Visitors since 01/09/06

For many people, Asian Openbill, cruising overhead, will be the first birds they see in Thailand as they drive along one of the many roads out of the airport. This impressive species is easily identified by its large size and large bill; be careful not to mistake it for an Ibis as its profile in flight can resemble these species.

Asian Openbill was one of the few large waterbirds to survive extinction in Thailand and I can only assume that they taste bad. This species feeds largely on a species of snail which is an agricultural pest in Thailand so the service they provide farmers may be another explanation as to why they were not hunted out. In recent years many large waterbirds are making something of a comeback in Thailand and certainly Asian Openbill numbers seemed to have increased dramatically - they can now be seen in large numbers in many provinces and were even seen as far south as Phuket in 2008.

At one point Asian Openbills were seen by the Thai Government as a major vector for bird flu and a cull was considered. Thankfully they realised this would be foolish, reactionary measure and the storks were spared.

More photographs of Asian Openbill here: Asian Openbill Stork.

Little Cormorant is a very common resident bird throughout much of the country and it can often be seen flying overhead or sitting with its wings outstretched on roadside wetlands in a similar fashion to other cormorant species around the world as one drives away from the airport.

In flight Little Cormorant has a rather panicky, flappy action and this, together with its small size, tricks a number of visiting birders into thinking that they have seen a duck. Ducks are rather uncommon in Thailand and, particularly when driving close to Bangkok, Little Cormorant is much more likely to be seen as one drives.

One confusion species is Indian Cormorant which is slightly larger and has a much longer bill, something which can be seen even in flight, and has a slightly more leisurely flight pattern; Indian Cormorant is less common than Little Cormorant although it is likely to be seen close to Bangkok.

Great Egret (Great White Egret) is a common bird across much of Thailand in the "winter" months and is a fairly common resident around Bangkok and the Central Plains. Its abundance and conspicuousness make it highly likely that it will be spotted from the car window heading out of Suvarnapoom airport, either on ones way into Bangkok or traveling to birding sites in the west or north east.

In flight Great Egret can be separated from Little Egret by its larger size, heavier bill and black feet. If not in the car, its "Kraaark" call can often be heard as it flies away.

Look out for recently drained fishponds or paddies being ploughed where an abundance of food often draws large groups of not only Great Egret but other species such as Little Egret and Pond Herons.

More photographs of Great Egret here: Great Egret.

When most visiting birdwatchers come to Thailand it is in the northern hemisphere's winter, when both of these species are in their virtually identical and rather plain winter plumage. Chinese Pond Heron can be seen throughout Thailand in the "winter" and Javan Pond Heron is common in the central plains all year round. An identification tip for these species in winter plumage mentioned in Robson's Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand is that Chinese Pond Heron has more distinct dark tips to its wings in flight; however, dark tips are more usually down to plumage wear and this is not a reliable identification point. It does appear, though, that in freshwater habitats Chinese Pond Heron tends to outnumber Javan and in saltwater habitats Javan tends to outnumber Chinese; this becomes obvious as both species come into breeding plumage towards the end of February. It is also worth noting that Javan Pond Heron seems to come into breeding plumage slightly earlier than Chinese.

As birders drive around Thailand in the dry season they are certain to see both of these species flying across the road, fishing in roadside ditches and farmland. In winter plumage these species appear brown and streaky when on the ground but in flight they are predominantly white. In summer plumage both of these pond herons are quite striking birds: a visit in March or April will see both species in summer plumage.

White-throated Kingfisher is one of the most obvious and easily identified birds that visitors will see perched on roadside posts and cables. It is a common resident throughout most of the country in well-watered and dry open-country, feeding mainly on insects and lizards but sometimes taking crabs and fish or even young birds.

White-throated Kingfisher has a whinnying call and is easily located by this. Like many other kingfishers, this species excavates a nest hole in a suitable earth bank usually raising one or two young.

This is certainly one of Thailand's most common kingfishers; the most common in the wet season; and it is highly likely that birders will see one from the car window before very long.

More photographs of White-throated Kingfisher here: White-throated Kingfisher.

Black-shouldered Kite is likely to be seen from the car window either perched on a power cable or hovvering in flight as it searches for prey.

