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.
Birding Highlights
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, Bar-backed Partridge 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.
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
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
If
coming from Chiang Mai any bus to Petchabun will pass Lom
Sak bus station, although for some reason does not actually
enter it. One must get of at the large crossroads and then
get the bus heading to Khon Kaen to enter the National Park.
If coming from Chiang Mai leave early to ensure a convenient
arrival time as this is a surprisingly long journey with the
bus going at walking pace over some large hills. If coming
from Khon Kaen any bus to Lom Sak or Petchabun will get you
to park HQ.
Finding Birds
Due
to the different habitats that Nam Nao possesses, certain
places are more likely than others to find specific species. The
open pine forests are great places to observe Woodpeckers
and Barbets, with White-bellied Woodpecker a notable highlight.
I have seen this species and Great Slaty Woodpecker close
to HQ and along the trail to Dong Paek.
The lush
evergreen forest along the river valleys is a great place
to find many species, including Blue Pitta and Silver Pheasant.
Trogons are plentiful in these areas and a large tree just
behind the HQ building is an excellent place to sit and observe
many species feeding.
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 and Small Minivet.
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 is a pleasant place to stay as the National Park facilities
are quite good, which is lucky because there is not really
anywhere else to stay. There is a large and well-maintained
campsite, which has plenty of clean and operational toilets
and showers. Camping equipment such as tents, blankets,
pillows, lights and braziers can be cheaply rented here. The
two-man tents are tiny and pretty rotten, so it's best to
go for the bigger version if you don't bring your own tent.
The campsite closest to the headquarters building can get
busy with noisy and quite discordant guitar playing so walk
a little further to the campsite extension where it is usually
quieter.
Car park & Restaurants at Nam Nao
(Photo by Nick
Upton)
There
are also cabins for rent ranging from 800 to 3000 baht per
night. Most of these cater for large groups, and only
3 of them are for groups up to 5 strong (these are the 800
per night ones). The quality is not fantastic, but they
do have electricity and hot showers. The cabins are supposed
to be booked before arrival at the National Park Department
in Bangkok; 61 Phahonyothin Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900.
If your Thai isn't up to scratch I'm not sure how successful
this would be, but the number to call is; 02 579 7223
or try booking through the internet at www.dnp.go.th
However, the staff at this park are friendly and accommodating
and if you just turn up and ask they'll give you a cabin
if one is unoccupied (they WILL be full at weekends or holidays
though). The following table gives the accommodation options
in full, but please remember that these prices are a few years
old now so don't be surprised if they are slightly higher.
At
headquarters there are some restaurants that sell very good
food cheaply, and beer so you can celebrate some of your sightings.
Deep fried fish with garlic or chilli is very tasty here and
ridiculously cheap at about 50 baht. These restaurants open
at about 6 a.m. and close at about 9 p.m. or later if you are
still spending money. Basic supplies such as candles, toilet
paper and soap can be bought here and if you are cold you can
choose from an extensive selection of bizarre woollen hats.
Some Useful Books
Field
Guide to the Mammals of Southeast Asia This is the most complete guide to the mammals of
the region, including all of the small mammals that
are not included in some other guides. With Khao Yai
being one of the best locations in Thailand for mammal-watchers
this is the key book to have.
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.
Bird
Watching Trips:
Nam Nao is an excellent birdwatching location and is a
great addition to any Thailand birdwatching itinerary
with a number of species that can be found here more easily
than anywhere else; a two to three day stay here between
the months of February and July can frequently produce
the best species.
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