View across the lake
at Huay Tueng Tao
(Photo by Nick
Upton)
Huay Tueng Tao, in Chiang Mai province,
is a large recreational area owned by the Thai military. Surrounded
by woodland and non-intensive mixed farmland the site has
produced quite a large number of species although many of
them are infrequently seen.
Whilst Huay Tueng Tao is not one of the north's prime birding
locations, its close proximity to Chiang Mai city makes it
a useful place to visit if one only has a morning or afternoon
free and an ideal destination for those birders who are on
holiday with non-birding friends and/or family.
This area is used by quite a number of locals and a few tourists
in the early morning and late afternoon for running and bicycling
but it is unlikely to ever get too busy for birding. A large
number of restaurants on the lake edge are an attraction for
locals and once again allow birders to enjoy the area with
their non-birding co-travellers.
Spending some time here and walking around a lot can reveal
some good birds, particularly in "winter" and this
is an excellent location to add to your birding itinerary
if you are only visiting the north of Thailand as you will
surely see species that you will not find in the mountains.
At Huay Tueng Tao there are a number of excellent species
that can be found. Rufous-winged Buzzard is an obvious highlight
which is regularly seen here, both in flight and perched.
The difficult to locate Chinese Francolin can frequently be
heard calling in the rice field area but seeing it can be
tricky. The small area of rice paddies here can reveal some
other excellent birds including the surprisingly attractive
Bright-headed Cisticola and Small Buttonquail and Chestnut-capped
Babbler are also present.
Highlights of the woodland that borders the area include rather
easy-to-see White-crested Laughingthrush, Rufous Treepie and
Lineated Barbet, all large and colourful birds. Tickell's
Blue Flycatcher is fairly abundant here and the possibility
of Purple Sunbird, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Chestnut-tailed
Starling and Red-billed Blue Magpie mean that a visit to Huay
Tueng Tao presents potential for some good sightings.
Click here for a checklist of the birds of Huay Tueng
Tao
Bird
Watching Trips:
If you need help organizing a bird watching trip to Thailand,
take a look at the suggested itineraries for ideas on
creating a tailor-made trip and contact me for advice:
Thailand
bird tours.
Travel Information
Use the interactive map below to plan your route to
Huay Tueng Tao("B") from Chang Phuak Gate in Chiang
Mai city centre ("A").
Getting
to Huay Tueng Tao is a fairly simple affair from Chiang Mai
town centre. Almost all tuk-tuk drivers know the location
and can take you there for around 200 baht. Whilst most tuk-tuk
drivers in Chiang Mai can speak at least a little English,
Huay Tueng Tao is not somewhere many tourists ask to go to
and pronouncing the name so that Thais can understand it is
very difficult for foreigners; to save much frustration download
the Thai script
for Huay Tueng Tao and show the tuk-tuk driver.
Getting
out of Huay Tueng Tao by public transport is very difficult
and will require a long walk in the heat to get to the main
road where tuk-tuks and songtaews can be found. Instead, arrange
for your tuk-tuk driver to return and collect you at a set
time - they will be happy to do so.
The best
plan is to go to Huay Tueng Tao in your own transport; hire
cars are freely available in Chiang Mai and prices can be
negotiated very cheaply. Head from the town centre towards
Doi Suthep from the northwestern corner of the old city. When
encountering the canal road (this is very obvious as it runs
alongside a prominent canal) turn right, heading north. Follow
this canal road north for 6 or 7 kilometres until seeing a
sign which indicates Huay Tueng Tao. Turn left here, cross
the canal and follow the road into the site; there is a small
booth collecting the 20 baht entrance fee just before reaching
the site. Using your own vehicle means that you can drive
around the lake and head back to Chiang Mai when you feel
like it and without the bother of finding some form of public
transport.
The close
proximity of Huay Tueng Tao to the main road which heads north
from Chiang Mai means that it makes a useful stop when either
heading north to other birding sites or when returning from
these sites to Chiang Mai.
Finding Birds
The regenerating dry dipterocarp woodlands to the north-east
and east of the lake is a good place to look for Rufous Treepie,
White-crested Laughingthrush and Lineated Barbet.
The farmland at the north-western end of the site is the best
place to find Rufous-winged Buzzard, Bright-headed Cisticola,
Chinese Francolin and other open-country birds.