This species is one of Thailand's most common raptors, particularly in open-country, and is quite striking in appearance, leaving no difficulty in identification even from a moving vehicle. However, Black-shouldered Kite often remains inactive for much of the day, sitting perched, and usually does most of its hunting in the late afternoon.

If visitors see Black-shouldered Kite from the car it is worth stopping to watch it properly as although common it is encountered far more often as one travels than from regular birding stops and it is possible that it will be the only chance to view it properly, particularly if only on a short trip.

For birders from the US it is worth mentioning that this species has been split from the similar species in America.

Brahminy Kite is one of the more abundant species of raptor in Thailand and this is particularly true close to the coast and it is included here because of the frequency it is seen flying across the road as one leaves Bangkok and heads to Laem Pak Bia/Pak Thale - a journey made by many visiting birders. As well as being a bird of the roadside on this particular journey, any beach holiday in the south of Thailand will almost certainly result in sightings of the species.

Adult Brahminy Kites are easily identified even from a fast moving vehicle due to their size and colouration and juveniles can be separated from Black Kites by their unforked tails. Brahminy Kites catch their own fish and also rob birds such as egrets and herons of their catch; an exciting spectacle. Although this species is still relatively abundant it has apparently undergone a massive decline since the 1970s, a decline which is thought to be due to dam construction, increased use of agrochemicals and persecution.

More photographs of Brahminy Kite here: Brahminy Kite.

Indian Roller is a common bird throughout Thailand and seems to favour drier country although it will also be found in smaller numbers in wetland areas. Sooner or later, birders driving around Thailand will see the distinctive outline of an Indian Roller sitting on overhead cables and when it flies, its beautiful blue wings create a memorable spectacle.

As tempting as it might be to leap out and photograph Indian Rollers at every opportunity, if you are heading into the forest for a morning's birding it is better to leave those pictures for later; Indian Roller is such a common species that it is easy enough to find and photograph in the heat of the day when other birds are inactive and hard to find.

More photographs of Indian Roller here: Indian Roller.

So often, when one gets to a new country all the birds are lifers, every crow, sparrow and dove. Well, don't get excited this is just the same old Feral Pigeon that seems to get everywhere. In Robson and also in Lekagul & Round this species is rather grandiously referred to as Rock Pigeon/Dove and whilst many birds do look like genuine Rock Pigeons and there are no doubt some genuine birds nesting on isolated cliffs, it seems somewhat optimistic to assume that most of the birds are anything other than Feral Pigeons.

Feral Pigeons seem to do especially well in Bangkok where the typical design of apartements includes a balcony containing an air-conditioning unit, behind which the pigeons make their nest. This abundance of pigeons attracts Peregrine Falcons into the city as it does elsewhere in the world.

More photographs of Feral Pigeon here: Feral Pigeon.

Ashy Woodswallow is a fairly small but chunky bird and is perhaps one of the cutest species that is likely to be seen on a Thailand birding trip due to its habit of sitting huddled together, often in large groups, making a rather attractive photo opportunity - similarly to how these two are perched.

The woodswallows are an Australian group of birds but this species is common throughout much of Thailand, in drier open-country and even in the centre of some smaller towns. Ashy Woodswallows seems to particularly like tall radio masts and suchlike where they will often nest - if one sees any large masts, stop and an Ashy Woodswallow will almost certainly be there.

More photographs of Ashy Woodswallow here: Ashy Woodswallow.

Common Myna is indeed a very common bird and it will be one of the first species that any visiting birdwatcher is likely to see as it forages around in villages, farmland, petrol stations, parks and cities.

As might be expected from a bird that does so well in proximity to humans, Common Myna is a generalist, feeding on worms, beetles, insect larva, fruits and raiding bins for scraps of food. On one occasion, at Suan Luang, I witnessed a Common Myna winning a three-way tug-of-war over a katydid with a Streak-eared Bulbul and an Oriental Magpie Robin.

In keeping with its often scruffy appearance and scruffy, bin-raiding lifestyle, Common Myna builds a scruffy ball of a nest which is sometimes parasitised by Koels; watching Mynas feeding juvenile Koels is an interesting sight.

In the "winter" months (October to April) Black Drongo is a very common bird across the country in farmland and can frequently be seen perched on posts and overhead cables as one is driving. This is the only species of drongo likely to be seen in this habitat so despite its superficial similarity to other drongos there is no difficulty identifying it, even from a speeding car.

