Asia Times: THE WILD SIDE


	January 26, 2002	atimes.com

Southeast Asia

THE WILD SIDE
Thrushes and flowerpeckers and swifts, oh my!
By Michael Spencer
(Picture: P Poonsawad)

BANGKOK - The search for new pastimes has led people down some strange paths. They hit balls of varying sizes in games of varying rules and playing surfaces, or else they defy death and serious injury in mechanical contraptions that take them where the human body was obviously not designed to go. Of course, there are also those whose favorite hobby involves pressing buttons on a remote control while lying flat on their backs, and then there are the happy few who spend their free time wandering in places of great natural beauty equipped only with a pair of binoculars.

These are birdwatchers, a growing tribe of enthusiasts who get their thrills from spotting and identifying rare birds at the same time as pursuing an activity that imbues even the simplest nature ramble with a sense of purpose.

Birdwatching belies its sedate if somewhat naff reputation. Indeed, although it can be practiced from a chair in a suburban garden, more often than not it leads its practitioners into remote and wild areas far off the beaten track. It takes skill, knowledge, determination, and a fair degree of luck, and considering some of the risks birders have taken to pursue their quarry, it could even be considered an "extreme" sport of sorts.

While it is difficult to profile a typical birdwatcher, a large proportion are well-educated professionals attracted by the mix of intellectual challenge and physical activity that birdwatching offers. For some it even becomes an obsession and they travel the world in search of elusive "ticks", as confirmed sightings are called in birding jargon.

Worldwide, birds are under threat from hunting and habitat loss with the result that areas where interesting birds are to be found are remote and time-consuming to access. Exceptional birding locations that don't require mounting an expedition to visit have become few and far between. One of the rare exceptions, however is Thailand, a country that is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the world's prime birdwatching destinations.

Birders are attracted primarily by the presence of nearly 1,000 different bird species in the country, fully 10 percent of the world's total. This impressive diversity is due to the presence of a large range of habitats, the mountains of the cool north attracting a totally different array of birds than the lowland forests of the south and the long coastline with its saltpans, mangroves and beaches.

What sets Thailand apart from other countries in Asia that also have rich birdlife is the sheer accessibility of its prime birdwatching sites. Two of the very best, Khao Yai and Kaeng Krachan, are only a two-hour drive from Bangkok and the top site in the north, Doi Inthanon, is a comfortable day trip from Chiang Mai. Add to this good accommodations, a high degree of personal safety, and delicious Thai food and it is small wonder that the Kingdom is now considered a birder's paradise.

While it is possible to observe interesting birds almost anywhere in Thailand, even in city parks, the following sites are renowned for both the variety and rarity of the species that occur there as well as the beauty of their natural surroundings.

1. KHAO YAI NATIONAL PARK
Thailand's premier national park is only two hours northeast of Bangkok and offers world-class birding opportunities with a range of accommodation possibilities nearby. With a variety of habitats ranging from broad-leafed evergreen to submontane forest at the upper elevations, Khao Yai counts more than 300 resident and migrant species of birds.

Large flocks of wreathed hornbills roost in the park from August to September and the usually elusive Siamese fireback pheasant can often be seen near the main road. Other notable birds found close to park headquarters include the coral-billed ground cuckoo, the silver-breasted broadbill, the blue pitta, and the orange-breasted trogon.

2. KAENG KRACHAN NATIONAL PARK
Kaeng Krachan, the kingdom's largest park, is probably the best birding destination in Thailand. Its thickly forested hills and valleys are still largely pristine and wild. Over 400 species have been recorded here, many of them rare or difficult to see elsewhere. Although it is also only two hours from Bangkok, access is not as easy as at Khao Yai. The road to park headquarters is best negotiated in a four-wheel drive vehicle.

But the bounty for the birdwatcher is well worth the effort. The park attracts both northern montane species such as the great barbet and birds from the southern peninsula like the green broadbill as well as important populations of great hornbills, crested serpent eagles, kalej and gray peacock pheasants, and scarlet minivets. The woolly-necked stork and the ratchet-tailed treepie have also been recorded, and to the delight of serious birders, previously unrecorded species continue to make an appearance here.

3. THE COAST FROM SAMUT SAKHORN TO PETCHBURI
Just over an hour southwest of Bangkok on the road to Hua Hin, the salt pans, mudflats and mangroves along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand are excellent locations to see a variety of waders and water birds, especially in the winter from October to May. Internationally important populations of 16 water birds are found here, including the globally threatened spoonbilled sandpiper as well as many other gulls, terns, and shorebirds.