Woodland
Between Points 1 & 2 : The dry woodland
between these two points is often good, particularly in the
early morning, for a number of nice species. Rufous Treepie
can usually be detected by its noisy call as can the persitent
Lineated Barbet. White-crested Laughingthrush is a fairly
common forest bird throughout Thailand but seeing one can
be really tricky; here there is a good opportunity to get
decent views of this lovely bird. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
is common in this habitat and Tickell's Blue Flycatcher can
often be heard singing low in the trees. On one occasion I
saw a flock of Red-billed Blue Magpies in this area and in
winter an abundance of Taiga Flycatchers and Yellow-browed
Warblers will be found.
Shallow End
of the Lake : The lake at Huay Tueng Tao
doesn't often turn up any interesting waterbirds, although
once Tony Ball stumbled upon a Great Crested Grebe. However,
this end of the lake is the only spot with any real marginal
habitat and any waterbirds that are to be seen would most
likely be found here. I have seen a few Lesser Whistling Ducks,
Common Moorhen, Cinnamon Bittern, Chinese Pond Heron and Striated
Heron here. Kingfishers are possible too with White-throated
and Common Kingfishers both being regular.
Grassy Corner
: At this point there is some rough grass
and scattered trees that always seem to contain Green Bee-eater
and Black Drongo. Other birds that can be found here include
Grey-breasted Prinia and Bright-headed Cisticola.
Rice
Fields : This area cultivated for rice
harbours a number of interesting birds that can't be found
on the rest of the site. Pied Bushchat is common here all
year round and Eastern Stonechat is common in the winter months.
Also during the winter months there are times when the paddies
here are dry and stubble is the only vegetation, at this time
birds such as Paddyfield Pipit, Zitting Cisticola, Bright-headed
Cisticola, Indochinese Bushlark and Chinese Francolin are
easier to find than when the rice is growing. I have also
seen Small Buttonquail here and Rufous-winged Buzzard likes
to perch on trees in this area.
Poking around in the scrubby undergrowth bordering this rice-growing
area can be rewarding too with species such as Thick-billed
Warbler, Yellow-streaked Warbler, Bluethroat, Siberian Rubythroat
and Dusky Warbler available to those who spend time searching
and in winter there is the potential for a number of uncommon
species here.
Creek
: A small creek/ditch always seems to
contain Chestnut-capped Babbler. Listen out for its call and
locate it by watching for movement in the undergrowth. Red-whiskered
Bulbul is abundant in this spot and the rice fields can still
be viewed from here.
Inlet
: The area around this inlet always seems
to produce a few birds. Ashy Woodswallow is a fixture here
and it is often possible to find Plaintive Cuckoo, Common
Kingfisher, Brown Shrike and Lesser Coucal. Wire-tailed Swallows
frequently perch on submerged twigs in the water.
Facilities
Huay Tueng Tao is only a short distance from the city of
Chiang Mai which has a profusion of hotels, guesthouses and
hostels to choose from in terms of accommodation; Chiang
Mai Hotels; making it the most obvious place
to stay when visiting.
Whilst food and drink can easily be brought along from Chiang
Mai or one can return to the city for food after birding here,
there are some facilities on site. There are quite a number
of little restaurants fringing the lake which serve good Thai
food and sell drinks which will probably be needed considering
how hot it can get here.
There are a couple of public toilets scattered around the
site meaning that you don't have to hold it in and wait to
return to Chiang Mai.
It is very difficult to find any transport back to Chiang
Mai so ensure that you have come in your own vehicle or arrange
for a tuk-tuk driver to pick you up.
There
is a 20 baht per person fee to be paid upon entering this
site.
Birds
of Thailand This field guide has set new standards in identifying
birds in the wild in Thailand. With the most up-to-date
taxonomy of any publication this is the book you need
if you are birdwatching in Thailand. Forget all of the
older guides and buy this one.
Pipits
& Wagtails This is a wonderful book. With all plumages of all
subspecies of the wildly diverse wagtails this is extremely
complete. Pipits can be a really difficult group of
birds to deal with but if you want to understand them
this is the book to help you with a wealth of information
and beautiful plates.
Bird
Watching Trips: Thatorn Rice Fields and Riverside are
good spots to include on any northern itinerary, particularly
between the months of October to April when interesting
migrants can be present. This location combines very
well with birding at nearby Doi Lang providing a good
afternoon after a morning on the mountain.
Download
a full 
