Visitors since 01/09/06

Nam Nao National Park covers 966 square kilometres in Petchabun and Chaiyapum provinces in northeast Thailand. The park consists mainly of dry dipterocarp, mixed deciduous, hill evergreen and pine forests. The open and dry nature of the deciduous and pine forests, with their lush ground cover of grasses, allows birdwatchers to obtain good, unobscured views of many species that are seldom seen elsewhere.

The area around headquarters has many trails, both long and short, which go through a variety of forest types allowing the birdwatcher to see a high number of species. On one memorable trip in March 2002 I saw 108 species in thirty six hours!

The pine forests at Nam Nao are picturesque and quite different to the habitat types that most birders visit on their trips to Thailand and there seems to be a very healthy and obvious population of Asian Elephants in this park. I find Nam Nao a relaxing place with some of the more knowledgeable and approachable staff of any National Park in Thailand and some excellent food is available to break the monotony of fried rice and noodles. Nam Nao definitely deserves to be on the main birdwatching tour around Thailand.

Nam Nao seems to be seldom visited by bird watchers these days but it is a great place to see many species which are tricky to get good views of elsewhere. This is an excellent place to see Woodpeckers, with Lesser and Greater Yellownapes being particularly common. Common and Greater Flamebacks are also easily seen as are Grey Capped Woodpeckers. Many other species of woodpecker are present, and I usually see about eight species of Woodpecker in a three day visit. White-hooded Babbler is a bird which seems unusually abundant here as are Red-headed Trogon and Green Magpie. Other notable birds that I often see in this park are Blue Pitta, Collared Falconet, Silver Pheasant and Blossom-headed Parakeet.

Birds apart, there are still good populations of large mammals here and vegetation which has been flattened by Asian Elephants is widespread. If you get out onto the trails where this occurs in the very early morning you are quite likely to hear or even see the elephants themselves; be careful, on one occasion I was watching small birds in the grass when a male elephant walked out onto the trail only a few metres away! Other large mammals I have seen here are Leopard and Yellow-throated Marten.

Getting to Nam Nao National Park is not too difficult but if arriving by public transport good timing is essential. From Bangkok take a bus to Lom Sak from the Mor Chit bus terminal; these leave quite regularly but it is essential to get on one leaving by 9 am at the latest. The journey takes about 6 hours, terminating at Lom Sak bus station which is a quiet out-of-town place at a large crossroads. From here catch a bus to Khon Kaen: in the past I have had to wait quite some time for this. Usually I have managed to get this connection by four o'clock and arrived at Nam Nao about 1 hour before dark; just enough time to set up the tent! When on the bus tell the conductor you want to get off at Nam Nao and they will stop at the right place for you - in the forest at the start of a dirt track where there is a gatehouse. Pay the entrance fee and either walk about 2 Km to HQ or hitch; sometimes the guy at the gate will call for a lift.

Travelling by car is easy; from Bangkok head north and follow the signs for Petchabun and from there to Lom Sak. At the large crossroads just before Lom Sak turn right and continue until seeing the HQ sign. Turn left down the dirt track and continue for 2 Km where HQ is situated. Driving from Bangkok will take just under 6 hours

Dong Paek : The trail to this tiny area of grassland begins a little way along the road towards Lom Sak; a dirt track and gate can be seen on the southern side of the road. It is a pleasant trail through open pine forest and excellent views of birds can be had here. Woodpeckers are abundant and Barbets too and it is also a good place to get a sighting of Blossom-headed Parakeet. Grassland birds can be found along here too, with Yellow-eyed Babbler and Brown Prinia often being seen along with the more common Rufescent Prinia as well as the darker (non-breeding) blanfordi subspecies of Plain Prinia.

One might also be rewarded with a sighting of an Elephant on this track.

Phu Goom Khao : This a large area of open pine forest located at the end of a 14 kilometre dirt track which can be driven without 4-wheel drive in the dry season. Similar species to Dong Paek can be found but this place has a strong feeling of wilderness. A river here is a good place for Slaty-backed Forktail and I have seen Collared Falconet and Oriental Turtle Dove (which does not seem to be reported very often) at this location. The forest canopy is very open here and sunscreen is advisable as it gets very hot in the sunshine.

Trail 1 : This 1 kilometre circular trail has a hard surface so is suitable for all weathers. There are a number of small trails to follow off of the main trail allowing plenty of birds to be found. White-hooded Babbler, Eye-browed Wren Babbler, Blue Pitta and Black-throated Laughingthrush are all regulars here. Bar-backed Partridge can usually be found along here if one is quiet and there always seem to be mixed bird flocks feeding in this area. Collared Owlet can nearly always be heard here, but I have never managed to get a decent view of it as it hides in dense foliage.

Trails 2, 3 & 4 : These trails are the main ones here and are progressively longer versions of each other. The area along the river has some very productive birding with regular Long-tailed Broadbill, Speckled Piculet, White-hooded Babbler and White-crowned Forktail. On a number of occasions I have seen male Silver Pheasant along here. I find the shorter trails 2 or 3 pleasant walking at 3 Km and 4.5 Km respectively and trail 4 is worth walking until it becomes quite indistinct where it veers away from the stream. Where these trails unite in open pine forest plenty more birds can be found with Woodpeckers becoming easy to spot and Collared Falconet often putting in an appearance.

Trail 5 : I have never walked this 3.5 Km trail, but it appears to go through some excellent habitat and ends up at a fine viewpoint. The main disadvantage of this trail is that it emerges on the road 5 Km from the HQ access track leaving a long walk back.

Nam Nao, 16-18th July 1999

Nam Nao, 2-5th August 2000

Northeastern and Northern Thailand, 28th June-21st July 2007

by Peter Ericsson

by Peter Ericsson

by Stephen Totterman