It is worth noting that although Black Drongo is listed as being resident in Robson's Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand, in reality most birds are migrants are of the migrant race, particularly in open-country and smaller numbers of the resident race remain in Thailand in the wet season, and most of those in lightly wooded parkland situations.

In winter, Black Drongos can form impressive roosts, numbering in the thousands and it is quite a spectacle to watch them swooping in, in groups of 10-20 as they gather. One such roost exists in the mangroves at the King's Project Area, Laem Pak Bia.

Shrikes are a sought-after group of species by most birdwatchers and Brown Shrike is one that can hardly be missed in the "winter" months as it can commonly be seen perched on posts, twigs and wires in all manner of open-country habitats.

Like most other shrikes, the Brown Shrike feeds on large insects and small lizards, sometimes impaling them on thorns before eating them; it has also been known to eat small birds.

Brown Shrike is a "winter" migrant to Thailand but is only really absent from the country from mid May to mid August. At least 4 races have been recorded but most birds in Thailand are of two subspecies; cristatus and confusus.

More photographs of Brown Shrike here: Brown Shrike.

Red Collared Dove is probably the most attractive of the common dove species likely to be seen in Thailand. The male's beautiful red back contrasts with his grey head and black collar, making it a very pretty bird indeed.

Red Collared Dove can be seen in ones and twos throughout the day, sitting on wires and foraging at the roadside, but in the late afternoon dozens of these birds can often be seen collecting on roadside wires before heading to their roosting places.

For those looking to get good photos of Red Collared Dove, either Lumphini Park, Suan Luang or Suan Rot Fai are excellent places to get close to it.

More photographs of Red Collared Dove here: Red Collared Dove.

Watch videos of Red Collared Dove here: Red Collared Dove.

Well, it's just a crow, but if this is ones first visit to the region Large-billed Crow is one of those easy ticks as it can be seen in any open country, forest clearings, campsites, farmland, parks and even in Bangkok city centre. Although most birders are likely to see this species from the car window, soon after arrival in Thailand, it is worth taking time to observe it closely and it can be seen that it does indeed have a large bill; this is at least one species that is well named.

Like all crows, Large-billed Crow is a very intelligent species and can be seen performing various tricks depending on the habitat. I have seen them "mugging" mynas for food, masquerading as chickens to steal their feed and one individual, at Ko Surin, that was admiring itself in a campsite mirror as it preened: it seems that vanity comes with intelligence.

White-vented Myna is one of the most common species in Thailand and will most certainly be encountered by visiting birdwatchers before getting out of the car. This species is almost as common as Common Myna, indeed, in well-watered open-country outside of urban areas it is probably more common.

In rice-farming areas White-vented Myna can often be found in large groups following mechanical or buffalo-drawn ploughs, collecting the invertebrates that are disturbed in the process. White-vented Mynas perched on the backs of buffalo and other cattle make nice photographs.

Birdwatchers heading to Kaeng Krachan national park will inevitably see large groups of White-vented Mynas on the roads that approach it; they seem well-practised at dodging speeding vehicles.

Oriental Magpie Robin may be one of the slightly harder species on this list to spot when driving as it is only the size of a European Blackbird. However, it will only be a matter of time before one is seen early in the morning singing from a roadside wire or post.

As well as being of similar size to European Blackbird it would be fair to say that occupies a similar niche as it can be found in parks, gardens, open land and forest edge. It even jumps around on lawns cocking its tail whilst foraging for invertebrates, similarly to Blackbirds.

Oriental Magpie Robins are highly territorial and frequently sing to warn intruders away. This territoriality also manifests itself in aggressive clashes with intruders, both other Magpie Robins and other species.

Cattle Egret is a common bird in both well-watered and dry open-country and is usually seen in groups, sometimes quite large. This is one species that is well-named as it is frequently seen alongside cattle and other livestock, often riding on the back of buffaloes.

In the breeding season Cattle Egrets are brather handsome with their buffy-straw coloured necks, but in the dry season they are all white but easily identified by their rather squat stature.

Many authorities have now split this species into Eastern Cattle Egret of Asia and Australia, and Western Cattle Egret in the rest of its range.

More photographs of Cattle Egret here: Cattle Egret.