Birdwatching in Thailand; Locations, Kaeng Krachan National Park, Petchaburi.

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Kaeng Krachan National Park

Introduction

Kaeng Krachan National Park, in Petchaburi and Prachuab Kiri Khan provinces, is the largest National Park in Thailand, occupying 2915 square kilometres (1125 sq. miles).

Most of the forest here is in pristine condition and consists of evergreen species. Its location on the border with Myanmar means it is part of a much larger forest complex than just the National Park and an excellent refuge for a huge number of species.

Kaeng Krachan is within three hours of Bangkok so can be visited as a day trip if one leaves before 5am, although it is much better to stay 2-3 days and take time to explore the forest - and it is worth visiting during the week to avoid the weekend traffic. It is possible to see an enormous number of species here by getting to many different altitudes and 100 species in a day is a real possibility here.


Asian Fairy Bluebird	Crested Jay
(Photos by Suppalak Klabdee)o

Bird Tours : Check the suggested itineraries: Thailand bird tours.

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Birding Highlights

Giant Pitta
(By Suppalak Klabdee)

Kaeng Krachan National Park is home to a huge number and range of species and is a place where some species that are rarely seen anywhere else in Thailand can be found with patience. This is where many southern species have their northernmost outposts as well as being where many other species are at their southernmost extremity. Kaeng Krachan is also the only place in Thailand where Ratchet-tailed Treepie can be seen, this species normally being found in Indochina.

A number of exciting ground-dwelling species inhabit the lush forests here with Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Ferruginous Wood-Partridge, Blue Pitta, Eared Pitta and even Giant Pitta all being found - but only by a lucky few. The mid and upper storeys of the forest are also very productive in birding terms with many species from a wide range of bird families occurring. Great Slaty Woodpecker, Chestnut-naped Forktail and White-tailed Flycatcher have all been seen over the last few years and more species are being added to the park list every year as more birders explore this wonderful habitat. There are so many good birds to see here that a visit of at least 2-3 days is warranted as well as birding at different altitudes to maximise the number of species seen.

Hornbills are some of the most memorable birds in Thailand and Kaeng Krachan presents the opportunity to see Great, Oriental Pied and Wreathed Hornbills. Brown Hornbills are present but more scarce and there is even the chance of finding the little-known Plain-pouched Hornbill in these forests.

With such extensive forest of such excellent quality there is still a good mammal population here. Many species of squirrel can be found including the amazing Black Giant Squirrel which looks more like a dog in a tree and Langurs are often seen leaping around in the canopy. Tigers, tapirs and elephants are still present in Kaeng Krachan, although seldom seen, and there are even rumours that Sumatran Rhinoceros, one of the world's most endangered mammals, still roams the forests.

Click here for a checklist of the birds of Kaeng Krachan

Silver-breasted Broadbill
(By Banphot Kittikinglert)

Travel Information

Kaeng Krachan National Park can be reached within 3 hours of Bangkok if leaving early in the morning and driving a private vehicle. Get on Rama 2 road and head towards Petchaburi for about two hours. A short distance before reaching Petchaburi there is a small sign on the right indicating the turning for Kaeng Krachan National Park. However, right turns are not permitted so one must do a u-turn first. The sign is easily missed if not looking out for it so be aware, currently there is a tree growing across the sign! Follow this road for about half an hour until it reaches a T-junction; turn right here and follow the signs until reaching park HQ, about another 20 minutes.

If coming from the south, or having missed the turning, there is another sign to the park about 10 kilometres after Petchaburi: follow this road all the way to HQ.

Arriving by public transport is also possible, but will incur some expense. From Bangkok take a bus to Petchaburi from the Southern bus terminal. From Petchaburi one must charter a songtaew to the National Park which should cost in the region of 600 baht one way. Finding a songtaew will take a little effort but walking around the bus station asking to go to Kaeng Krachan National Park should get the right response. Taxis/songtaews for charter also wait at the town clock tower and the Petchaburi Rama theatre. If communication is a problem show the songtaew drivers the Thai script for the park: Kaeng Krachan National Park Thai Script.

At park HQ, or the park gate, permits and entrance fees can be sorted out and at weekends there are drivers who offer a taxi service up and down the mountain and I'm sure the staff at HQ can contact some of them during the week. These drivers charge 1200 baht from HQ to Bang Krang campsite and back or 1800 baht from HQ to the campsite at Km 30 and back (2004 prices). If this is not possible continue with your songtaew charter to the campsite (it will cost extra though).

For those wishing to head to the campsite at Km 30 (Panoen Tung) timing is important. From Bang Krang campsite the road is narrow and in poor repair and certain times are allotted for ascent and descent. Times for going up are 5.30-7.30 am and 1-3 pm. Times for going down are 9-10 am and 4-5 pm. These times are important for those with limited time. If driving a private vehicle do not attempt this journey up the mountain without a four-wheel drive as the road is very steep in places and in a very poor condition. Even the dirt road to Ban Krang is quite rutted and a car with good ground clearance is necessary and attempting to cross the streams past the campsite should be done with caution even in vehicles with good ground clearance as the entry and exits from the fords are quite steep - quite a number of visitors have ripped parts of their cars' bodywork off at these streams.

