| Additions
to the Thai Bird Checklist |
| |
Since
publication of A
Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand by Craig Robson
in 2002 there have been a number of additions to the Thai checklist.
Those that I am aware of are:
Confirmed
Species
Pallid
Harrier Circus macrourus - A male was seen over
Thale Noi, in Pattalung province, on the 24th February 2001.
Long-tailed
Wren Babbler Spelaeornis chocolatinus - Two pairs
were located near the summit of the highest mountain in Umphang
Wildlife Sanctuary, Tak province on the 24-25th April 2001, presumably
they are resident there. |
Chestnut-cheeked
Starling
Sturnus philippensis - Three were seen with a flock of
both Purple-backed and White-shouldered Starlings at Na Tung, Chumphon
on 27th October 2001 for the first time and have been seen at the
same location annually.
Mew
Gull Larus canus - A single bird was photogrpahed
amongst the gull flock at Bang
Poo on the 10th February 2002.
Greater
Scaup Aythya marila - Two birds were observed
at Nong Bong
Khai, Chiang Saen, on the 24th February 2002.
Isabelline
Wheatear Oenanthe ferrea - One was seen at Km
17, Kaeng Krachan
in March 2003.
Demoiselle
Crane Grus virgo - One was seen in the company
of a Common Crane Grus grus at Nong
Bong Khai, Chiang Saen, from 31st December 2003.
Red-headed
Bunting Emberiza bruniceps - Two female or immature
birds were seen at Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai from 11th to at least 20th
December 2004. |

Red-billed
Starling
(Photo by Chukiat
Nualsri) |
|
Red-billed
Starling Sturnus
sericeus - Seen at Chumpon on 7-12th January and again
on the 14th February 2005. Lesser
Black-backed Gull (Baltic Gull) Larus fuscus
- A single, third-winter, bird was seen with Hueglin's Gulls
at Laem Pak
Bia from 21st October to at least 1st December
2005.
Red
Phalarope (Grey Phalarope) Phalaropus fulicarius
- One was seen at Pak
Thale on 5 January 2006.
Large-billed
Reed Warbler Acrocephalus
orinus - One was caught by Philip D. Round whilst mist-netting
at the royally initiated Laem
Pak Bia Environmental Research and Development
Project on 27th March 2006. |
|
Grass
Owl Tyto Capensis - One was photographed at Mae
Jan, Chiang Rai on 29th July 2006 and has been seen numerous times
since, including confirmed breeding records.
Spotted
Wren Babbler Spelaeornis formosus - One was both
seen and heard singing at 1800 m on Doi Lang on 21 March 2007.
Mekong
Wagtail Motacilla samveasnae - I am not sure when
this species was officially added to the Thai checklist, but it
was certainly recorded long before it was split form White Wagtail.
There have been a few recent sightings from Ubon Ratchatani province.
Little
Gull Larus minutus - Once again I am not sure
when this species was found but it was added to the checklist fairly
recently and appears in the new Thai version of Boonsong Lekagul's
Birds of Thailand.
Mongolian
Gull Larus mongolicus - This "species"
(?) was first seen at Laem Pak Bia by Ben King in 2003/4 and has
been recorded a few times since. The new Thai version of Boonsong
Lekagul's Birds of Thailand contains this species. |

Slaty-backed
Gull
(Photo by Alex
Vargas) |
|
Black-necked
Grebe Podiceps nigricollis - An individual
of this species was present 25th December 2007 at Bueng Boraphet
and was widely photographed over the following week.
Long-tailed
Duck Clangula hyemalis - 2 individuals were
seen and photographed by many observers throughout January
2008 at Nong Bong Khai, Chiang
Saen.
Slaty-backed
Gull Larus schistisagus - One first winter
individual of this species was identified by Geoff Carey from
a photograph taken by Alex Vargas at Laem
Pak Bia sandspit on the 19th December 2008. This
bird was also photographed on and around the same date by
others. |
|
Malaysian
Hawk Cuckoo Heirococcyx fugax - Split from Hodgson's
Hawk Cuckoo. A resident in the south and not uncommon.
Omei
Warbler Seicercus omeiensis - This is the most
common of the "Golden Spectacled" Warblers in Thailand
but not incuded in Robson's Field
Guide to the Birds of Thailand.
Rufous-bellied
Swallow Hirundo badia - Split from Striated Swallow.
This bird is very attractive and common around Krabi, particularly
numerous around the limestone karsts common in the area. |
Unconfirmed
Species
Pectoral
Sandpiper Caladris melanotos - A low quality photograph
taken through heat haze of one individual of what was almost certainly
this species was obtained at Laem
Pak Bia/Pak Thale on 21st November 2007.
Long-billed
Pipit Anthus similis - Extremely poor quality
photographs of what appears to be this species were obtained near
Chiang Saen
on 20th October 2007.
Lesser
Kestrel
Falco naumanni - One individual of what could be this species
was seen on numerous occasions hunting Barn Swallows on the Mekong,
Chiang Saen
in January 2008. The identity of this bird has been hotly debated
and the record has not been accepted by the Thai records committee. |
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