Overview
From November to March Thailand is home to an exciting mix of rare palearctic migrants and spectacular resident species. In late December, 2010 I saw 417 species in 12 days, including many highly sought after species such as Chinese Egret, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Nordmann’s Greenshank, Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo and Eared Pitta.
Nick Upton of Thaibirding was my very capable guide. Nick has lived in Thailand for 15 years, speaks Thai and knows the birds and the key sites extremely well. More importantly he worked very hard to ensure that I saw as many of my target species as possible in the relatively short period of time that I had available. We visited Pak Thale, Lam Pak Bia, Kaeng Krachan NP, Khao Yai NP, Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, Mae Ping NP, Doi Ang Kang, Doi Lang and Fang Hot Springs.
Bird of the trip was the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper. They can be surprisingly hard to pick out amongst the thousands of waders and patience is required in order to see the bill well. The aesthetic highlight was a brilliant male Siberian Rubythroat perched out in the morning sunshine. A Lanceolated Warbler which flushed from dense grass and subsequently tried to hide in a rather open bush allowing a detailed examination of its subtly beautiful markings came in a close second.
A brief visit to Khao Yai NP was spectacularly successful. Within half an hour of setting up a blind we had seen 4 Orange-headed Thrushes of two subspecies, a male Siberian Blue Robin, a male White-throated Rock-Thrush and a stunning Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo parading about in the relatively open understory. Half an hour later on a nearby trail we stumbled upon a male Eared Pitta hopping nonchalantly through the leaf litter.
In the north-west the two main targets, Hume’s Pheasant and Giant Nuthatch, were proving to be elusive with few recent sightings. However,persistence paid off with a nice male pheasant next to the road and a responsive nuthatch along a side ridge. There weren’t many wintering thrushes to be found but there were lots of confusing warblers to look at; fortunately many of them were inclined to call.
Some of the other uncommon wintering species seen were; Great Bittern, Eurasian Widgeon, Ruff, Long-toed Stint, Red Knot, Temminck’s Stint, Red- necked Phalarope, Pallas Gull, Booted Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Grey- faced Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Asian Stubtail, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Sapphire Flycatcher, White-bellied Redstart, Daurian Redstart, Black-breasted Thrush, Fire-tailed Sunbird, and Chestnut-eared Bunting.
Silver Oriole, Brahminy Starling and Rosy Starling were unexpected rarities.
A list of highlights, as well as a summary of daily highlights adapted from the Recent Sightings section of Nick’s comprehensive website, www.thaibirding.com, are given below. His website has a wealth of information on birding sites throughout Thailand.
Daily Highlights
On 20th December 3 Spoon-billed Sandpipers were seen at Pak Thale along with 2 Nordmann's Greenshank, 5 Red Knot, 1 Terek Sandpiper, 3 Red- necked Phalaropes and a Dunlin. Nearby, a subadult Heuglin's Gull and an adult Pallas's Gull were loafing with a flock of Brown-headed Gulls. At Laem Pak Bia sandspit a female White-faced Plover was seen and a Brahminy Starling was seen at the rubbish tip near the abandoned building. On salt pans a little north of the King's project 11 Eurasian Widgeon were seen along with 3 Nordmann's Greenshank and over 1000 Great Knot. At the King's project 1 juvenile Rosy Starling was present amongst several hundred White-shouldered and Chestnut-tailed Starlings. At some freshwater wetlands at Laem Pak Bia 2 Great Bitterns and 3 Grey-headed Lapwings were seen.
Notable birds seen at Kaeng Krachan on 21st-23rd December included 2 Scaly-breasted Partridges at Ban Song Nok; a female Pin-tailed Parrotfinch, 2 Red-bearded Bee-eaters, a Crimson-winged Woodpecker and 5 Yellow- vented Green Pigeons at Tor Tip waterfall car park; 2 Rufous-bellied Eagles, 1 male Silver Oriole, a Black-and-buff Woodpecker, 4 Ratchet-tailed Treepies, 2 Long-tailed Broadbills and a female Mugimaki Flycatcher at Km 27.5; a pair of Black Eagles at Km 24; a Crimson-winged Woodpecker at stream 3 and a female Streak-throated Woodpecker at Km 9. 1 Chinese Egret was seen in mangroves at Laem Pak Bia and a male White-faced Plover and 1 Terek Sandpiper were seen on the sand spit on 23rd December.
On 24th December the Pha Gluai Mai stakeout in Khao Yai NP produced 1 Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo, 1 male and 2 female Siberian Blue Robins, 1 Hainan Blue Flycatcher, 1 male White-throated Rock Thrush and 4 Orange- headed Thrushes (all viewed from within a blind, which is highly recommended if not necessary).
At Sakaerat Biosphere reserve a party of 12 Siamese Fireback Pheasants were observed from a distance of 1 metre! 2 Black-headed Woodpeckers, 1 Burmese Shrike and 3 Brown Prinias were seen in dry dipterocarp forest.
On 26th December, 3 Speckled Woodpigeons and a female Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker were seen in early morning sunshine approximately 2kms before the summit of Doi Inthanon; at the summit 3 Ashy Woodpigeons were feeding on a fruiting tree.
