
Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Red Collared-Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica)
Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis)
Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata)
Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis)
White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)
Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus)
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)
Streak-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus blanfordi)
Plain Prinia (Prinia inornata)
Oriental Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis)
Thick-billed Warbler (Acrocephalus aedon)
Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis)
Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach)
White-vented Myna (Acridotheres grandis)
Asian Pied Starling (Gracupica contra)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montana)
Chestnut Munia (Lonchura atricapilla)

32 SPECIES

Evening check in at Juldis Khao Yai Resort and Spa, well known by birders. http://www.khaoyai.com/hotel.html

DAYS 11,12

We had come to Khao Yai for four species really: Great Hornbill, Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo, Silver Pheasant and Siamese Fireback. We failed at all of them. We never heard nor saw Great Hornbill. We drove the road for the Fireback every morning and evening and never saw nor heard one. We visited a Silver Pheasant site twice to no avail, although we did find a huge bunch of white dendrobium orchids growing on the rocky cliff. We twice heard the Ground-Cuckoo. In the first encounter, we hid ourselves well off trail and played the tape but the Cuckoo remained hidden while calling. In the second location the Cuckoo came in behind where we were hiding, startling itself and us and in the time it took to turn our heads it was gone. This was on the trail marked 5+400. Looks like we’ll have to try to pick up those species in Viet Nam.We were comforted by long looks at a pair of Eared Pitta and some other species we hadn’t seen on our previous trip to Thailand. Twice we were teased by calling Blue Pitta but never saw it.

Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus)
Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
Barred Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia unchall)
Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps indica)
Brown-backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus)
Asian Palm-Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis)
Red-headed Trogon (Harpactes erythrocephalus)
Orange-breasted Trogon (Harpactes oreskios)
Banded Kingfisher (Lacedo pulchella)
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater (Merops leschenaultia)
Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis)
Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis)
Oriental Pied-Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)
Wreathed Hornbill (Aceros undulates)
Green-eared Barbet (Megalaima faiostricta)
Moustached Barbet (Megalaima incognita)
Greater Yellownape (Picus flavinucha)
Greater Flameback (Chrysocolaptes lucidus)
Banded Broadbill (Eurylaimus javanicus)
Long-tailed Broadbill (Psarisomus dalhousiae)
Eared Pitta (Pitta phayrei)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina melaschistos)
Black-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus atriceps)
Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)
Puff-throated Bulbul (Alophoixus pallidus)
Yellow-bellied Bulbul (Alophoixus phaeocephalus)
Ashy Bulbul (Hemixos flavala)
Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis)
Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)
Eastern Crowned Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus coronatus)
Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica)
Hill Blue-Flycatcher (Cyornis banyumas)
Slaty-backed Forktail (Enicurus schistaceus)
White-crowned Forktail (Enicurus leschenaultia)
Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica)
White-crested Laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus)
Black-throated Laughingthrush (Garrulax chinensis)
Abbott's Babbler (Malacocincla abbotti)
White-browed Scimitar-Babbler (Pomatorhinus schisticeps)
White-bellied Yuhina (Yuhina zantholeuca)
Sultan Tit (Melanochlora sultanea)
Black-throated Sunbird (Aethopyga saturate)
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker (Dicaeum ignipectus)
Slender-billed Oriole (Oriolus tenuirostris)
Asian Fairy-bluebird (Irena puella)
Hair-crested Drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus)
Ashy Woodswallow (Artamus fuscus)
Green Magpie (Cissa chinensis)
Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)
Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
Black-collared Starling (Gracupica nigricollis)

52 Species

Next: Samut Sakhon on the Gulf of Siam and the Ban Ka Long salt flats, Kaeng-Krachen National Park

Day 13

We drove from Khao Yai West back through Bangkok stopping in Samut Sakhon on the Gulf of Siam and the Ban Ka Long salt flats where a Spoon-billed Sandpiper had been for a few weeks. Unfortunately, it had flown days before we arrived.

Highlights included good looks at Slaty-breasted Rail feeding in a gully and Ruddy-breasted Crake in short grass unaware of us. Brown-headed Gull is a specialty here.

