Central Thailand 1-7th April, 2012

Jan Celis, Rudolf Lenaerts, Jan Arras from Belgium
Peter Ericsson


The goal of this trip was to see as many species as possible as it was the first time in South-East Asia for Jan, Rudi and Jan. All experienced and passionate birders wanting to bird non stop.
All in all 297 species were recorded which I thought was slightly low. Strangely so, no cyornis (blue flycatchers) were seen and several common Sunbirds were not encountered.
Instead we saw some passage migrant flycatchers: Mugimaki, Yellow-rumped and Blue and White, all lovely birds.
The King’s project at Lampakbia was closed so we dipped on snipes and a couple of crakes.
We also struggled with Pittas as Eared wasn’t calling and Blue only heard a couple of times at Khao Yai. Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo was only heard.
Nevertheless, a good many birds were seen including some iconic birds from the Broadbill, Pheasant, Kingfisher and Trogon families.

The following is a daily account:

Day 1: Headed strait for Bahktaley. Managed to find 1 Spoon-billed Sandpiper but in general there were few shorebirds around. Nordmann’s Greenshank and White-faced Plovers were no longer present in the area. Visited the sand spit and some fields en route.

Day 2: Visited lower levels of Kaengkrachan with a great array of birds showing. Moustached Hawk Cuckoo, Rusty-cheeked Hornbill, Orange-breasted Trogon, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Black-yellow Broadbill, Crested Jay, Banded Kingfisher, Gold-crested Mynas, Kalij Pheasant being some of the better ones.

Day 3: Higher levels of Kaengkrachan was slightly on the slow side but yielded some good birds: Long-tailed Broadbills, Red-bearded Bee-eater, White-collared Babbler, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Red-headed Trogon, White-browed Scimitar Babbler, Golden Babbler, Grey Treepie, Blue-throated Barbet, Great and Wreathed Hornbill to name a few.

Day 4: It would have been nice to have spent another day or two at Kaengkrachan but time didn’t allow so in the morning we set off for Khao Lookchang. Our main target was Black-headed Woodperckers and they didn’t let us down. Also Red-breasted Parakeets, Asian Barred Owlet and Lineated Barbets showed well.
Late morning was spent at fields of Petburi. All 3 species of Weavers (Streaked, Asian Golden, Baya) in full breeding plumages. A lovely Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker close to the car was a nice treat but no Aquila eagles showed around the fields.
The late afternoon saw us trying for Limestone Wren Babbler North of Salaburi but birds didn’t show (morning is so much better).

Day 5-6: Khao Yai saw us trying lots of different locations. A number of birds not seen at KK was added: Grey-eyed Bulbul, Puff-throated Bulbul, Plain and Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Silver Pheasants, Siamese Fireback, Scaly-breasted Partridges, Grey-backed Shrike, Collared Owlet, White-crested Laughingthrushes, Black Eagle, Moustached Barbet, Great Eared Nightjar and more.

Day 7: One last morning at Khao Yai and then off to the fish ponds at Muang Boran. The latter was teeming with birds and we saw several new ones for the trip: Striated Grassbird, White-browed Crake, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Chestnut Munia, Bronze-winged and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, Long-tailed Shrike, Yellow-bellied Prinia and Yellow, Cinnamon and Black Bitterns.

