The Amazing Birds of Thailand
I have been birdwatching in Britain since I was just 7 years old, but in comparison, birdwatching in Thailand can be a most amazing experience due to the huge variety of species. Biodiversity is very high in tropical Asia and this is reflected by almost 1000 bird species having been seen in Thailand with new species being discovered every year.
Having been birdwatching in Thailand since 1996 I have been treated to some amazing sightings of some incredibly beautiful and sometimes strange birds. This lens highlights some of my favourite species of birds in Thailand.
if you are looking for places to watch birds when in Thailand please take a look at another one of my lenses; Where to Watch Birds in Thailand.
Shopping for Birders
Clicking on the banner above will take you to the online nature mall which stocks a huge range of birding products from optical equipment to toys, books and bird feeders.
A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand
The most up-to-date checklist of the birds of Thailand as compiled by the ,Bird Conservation Society of Thailand can be downloaded here: Birds of Thailand.
Birds of Thailand (Princeton Field Guides)
Amazon Price: $26.60 (as of 07/12/2009) 
My Favourite Bird in Thailand: River Chat
River Chat is by no means the rarest or hardest to find bird species, but it is one of the most striking. Its colours are so contrasting that it looks like it has been designed by a small child.I have often seen River Chat at the base of Vatcharitan Waterfall in Doi Inthanon National Park. These falls are a rather beautiful setting with their mists swirling around frond-like ferns, and to see a bird as stunning as River Chat in this setting is always a satisfying experience.
My second Favourite Bird in Thailand: Silver-eared Mesia
Well, who wouldn't love Silver-eared Mesia? Just look at it, what amazing colours. If one were to sit down and try and design the most beautiful bird possible, it would surely look something like this.I have most often run into this species at Doi Ang Kang and it seems that it nearly always perches amongst dark green foliage, as if to highlight its brightly coloured plumage. What a bird!
Another one of my Favourite Birds of Thailand: Pied Kingfisher
Kingfishers are always high on most people's favourite bird lists and this one is quite special. It is not one of the rarer birds of Thailand, although not too many people see it often. I've seen it at Bang Pra Reservoir on my days out from Bangkok. Bang Pra is a really nice place and to see a Pied Kingfisher hovering above the water is a lovely experience. It's quite a large bird, about the size of a Pigeon, and this, along with its unusual behaviour and black-and-white colouration make it quite a noticeable bird - go and see it! Yet another Great Bird in Thailand: Great Hornbill
Great by name and great by nature, the impressive size of a Great Hornbill is enough to turn anyone into a birdwatcher. A number of non-birdwatchers have accompanied me to Khao Yai National Park and the atmosphere created by the "Gok Gok" call of the Great Hornbill, along with the awesome sight and sound of it in flight, has inspired them to go and buy a pair of binoculars.I have many happy memories of watching Great Hornbills at Khao Yai National Park and to me the two will always go together.
Video clip of Great Hornbill
The great love of Great Hornbill.
This male Great Hornbill is feeding his mate with love, at Khao Yai National Park.
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Thailand's Most Wanted Bird
Pittas are an enigmatic and difficult to see group of birds and Gurney's Pitta is perhaps the most sought-after. In a survey I held on my website thaibirding.com the beautiful Gurney's Pitta was voted the most wanted species to see by visiting birdwatchers. I have been lucky enough to see this bird a number of times and it is indeed a fabulous sight. A fantastic winter visitor: Spoon-billed Sandpiper
The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a winter visitor to Thailand, arriving in October and departing for Siberia in April. With its distinctive bill and unique feeding action this is one of the most sought after birds in the world and its numbers are rapidly declining, partly due to problems on its breeding grounds and partly due to the destruction of feeding grounds along its migratory route.This is a super bird and is most easily picked out from Red-necked Stints, with which it feeds, by its bright white colouration and not its bill shape. In Thailand it is regularly seen at Khok Kham and Laem Pak Bia/Pak Thale.
Another Beautiful bird from Thailand: Black-throated Sunbird
Birdwatching in Thailand's forests can be tricky at times but an encounter with this cheeky little guy is fairly common and always a welcome sight. Black-throated Sunbird is one of those species that many people overlook but it is colourful enough to brighten up the forest and it is rather entertaining to watch it drinking nectar from forest flowers. Birds of Thailand Photo Gallery 1
Pied Imperial Pigeon
Pied Imperial Pigeon is one of my favourite species in Thailand just because of the contrast of its plumage against the dark leaves of the trees it perches in. This species is mostly found on offshore islands in the south of Thailand and it just adds another colour to the blue of the sea and sky, the silvery sand and green foliage - whenever I see Pied Imperial Pigeon I know I am in a beautiful island paradise such as Ko Similan. Pheasant-tailed Jacana: A Weird and Wonderful Species
If you are not impressed by Pheasant-tailed Jacana then I suggest that birdwatching isn't for you. With its contrasting colours, splendid tail and curious mewing call it is a very memorable species indeed.This is not a common bird in Thailand but I am lucky in that my local patch at Muang Boran Fishponds has them in abundance.
Olive-backed Sunbird
Olive-backed Sunbird is one of the commonest birds in Thailand but what makes it special to me is that it is one of the few species that can be watched almost anywhere due to its adaptability.This sunbird originates from mangroves but it is able to live alongside man in gardens, parks and even window boxes! There is a pair of Olive-backed Sunbirds that visit my yard every morning to drink from the flowers. For visiting birdwatchers, Olive-backed Sunbird is easy to see in Bangkok's Parks: Suan Luang, Lumphini Park and Suan Rot Fai.