The Ban Laem area on the coast near Petchburi attracts large numbers of waders, including a flock of up to 100 painted storks that migrate here when the great lakes of Cambodia fill up in August and September.

4. KHAO SAM ROI YOT
The 300 limestone peaks of this small national park on the coast 40 km south of Hua Hin are worth visiting even if you are not a birdwatcher. There are fine deserted beaches and caves to explore and the park is a sanctuary for rare mammals like the dusky leaf monkey and the elusive serow, a goat-like antelope.

The marshes, reed beds and mudflats attract around 275 bird species including the globally threatened Malaysian plover. This is the only place the Manchurian reed warbler is known to winter, and other notable birds include the Northern thick knee, the mangrove whistler, and the purple heron. Pied and Eastern marsh harriers patrol overhead along with the occasional spotted and imperial eagle. There is also a breeding pair of white-bellied sea eagles that nests close to park headquarters.

5. KRABI MANGROVES AND KHAO NOR CHUCHI
While most visitors to Krabi head straight for the beach, birders instead flock to the nearby mangrove swamps where rare birds like the masked finfoot, mangrove blue flycatcher, brown-winged kingfisher and mangrove pitta are to be found. Large numbers of waders and terns can be spotted at low tide on the estuary mudflats in Krabi Bay. Nordmann's greenshank, in particular, is a much sought-after shorebird that winters here.

A mecca for serious birders is located another 40 km south of Krabi at Khao Nor Chuchi. This is the only place in the world to see Guerney's pitta, one of Thailand's most endangered species, now reduced to only 11 breeding pairs. The remaining fragments of tropical lowland forest in the area also host another five species of pitta as well as a number of other uncommon species typically found much further to the south in Malaysia like the whiskered tree swift and Diard's trogon.

6. DOI INTHANON NATIONAL PARK
The national park around the highest peak in Thailand is far and away the best birding site in the north and within easy striking distance of Chiang Mai. The vegetation on the 2,565-meter-high mountain goes through a range of habitats that provide sanctuary to nearly 400 species, including many winter visitors. Birds of prey like the Mountain Hawk Eagle soar overhead, and on the summit rare birds like the green-tailed sunbird, the dark-sided thrush and the chestnut-crowned laughing thrush are tame enough to approach quite closely.

Trails on the mountain are good and easy to follow. If you are very lucky you may spot the purple cochoa on the Jeep track as well as a host of babblers and flycatchers.

7. LUMPINI PARK
If you're only spending a few days in Bangkok, Lumpini Park in the center of town near Silom and Rama IV roads is a good place to start brushing up on common bird species, over 160 of which have been recorded here.

Early mornings are best when some unusual birds like the vinous-breasted starling, the scarlet-backed flowerpecker, and the coppersmith barbet can be seen. September to October is a good time to spot winter migrants like the great-eared nightjar and the Asian paradise flycatcher.

Equipment and tips
Like any sport, you get better at birdwatching the more you practice. It helps too to have a good pair of binoculars and a field guide to recognize the different species, especially the LBJs (little brown jobs) that tend to resemble each other. With a high number of resident species, birding can be practiced all year round in Thailand, but the greatest number of birds can be seen from January to April when the winter migrants are present.

For comfort take a hat, water, and insect repellent. Wear drab-colored clothing and good shoes and try to make as little noise as possible. Try sitting quietly in one place and waiting for the birds to appear. When birding off the trail in forests it is advisable to take a local guide or inform someone where you are going and when you expect to return.

The Bird Conservation Society of Thailand is an excellent source of information on birdwatching activities throughout the country and they also organize regular field trips.

Address: 69/12 Ram Intra 24
Jarakhebua, Lardprao
Bangkok
10230

Tel: (662) 943-5965 Fax: (662) 519-3385

Websites
Oriental bird club http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/

World Twitch http://worldtwitch.virtualave.net/

Nature Trails http://www.naturetrails.homestead.com/birdwatching.html

Birdlife International http://www.birdlife.org.uk/

Wetlands International http://www.wetlands.org/

Books
A Guide to the Birds of Thailand by Boonsong Lekagul

A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig Robson

Birds of South East Asia - A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia by Morten Strange

For serious birders, an excellent series of checklist booklets published by Mahidol University are available from the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand.

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