1. Little Grebe – abundant at MB
2. Spot-billed Pelican – all together 5 were seen at the Bahktaley and Lampakbia area. These were my first sightings of the birds for this year.
3. Indian Cormorants – BT and MB
4. Little Cormorants – common
5. Grey Heron – pretty common in suitable habitat
6. Purple Heron – Lampakbia, on route and at MB
7. Great Egret – common
8. Intermediate Egret – single birds seen only twice
9. Little Egret – common
10. Chinese Egret – 3 at Lampakbia
11. Pacific Reef Heron – a few at the sand spit
12. Javan Pond Heron – common and easy to ID in full breeding plumage
13. Chinese Pond Heron – as above
14. Striated Heron – a few in mangroves
15. Black-crowned Night Heron – 1 on route
16. Yellow Bittern – 2 at MB
17. Cinnamon Bittern – 1 at MB
18. Black Bittern – 1 at MB
19. Painted Stork – a few at BT
20. Openbill – common
21. Lesser Whistling Duck – MB
22. Cotton Pygmy Goose – 1 at MB
23. Osprey – 1 at KY, 1 at MB
24. Black Baza – seen several times at KK, KLC and KY
25. Oriental Honey-buzzard – commonest raptor in forested areas
26. Black-shouldered Kite – seen twice
27. Black-eared Kite – a few over open fields
28. Brahimy Kite – a few in mangroves
29. Crested Serpent Eagle – showed well at KK and KY
30. Mountain Hawk Eagle – 1 at KK
31. Eastern Marsh Harrier – on route
32. Crested Goshawk – 1 displaying at KK
33. Chinese Goshawk – a few fly bys on migration
34. Besra – 1 perched at KK
35. Black Eagle – 1 in display flight at KY
36. Rufous-bellied Eagle – 1 at KK
37. Eurasian Kestrel – 2 on route
38. Scaly-breasted Partridges – seen once at KY
39. Red Junglefowl – common at KK and KY
40. Silver Pheasants – 2 males at different spots at the Radar Road at Khao Yai. Birds were seen right before dusk feeding along the road.
41. Siamese Fireback – 1 female along the road
42. Kalij Pheasant – seen well twice along the road at KK
43. Grey Peacock Pheasnt – sadly only heard
44. Barred Buttonquail – 1 flushed at KY
45. Chinese Francolin – heard only
46. White-breasted Waterhen – common
47. White-browed Crake – common at MB
48. Watercock – a handsome male in breeding plumage showed in paddies at Petburi
49. Common Moorhen – MB
50. Pheasant-tailed Jacana – common at MB
51. Bronze-winged Jacana – common at MB
52. Black-winged Stilt – common
53. Pied Avocets – 17 at LPB
54. Oriental Pratincole – seen on 4 days
55. Red-wattled Lapwing – seen daily
56. Pacific Golden Plover – BT
57. Grey Plover – BT
58. Little Ringed Plover – MB
59. Kentish Plover – BT
60. Malaysian Plover – many at the sand spit LPB
61. Lesser Sandplover – common
62. Greater Sandplover – common
63. Black-tailed Godwit – BT
64. Bar-tailed Godwit – BT
65. Whimbrel – mudflats LPB
66. Eurasian Curlew – BT
67. Common Sandpiper – BT
68. Spotted Redshank – BT
69. Common Greenshank – BT
70. Marsh Sandpiper – BT
71. Wood Sandpiper – BT and paddies
72. Great Knot – a few at BT
73. Sanderling – LPB
74. Red-necked Stint – BT
75. Temminck’s Stint – BT
76. Long-toed Stint – BT
77. Curlew Sandpiper – BT
78. Dunlin – BT
79. Spoon-billed Sandpiper – 1 only at BT
80. Broad-billed Sandpiper – LPB
81. Ruff – BT
82. Red-necked Phalarophe – 7 birds at BT
83. Brown-headed Gull – BT and LPB
84. Little Tern – common
85. Whiskered Tern – common
86. Gull-billed Tern – a few
87. Caspian Tern – a few
88. Common Tern – common
89. Lesser Crested Tern – 1 at sandspit
90. Red-collared Dove – common
91. Spotted Dove – common
92. Zebra Dove – common
93. Emerald Dove – KK, KY
94. Feral Pigeon – common
95. Barred Cuckoo Dove – poor views in flight
96. Thick-billed Pigeon – seen on 4 days
97. Mountain Imperial Pigeon – KY
98. Red-breasted Parakeet – KLC
99. Vernal Hanging Parrot – KK and KY
100. Chestnut-winged Cuckoo – seen twice in flight crossing the road at KK, on migration
101. Moustached Hawk Cuckoo – 1 KK
102. Large Hawk Cuckoo – one seen well at KY
103. Banded Bay Cuckoo – heard only