For those driving in and out of the park every day the gate opens at 6am and closes at 7pm, although it is advisable to be out well before that due to the danger of elephants on the road.

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Finding Birds

Such is the quality of the habitat at Kaeng Krachan that a large number of interesting birds will be seen anywhere in the park, however, there are few special locations for a few particular species.

Ratchet-tailed Treepie can only be seen at the highest altitudes and is most often spotted near the Royal Lodge a short walk from Panoen Tong campsite; I've seen it in the open forest directly behind the lodge.

Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Pittas and Partridges are most often found in the gullies and clearings in the forest within a few kilometres of Ban Krang campsite and the streams in this vicinity are a good place to search for some of the rarer Kingfishers.

It is worth noting that the majority of the birding is from the road and at weekends constant traffic can make birdwatching quite unpleasant, dusty and difficult.

Access Road: This road passes through open-country at first and then enters disturbed forest which is worth spending some time in. In the early morning there is usually a lot of bird activity along this road and it offers a good opportunity to see Thick-billed Pigeon, Black-naped Oriole, Greater Flameback, Greater Yellownape, Hill Myna and Golden-crested Myna. Black-thighed Falconets can usually be found at a couple of points along this road - look out for them nesting in old woodpecker holes. Fruiting trees along here are home to various Barbets, Oriental Pied and Great Hornbills, Black-and-red Broadbill to mention but a few and when a tree which is bearing fruit is found it is worth waiting some time to see what turns up.

Headquarters: Although this is not the main reason to visit Kaeng Krachan, a decent number of wetland and open-country species can be seen around headquarters and it is worth exploring a little if waiting for transport up the mountain or there has been some other delay. Egrets, Pond Herons and Pipits can all be seen here and colourful birds such as Indian Roller and White-throated Kingfisher are typical residents. Black-collared Starling hangs around here too and is quite a handsome character.

Green Magpie
(Photo by Suppalak Klabdee)

Ban Krang Campsite: There really is some excellent birding to be had around here. Most birders simply walk up and down the road and investigate small side trails to find birds with Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Blue Pitta, Green Magpie and Sultan Tit just a few of the regularly seen species. Birds of prey often fly over the campsite with Changeable Hawk Eagle and Crested Serpent Eagle being common. This is also the location I've had my best views of Mountain Hawk Eagle and White-rumped Falcon.

A number of birds can be found in the trees in front of the small ranger building at Ban Krang, species such as White-rumped Shama, Flycatchers and Red Junglefowl and at night Large-tailed Nightjars are common; listen for their call which sounds like a resonant "chonk, chonk".

The stretch of forest approaching stream 1 up to and beyond stream 3 is very productive for Broadbills with Silver-breasted being common with Banded, Dusky and Black-and-yellow Broadbills all quite findable by their calls. Orange-breasted Trogon is a beautiful and exciting species which is fairly common along here and birds such as Rufous-fronted Babbler, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, Asian Paradise Flycatcher and Chestnut-breasted Malkoha are nice additions to the day list.

White-fronted Scops Owl: Kaeng Krachan is one of the few places where birdwatchers have a good chance of seeing this species. Reportedly, it can be heard uttering its strange drumming call near to the river crossings Km 16.5 and Km 16.9 within walking distance of Ban Krang campsite, starting shortly before dark. The location for finding these owls is illustrated below. More information on this species is available here: White-fronted Scops Owl at Kaeng Krachan, 15-19th February 2007. Those wishing to find the owl must stay at Ban Krang campsite as one cannot exit the park after dark due to the danger of elephants on the road. Park staff are quite adamant about this and flaunting the rules will incur their wrath!

Panoen Tung Campsite: Some magnificent views over the forest from this altitude and lots of birds too. Ratchet-tailed Treepie is the star bird here but plenty of others are here. Great Barbet is easily seen calling noisily from treetops and plenty of other interesting birds can be found such as the attractive White-hooded Babbler, Grey Treepie, Asian Stubtail, Dark-sided Flycatcher and Orange-bellied Leafbird. There are a couple of trails up here that are rarely explored by birders, so there is plenty for visitors to discover and a couple of days at this altitude would be well-spent if time allows.

Facilities

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Facilities at Kaeng Krachan are limited. At park headquarters there are a few bungalows but the quality of these are pretty low. There is also a decent campsite at HQ with good toilet facilities for those that are required to wait here for any reason. Many birders want to get to Ban Krang Campsite which is pleasantly situated with enough flat areas to pitch tents but very limited toilet facilities, barely adequate for their purpose. Additionally there is no food available here so cooking equipment and food must be brought in. There is no camping equipment for hire as there is at some national parks so ensure that all equipment is self-provided. The campsite at Panoen Tung is considerably better, with good tents for hire and a small restaurant and clean toilets and showers. Petchaburi is a suitable place to stock up on food for the camping trip with a large supermarket on the main highway to the south.

For those wishing to stay in comfort then Ban Maka is a good option and closer to the park gate than many other guesthouses with friendly owners who speak good English and can provide a lift into the park itself. If this is full then there are numerous guesthouses just outside the National Park which are quite comfortable and serve good food at good prices. Staying at any guesthouse does involve travelling into the park every morning and paying the entrance fee every day.

The entrance fee to this National Park is now 200 baht.