Another Superstar of a bird: Rhinoceros Hornbill
Rhinoceros Hornbill is another amazing bird, so much more impressive in real life than any photo or illustration can show. In parts of Malaysia and Indonesia this bird is fairly common in quality forests, but in Thailand it is restricted to Hala Bala in the far south. There it is relatively common and a beautiful sight in the early morning.
Striated Grassbird
For some reason Striated Grassbird is one of my favourite birds. It really shouldn't be as it is a fairly dull-coloured, brown streaky bird with a cacophonous song.Still, I like it as it sits out on very exposed perches and launches itself into the air to give its song, virtually all year round. At my local patch at Muang Boran Fishponds this bird is unusually common and it is a great place to study the species.
Golden Babbler
Golden Babbler is a common forest bird in Northern Thailand but it is a real character. As well as being nicely coloured, Golden Babbler is an inquisitive member of mixed bird flocks and it reacts quite aggressively if one mimics its call, coming to within a few feet of the origin of the call.The jeep track at Km 37.5, Doi Inthanon and Mae Per forest trail at Doi Ang Kang are great places to find Golden Babbler.
Birds of Thailand Photo Gallery 2
Recommended Books
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Chiang Rai Guesthouse: Bread and Butter Cottage, Chiang Saen, Thailand
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Bread and Butter Cottage is a Lanna-style guesthouse located in a traditonal Thai village in the low hills close to Chiang Saen Lake in Chiang Rai province of northern Thailand. The cottage is simple but comfortable with four bedrooms, catering for...
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Birdwatching in Thailand - Where to Watch Birds in Thailand.
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Beautiful scenery, good food, low prices, friendly people and warm weather all make Thailand a very popular destination for holiday makers. Almost 1000 bird species, many of which are fantastic colours and huge sizes, also make Thailand a wonderful p...
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Birdwatching in Thailand: Free Maps, Checklists and Trip Reports.
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Thaibirding.com is a website that I designed to provide information on the best birdwatching locations throughout Thailand. The website contains free and comprehensive information on many locations, including maps, travel advice, facilities and the b...
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Birdwatching in Thailand - Information
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Birdwatching in Thailand is a fantastic pastime due to the country's geographic location. Thailand's position at the junction of Wallacea, Indochina and Himalayan foothills means that there is a wide variety of bird species to see and by traveling ar...
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Helm Bird Identification Guides
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Great Gifts for Bird Lovers
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Sometimes buying gifts for Christmas, birthdays or as a thank you can be really difficult. However, buying gifts for bird lovers is really easy, particularly those bird lovers with a garden, as a new feeder, table or other device to attract birds is...
Birdwatching in Thailand External Links
- Birdwatching in Thailand
- Birdwatching in Thailand; Free information, checklists, trip reports, maps and news on birdwatching in Thailand
- Top Ten Birds of Thailand
- A list of the ten most wanted bird species in Thailand as voted for by visiting birdwatchers.
- Bird Conservation Society of Thailand
- The official Birdlife International partner in Thailand.
- Peter Ericsson's Photo Gallery of Thai Birds
- A wonderful gallery of many of Thailand's fantastic birds.
- Johan Svensson's Photo Gallery of Thai birds
- A beautiful gallery of some of Thailand's amazing birds.
- Suppalak Klabdee's Photo Gallery of Thai birds
- A wonderful collection of some difficult to find birds.
- Thailand Views
- A collection of quite superb photographs of birds of Thailand.
- Thailand Bird Tours
- Tailor-made day tours and longer birdwatching tours in Thailand.
- Thailand Birding
- The Thailand section of my blog: Dartford Waffler.
- Bread and Butter Cottage
- A Lanna-style house for rent near Chiang Saen.
Useful Thailand Lenses
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Thailand Travel Advice: 10 Memorable Things to Do in Bangkok
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Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand and is famously polluted, congested and hectic. Perhaps the last of those is its strong point because whatever else it may be, Bangkok is never boring. I have lived in Bangkok since 1997 and although there are...
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Thailand Travel Advice: 10 Things To Avoid Doing In Thailand
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This lens provides travel advice on ten things that one should not do in Thailand and why one should not do them. Thailand is generally a laid back country where people don't get uptight about small things going wrong and daily inconveniences; this...
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Reader Feedback
ElizabethJeanAllen wrote...
Hi,
My name is Elizabeth Jean Allen and I am the new group leader for the Nature and the Outdoors Group.
Welcome.
Lizzy
Posted May 23, 2009
grammargoddess wrote...
Great bird shots. I'm always amazed at the variety of our feathered friends.
Posted May 21, 2009
CheekyMonkey wrote...
Great Hornbill is my favourite, I saw one in Khao Yai national park once......awesome.
Posted May 12, 2009
dustytoes wrote...
What pretty birds live in Thailand. Love the pictures and info. Linking to my bird lens. 5 stars.
Posted February 20, 2009
bronwenevans wrote...
Great to have found this group. I have a place on the Southeast coast of the gulf of Thailand, Kung Wiman where we get a great variety of forest and migratory birds. We have many varieties of drongos that seem to be the alpha birds of the neighbourhood - chasing hawks away and that helps the smaller birds which are flourishing. Right now lots of nesting birds and a family of bulbuls (yellow with black crest) in the bougainvillea by the house. My camera isn't that good so sorry no photos.
Posted September 04, 2008
Birds of Thailand Photo Credits
About The Lens Author
Lensmaster nickupton, aka nick upton, has been a member since June 23 2007, has rated 77 lenses, favorited 62, and has created 49 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "Thailand Travel Advice: 10 Things To Avoid Doing In Thailand". See all my lenses
by nickupton
Having been a birdologist since the age of seven I am something of an ornithological recluse. However, I managed to gain adulthood, if onl... (more)