104. Plaintive Cuckoo – common in suitable habitat
105. Violet cuckoo – one seen well at Khao Yai, a real treat
106. Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo – heard once only
107. Asian Drongo Cuckoo – KK and KY
108. Asian Koel – common
109. Chestnut-breasted Malkoha – 1 seen well at KK
110. Green-billed Malkoha – common
111. Raffles Malkoha – pair seen well at KK
112. Greater Coucal – common
113. Lesser Coucal – once only
114. Mountain Scops Owl – heard at KY
115. Collared Scops Owl – seen at All Season resort KK
116. Collared Owlet – 1 seen at KY
117. Asian Barred Owlet – 1KLC, 1 KY
118. Brown Hawk Owl – 1 at KY
119. Great Eared Nightjar – a few at dusk KY
120. Large-tailed Nightjar – common KK
121. Indian Nightjar – 2 flushed at dry fields of Petburi, 1 en route to KY
122. Indochinese Swiftlet – KY
123. Germain’s Swiftlet – common at Petburi
124. Brown-backed Needletail – KK and KY
125. Asian Palm Swift – common
126. Fork-tailed Swift – rather common this time of year
127. House Swift – KY and MB
128. Red-headed Trogon – 2 KK, 1 KY
129. Orange-breasted Trogon – 2 KK
130. Common Kingfisher – seen twice
131. Banded Kingfisher – 4 at KK, heard at KY
132. White-throated Kingfisher – en route
133. Black-capped Kingfisher – a few
134. Collared Kingfisher – a few in mangroves
135. Pied Kingfisher – LPB and KLC
136. Red-bearded Bee-eater – a pair nesting at KK and singly male by the road
137. Blue-bearded Bee-eater – 1 KK, heard KY
138. Green Bee-eater – common
139. Chestnut-headed Bee-eater – a few at KY
140. Blue-tailed Bee-eater – a few
141. Indian Roller – common
142. Dollarbird – a pair in the mangroves of LPB was an unusual sighting, several at KK
and KY
143. Eurasian Hoopoe – 2 at KLC
144. Oriental Pied Hornbill – common at KK and KY
145. Great Hornbill – KK and KY
146. Wreathed Hornbill – 1 pair at KK
147. Rusty-cheeked Hornbill – a few in fruiting tree at Bankrahng, KK
148. Great Barbet – 1 KK
149. Lineated Barbet – common at KLC
150. Green-eared Barbet – KK, KY
151. Red-throated Barbet – heard at KK
152. Blue-throated Barbet – a few KK
153. Blue-eared Barbet – a few at KK
154. Moustached Barbet – 2 at KY
155. Coppersmith Barbet – KK
156. Eurasian Wryneck – 1 along road at Petburi
157. Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker – 1 along road at Petburi
158. Greater Yellownape – KK, KY
159. Laced Woodpecker - twice at KY
160. Black-headed Woodpecker – 3 at KLC
161. Grey-faced Woodpecker – heard at KK
162. Common Flameback – pair at KY
163. Greater Flameback – KY
164. Bay Woodpecker – heard only, KK
165. Black-buff Woodpecker – 1 seen, KK
166. Great Slaty Woodpecker – 1 in flight, KK
167. Long-tailed Broadbill – several at KK, KY
168. Silver-breasted Broadbill – several at KK
169. Banded Broadbill – 2 at KY
170. Black-yellow Broadbill – 1 at KK
171. Blue Pitta – heard KY
172. Indochinese Bushlark – fields of Petburi
173. Barn Swallow – common
174. Asian Sand Martin – a few
175. House Martin – MB, KY
176. Red-rumped Swallow – a few at KY
177. Yellow Wagtail – Petburi, MB
178. Grey Wagtail – KK
179. Forest Wagtail – common KK
180. Paddyfield Pipit – a few at KY
181. Black-winged Cuckoo Shrike – a few KK, KY
182. Ashy Minivet – 2 KY
183. Scarlet Minivet – twice KY
184. Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike – twice KY
185. Black-headed Bulbul – a few
186. Black-crested Bulbul – common
187. Red-whiskered Bulbul – KY
188. Sooty-headed Bulbul – common
189. Stripe-throated Bulbul – a few
190. Flavescent Bulbul – a few KK
191. Yellow-vented Bulbul – fields of Petburi
192. Streak-eared Bulbul – common
193. Puff-throated Bulbul - KY
194. Ochraceous Bulbul – KK
195. Grey-eyed Bulbul – KY
196. Buff-vented Bulbul – KK
197. Ashy Bulbul – a few at KK
198. Blue-winged Leafbird – KK, KY
199. Golden-fronted Leafbird – KK, KY
200. Common Iora – KY
201. Great Iora – KK
202. White-throated Rock Thrush – 1 KY
203. Blue Rock Thrush – KK, KY