On the morning of 27th December the following were seen at Mae Ping national park; 1 female White-rumped Falcon, 4 Collared Falconets, 1 Rufous-winged Buzzard, 3 Black Bazas, 5 Blossom-headed Parakeets, 7 Grey-headed Parakeets, 1 White-bellied Woodpecker, 4 Common Woodshrikes and 3 Black-headed Woodpeckers.
A late afternoon visit to Mae Hia, near Chiang Mai, on 27th December was rewarded with 1 male and 1 female Siberian Rubythroat and a Lanceolated Warbler.
Highlights from Doi Ang Kang, 28-29th December included a male Daurian Redstart at Ban Nor Lae army camp; 1 male Hume's Pheasant at Km 34; 1 Giant Nuthatch, 1 Slender-billed Oriole, and 2 Sapphire Flycatchers (1 female and 1 first winter male) at Km 31; 2 male and 1 female Black- breasted Thrush, 2 Scaly Thrushes and 2 Dark-sided Thrushes behind the kitchen at the King's project; 1 male White-bellied Redstart near Ban Luang; 1 male White-tailed Robin behind the mushroom farm at the King's project, 1 Little Bunting at the Chinese cemetery; 2 Red-faced Liocichlas at Km 21.
At Doi Lang on 30th December a Fire-tailed Sunbird, a male Chestnut Bunting, 2 Pallas's Leaf Warblers and a Buff-throated Leaf Warbler were seen at the buddliea viewpoint. Close to the second checkpoint a party of 10 Black-throated Tits, a female Himalayan Bluetail, a White-gorgeted Flycatcher and a Crimson-breasted Woodpecker were seen. About 4kms uphill from the second checkpoint 4 Long-tailed Sibias were observed and a male Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher was present at the feeding station behind the kitchen at the second checkpoint. At the rice paddies, on Doi Lang, a male Jerdon's Bushchat was seen and a Grey-faced Buzzard was basking in morning sun along with a male Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
At Fang Hot Springs on 31st December approximately 50 Spot-winged Grosbeaks were seen licking minerals off of trees behind the geyser; a male Plumbeous Redstart and 2 River Chats were also seen. At Fang rice fields 4 Oriental Skylarks and a Chestnut-eared Bunting were found.
Lifers and Other Highlights
Scaly-breasted Partridge
Mountain Bamboo-Partridge
Siamese Fireback
Hume's Pheasant
Indian Cormorant
Great Bittern
Chinese Egret
Black Baza
Eastern Marsh-Harrier
Rufous-winged Buzzard
Gray-faced Buzzard
Booted Eagle
Greater Spotted Eagle
Rufous-bellied Eagle
White-rumped Falcon
Collared Falconet
Slaty-breasted Rail
Gray-headed Lapwing
Nordmann's Greenshank
Great Knot
Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Long-toed Stint
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Greater Painted-Snipe
Yellow-vented Pigeon
Wedge-tailed Pigeon
Gray-headed Parakeet
Blossom-headed Parakeet
Indian Cuckoo
Banded Bay Cuckoo
Asian Emerald Cuckoo
Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo
Collared Scops-Owl
Rusty-cheeked Hornbill
Great Hornbill
Wreathed Hornbill
Laced Woodpecker
Streak-throated Woodpecker
Black-headed Woodpecker
Black-and-buff Woodpecker
Eared Pitta
Rosy Minivet
Brown-rumped Minivet
Ashy Minivet
Slender-billed Oriole
Maroon Oriole
Silver Oriole
Ratchet-tailed Treepie
Green Magpie
Indochinese Bushlark
Asian House-Martin
Sultan Tit
Asian Stubtail
Giant Nuthatch
Crested Finchbill
Brown-breasted Bulbul
White-headed Bulbul
Buff-throated Warbler
Yellow-streaked Warbler
Pallas's Leaf-Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Arctic Warbler
Pale-legged Leaf-Warbler
Eastern Crowned Leaf-Warbler
Sulphur-breasted Warbler
Gray-crowned Warbler
Bianchi's Warbler
Lanceolated Warbler
Slaty-backed Flycatcher
Mugimaki Flycatcher
Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
White-gorgeted Flycatcher
Sapphire Flycatcher
Siberian Rubythroat
Siberian Blue Robin
Himalayan Bluetail
Daurian Redstart
White-capped Redstart
White-bellied Redstart
White-tailed Robin
Jerdon's Bushchat
White-throated Rock-Thrush
Orange-headed Thrush
Scaly Thrush
Dark-sided Thrush
Black-breasted Thrush
White-browed Shortwing
White-browed Laughingthrush
Red-faced Liocichla
Large Scimitar-Babbler
Spot-necked Babbler
Collared Babbler
Brown-cheeked Fulvetta
Striated Yuhina
Chestnut-flanked White-eye
Golden-crested Myna
Vinous-breasted Starling
Brahminy Starling
Rosy Starling
Plain Flowerpecker
Gould’s Sunbird
Richard's Pipit
Chestnut-eared Bunting
Spot-winged Grosbeak
Asian Golden Weaver
Pin-tailed Parrotfinch