Indian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis)
Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger)
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Intermediate Egret (Egretta intermedia)
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
Javan Pond-Heron (Ardeola speciosa)
Striated Heron (Butorides striatus)
Slaty-breasted Rail (Gallirallus striatus)
Ruddy-breasted Crake (Porzana fusca)
White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)
Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva)
Little Ringed Plover(Charadrius dubius)
Mongolian Plover (Charadrius mongolus)
Greater Sandplover (Charadrius leschenaultia)
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
Common Redshank (Tringa tetanus)
Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)
Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta)
Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)
Brown-headed Gull (Larus brunnicephalus)
Little Tern (Sterna albifrons)
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus)
White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus)
Collared Kingfisher (Todirhamphus chloris)
Greater Yellownape (Picus flavinucha)
Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Racket-tailed Treepie (Crypsirina temia)

33 Species

In the afternoon we drove on to Kaeng-Krachen National Park.

Days 14, 15

Kaeng-Krachen National Park is the largest park in Thailand and borders Myanmar at the crest of the mountains. Specialties include Ratchet- tailed Treepie, Gray Peacock-Pheasant and Spot-necked Babbler. We missed the Peacock-Pheasant and wondered if it was just our luck with pheasants on this trip or was it the wrong season. We spent a few hours two mornings hoping to see a pair of Blue Pitta which we could hear but we only got blurred glimpses. We did however see the rare red- bearded Stump-tailed Macaque descend from a tree to the ground while we were hiding.

Highlights included three species of Broadbill including a Long-tailed Broadbill on a nest, a calling Ratchet-tailed Treepie and good looks at the Spot-necked Babbler and Buff-breasted Babbler.

Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
Mountain Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula badia)
Vernal Hanging-Parrot (Loriculus vernalis)
Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis)
Asian Barred Owlet (Glaucidium cuculoides)
Brown Hawk-Owl (Ninox scutulata)
Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus)
Brown-backed Needletail (Hirundapus giganteus)
Asian Palm-Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis)
White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)
Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis)
Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis)
Oriental Pied-Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)
Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis)-VULNERABLE
Great Barbet (Megalaima virens)
Green-eared Barbet (Megalaima faiostricta)
Blue-throated Barbet (Megalaima asiatica)
Greater Yellownape (Picus flavinucha)
Greater Flameback (Chrysocolaptes lucidus)
Dusky Broadbill (Corydon sumatranus)
Long-tailed Broadbill (Psarisomus dalhousiae)
Silver-breasted Broadbill (Serilophus lunatus)
Banded Broadbill (Eurylaimus javanicus)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus)
Small Minivet (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus)
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike (Hmipus picatus)
Black-crested Bulbul (Pycnonotus melanicterus)
Flavescent Bulbul (Pycnonotus flavescens)
Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)
Cream-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus simplex)
Ochraceous Bulbul (Alophoixus ochraceus)
Olive Bulbul (Ile virescens)
Mountain Bulbul (Ixos mcclellandii)
Blue-winged Leafbird (Chloropsis cochinchinensis)
Zitting Cisticola (Csticola juncidis)
Plain Prinia (Prinia inornata)
Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)
Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica)
Rufous-browed Flycatcher (Ficedula solitaries)
Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis)
White-throated Fantail (Rhipidura albicollis)
Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush (Garrulax pectoralis)
Black-throated Laughingthrush (Garrulax chinensis)
Buff-breasted Babbler (Pellorneum tickelli)
Puff-throated Babbler (Pellorneum ruficeps)
Golden Babbler (Stachyris chrysaea)
Gray-throated Babbler (Stachyris nigriceps)
Spot-necked Babbler (Stachyris striolata)
White-browed Shrike-Babbler (Pteruthius flaviscapis)
White-hooded Babbler (Gampsorhynchus rufulus)
Striated Yuhina (Yuhina castaniceps)
Black-throated Sunbird (Aethopyga saturate)
Streaked Spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna)
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker (Dicaeum ignipectus)
Asian Fairy-bluebird (Irena puella)
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus remifer)
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus)
Ratchet-tailed Treepie (Temnurus temnurus)

59 Species

Garry George
Los Angeles, California

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