204. Yellow-rumped Flycatcher – several at KK and KY (some fidecula flycatchers were on passage migration which helped to make up for the absence of any cyornis flycatchers) these birds had varying degree of orange on the throat/breast which sometimes was a bit confusing
205. Mugimaki Flycatcher – 3 birds at KY
206. Blue-white Flycatcher – 2 birds at KY
207. Hill Blue Flycatcher – heard only
208. Chinese Blue Flycatcher – heard only
209. Taiga Flycatcher – common
210. Dark-sided Flycatcher – 2 at KK
211. Asian Brown Flycatcher – common
212. Siberian Blue Robin – twice at KY
213. Oriental Magpie Robin – common
214. White-rumped Shama – common
215. Slaty-backed Forktail – heard at KY
216. Siberian Stonechat – a few at KY and in fields on route
217. Pied Fantail – common
218. Black-naped Monarch – a few
219. White-crested Laughingthrush – flocks at KY
220. Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush – seen on two days at KK and KLC
221. Black-throated Laughingthrush – heard KK, seen KY
222. Blue-whistling Thrush – 1 KK, heard KY
223. Blue Rock Thrush – KK, KY
224. Eyebrowed Thrush – flock at KY
225. Zitting Cisticola – common along coast heath
226. Golden-headed Cisticola – in breeding plumage at KY
227. Grey-breasted Prinia – fields by KK
228. Plain Prinia – common
229. Yellow-bellied Prinia – a few at MB
230. Black-browed Reed Warbler – 1 at LPB
231. Oriental Reed Warbler – common in suitable habitat
232. Common Tailorbird – a few
233. Dark-necked Tailorbird – a few
234. Dusky Warbler – heard at MB
235. Radde’s Warbler – KK, KY
236. Yellow-browed Warbler – common
237. Two-barred Greenish Warbler – a few
238. Pale-legged Warbler – commonly heard, seen once at KY
239. Claudia’s Warbler – a few at KY
240. Plain-tailed Warbler – heard only
241. Yellow-bellied Warbler – 1 at KK
242. Striated Grassbird – 3 at MB
243. Abbott’s Babbler – KK, KY
244. Puff-throated Babbler – KK, KY
245. Golden Babbler – a few at KK
246. Large Scimitar Babbler – heard at KK
247. White-browed Scimitar Babbler – KK, KY
248. Rufous-fronted Babbler – KK
249. Grey-throated Babbler – 1 seen well at KK
250. Striped Tit Babbler – common
251. White-browed Shrike Babbler – heard only
252. White-hooded Babbler – several seen well at KK
253. Brown-cheeked Fulvetta – heard only
254. White-bellied Erpornis – KK, KY
255. Golden-bellied Gerygone – mangroves at LPB
256. Sultan Tit – KK
257. Olive-backed Sunbird – common
258. Crimson Sunbird – 2 at KK
259. Streaked Spiderhunter – a few KK
260. Little Spiderhunter – 1 KK
261. Thick-billed Flowerpecker – 1 KY
262. Plain Flowerpecker – 1 KY
263. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker – common
264. Fire-breasted Flowerpecker – KK
265. Buff-breasted Flowerpecker – KY
266. Black-naped Oriole – a few
267. Asian Fairy Bluebird – common KK, KY
268. Brown Shrike – fairly common
269. Long-tailed Shrike – MB
270. Grey-backed Shrike – 2 KY
271. Black Drongo – common
272. Ashy Drongon – common
273. Crow-billed Drongo -1 at KK
274. Bronzed Drongo – a few KK
275. Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo – a few KK
276. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo – KK
277. Ashy Woodswallow – common
278. Crested Jay – 2 KK
279. Green Magpie – KK, KY
280. Racket-tailed Treepie – Petburi
281. Ratchet-tailed Treepie – 1 KK
282. Grey Treepie - KK
283. Large-billed Crow – common
284. Golden-crested Myna – KK, KY
285. Hill Myna – KK, KY
286. Common Myna – common
287. White-vented Myna – common
288. Black-collared Starling – Nakorn Nayok
289. Asian Pied Starling - common
290. House Sparrow – a few
291. Eurasian Treesparrow – common
292. Plain-backed Sparrow – Petburi and KY
293. Streaked Weaver – fields of Petburi
294. Asian Golden Weaver – fields of Petburi and MB
295. Baya Weaver – fields of Petburi
296. White-rumped Munia – KK, KY
297. Scaly-breasted Munia – here and there
298. Chestnut Munia - MB