Birdwatching in Thailand - My Favourite Birds

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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.

Birds of Thailand Fieldguide 

Birds of Thailand (Princeton Field Guides)

Amazon Price: $25.55 (as of 12/04/2009)Buy Now

Anyone considering birdwatching in Thailand is going to require a field guide in order to identify what they see. Whilst it is not perfect and there have been a number of additions since publication, Craig Robson's Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand is probably the best single book for visitors to use.

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.

My Favourite Bird in Thailand: River Chat 

River Chat is by no means the rarest or hardest to find of bird species in Thailand, 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 or in the small waterfall in the grounds of Ban Luang Resort at Doi Ang Kang. 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 Of 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!

More photos of Silver-eared Mesia can be found here: Silver-eared Mesia.

Another 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 Bueng Boraphet, about 3 hours north of Bangkok. Bueng Boraphet 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!

Find out more about Pied Kingfisher here: Pied Kingfisher

Great Hornbill - Thailand's Greatest Bird? 

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.

A Vocalizing Great Pied Hornbill in the Top of a Fig Tree

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I have many happy memories of watching Great Hornbills at Khao Yai National Park and to me the two will always go together.

Great Hornbill At The Nest In Thailand 

This video clip shows a male Great Hornbill feeding his mate. She is sealed within the nest cavity and will not emerge until the chick is ready to fledge.

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: Gurney's Pitta 

Gurney's Pitta is the most sought after bird species for birdwatchers visiting Thailand according to a survey I did in 2007.

Pittas in Thailand are an enigmatic group of birds and difficult to see, so any sighting is special and I have been lucky enough to see Gurney's Pitta on several occasions.

Although recently a population of as many as 20,000 pairs of Gurney's Pitta were discovered in southern Myanmar, the tiny population in southern Thailand remains most birdwatchers' best hope of seeing one.

Spoon-billed Sandpiper 

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a winter visitor to Thailand, arriving in October and departing for Siberia in March. 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; Spoon-billed Sandpiper is now classed as a critically endangered species.

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 making all sightings special 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 its snowy white plumage which contrasts 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.

The Olive-backed Sunbirds that visit me in Bangkok are such colourful little characters that I have given them their own lens: My Olive-backed Sunbirds in Bangkok

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Rhinoceros Hornbill 

A Rhinoceros Hornbill Perched in the Crown of a Fruiting Fig Tree

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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.

Unfortunately, there is currently unrest in that region and as wonderful as it is, it is not risking travelling to that area right now due to the ongoing violence.

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. Golden Babbler is also a fairly common bird at Kaeng Krachan from Km 27 to Panoen Tung campsite.

Birds of Thailand Photo Gallery 2 

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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.

Birdwatching in Thailand 

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.

Thailand Guidebooks 

When travelling around Thailand, a guidebook is very useful; the maps come into their own particularly when arriving in a new town/city.

Useful Thailand Lenses 

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Birds of Thailand Photo Credits 

I must thank Peter Ericsson, Suppalak Klabdee, Banphot Kittinglert, Hans Stehl, Alister Benn and Johan Svensson for the use of their wonderful bird photos.

About The Lens Author 

Lensmaster nickupton has been a member since June 23 2007, has rated 150 lenses, favorited 73, and has created 63 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "The Sneetches by Dr Seuss". 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)

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