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Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary |
| Introduction |
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Stream,
Khao Soi Dao
(Photo by Vincent
van der Spek) |
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Khao Soi Dao Wildlife
Sanctuary is part of the highest
mountain range in south-eastern Thailand
and forms a large wilderness area with the
adjacent Khao Kitchakut National Park. As
part of the Cardomom mountains much of the
avifauna found here is more closely related
to that found in Cambodia than that of the
rest of Thailand. Indeed, a few species
can only be found in this region and a number
of subspecies are unique to this area also.
Khao
Soi Dao is in one of the wettest regions
of the country and the lush forest found
here is quite spectacular with one of the
most picturesque waterfalls of any location
in Thailand. This is a good place to go
birding before or after a relaxing visit
to the nearby Ko Chang, and an opportunity
to get to an area of excellent habitat which
is rarely visited by groups of birders.
This wildlife sanctuary has a decent park
infrastructure and a few good trails which
give bird watchers the opportunity to find
some very seldom seen species.
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| Birding
Highlights |
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Blue-rumped Pitta would have to be the pick
of all the species occurring at Khao Soi
Dao and indeed, in Thailand this species
is restricted to this Wildlife sanctuary
and its immediate surroundings. Black-browed
Fulvetta is another bird which is restricted
to this part of Thailand as is the lewisi
subspecies of Silver Pheasant.
Khao
Soi Dai seems to be a consistently good
place to see Needletails with White-throated
Needletail recorded here fairly often, even
though it is the rarest of Thailand's Needletail
species. The secretive Malayan Night Heron
is another bird which seems to pop up at
Khao Soi Dao more often than it does in
other places and a sighting of this species
alone would be reason enough to visit the
sanctuary. |
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Black-throated
Sunbird
(Photo by Alister
Benn) |
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The quality of the forest at Khao Soi Dao is such
that a very large number of forest species can be
found. Pompadour Pigeon can sometimes be seen near
headquarters and this is also a good place to get
close views of Violet Cuckoo, Asian Barred Owlet
and Dusky Broadbill. Spending time in this
Wildlife Sanctuary could reward birders with a long
and exciting list of species as well as giving them
the opportunity to add to the current checklist.
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| Travel
Information |
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Khao Soi Dao is not a particularly difficult
place to get to, in fact it is ideal for people
travelling on public transport. From Ekamai
(Eastern) bus station on Sukhumvit Road in
Bangkok take a bus to Chantaburi; this will
take about 6 hours. From the bus station in
Chantaburi take any bus going north towards
Sa Kaeo. For those driving, this is highway
number 317. At the 62nd kilometre marker there
is a sign with "Khao Soi Dao Wildlife
Sanctuary" written in English. Get off
the bus here and walk the 4 kilometres to
the Wildife Sanctuary or hitch a lift on a
passing vehicle. There are a couple of small
shops at this junction and it is probably
possible to arrange a lift to the Wildlife
Sanctaury Headquarters from one of these.
Alternatively it is possible to get off at
Patong market and take a motorcycle taxi to
the HQ. |
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| Finding
Birds |
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Just hanging around Headquarters will reveal plenty
of interesting forest birds with Hill Myna, Pompadour
Pigeon, Dusky Broadbill, Banded Broadbill and Large-tailed
Nightjar all present on both occasions that I have
visited the Wildlife Sanctuary. There are a few
trails, however, which will get one further into
the forest.
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Campsite
and bungalows : There
is some excellent general birding around the campsite and
bungalows where there is a small pond and some damp
patches which seem to attract birds. A number of
Flycatchers can be seen around here with Verditer
Flycatcher often perched atop dead trees and Asian
Brown, Yellow-rumped and Taiga (Red-throated) Flycatchers
are often to be found in this area. Violet Cuckoo
and Dusky Broadbill seem to be unusually frequent
around here and the openess of the campsite is an
ideal place to look for Needletail Swifts, with
all three Thai species possible at various times
of the year. A Spot-bellied Eagle Owl territory
has been occupied for some time just beyond the
HQ clearing in this region; listen for it at dusk,
although apparently it can be quiet for long periods.
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Little
Spiderhunter
(Photo by Albert Noorlander) |
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Road
to foodstall :
Early in the morning this road is ideal
for birders, although at weekends it can
get a little busy later in the day with
people heading to the waterfall. Banded
Kingfisher can often be heard and seen along
this track and Green Pigeons frequently
fly overhead with Pompadour, Orange-breasted
and Thick-billed Pigeons confirmed. Asian
Barred Owlet seems to frequent this area
too.
Waterfall
Trail : This
takes birders through the forest and upto
a wonderful waterfall. It is possible to
cross the river at the bottom of the falls
and then climb to the top for an excellent
view. The forest is good for birds with
Blue-rumped Pitta and Silver Pheasant being
the specialities to look for. Beyond the
waterfall one can climb to the mountain
summit and look for Siamese Partridge.
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Northbound
Trail : This
trail crosses the river and heads northwards through
the forest. I haven't explored it fully, so can't
say how far it continues for; I followed it for
about 1 kilometre and saw a flock of Pompadour Pigeons
feeding on a fruiting tree.
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Facilities |
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The
facilities here are surprisingly satisfactory
with several bungalows that can be rented
and a pleasant campsite. If arriving outside
of a weekend or public holiday it is possible
to arrange a bungalow on arrival and there
are several quite cosy looking ones to choose
from at a very reasonable price. However,
I have always camped here, and to my knowledge
it is essential to bring ones' own tent,
but the campsite is conveniently placed
and even during busy periods is not too
crowded.
A
number of foodstalls at HQ have a good range
of cheap and tasty Thai food and a good
selection of drinks. Fresh fruit is sold
here, at least during busy periods, and
there is a shop/restaurant at the top of
the access road to the Sanctuary that sells
a range of supplies for self-catering. |
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Simple
Accommodation
(Photo by Albert Noorlander) |
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There are also a number of aviaries around the HQ
region containing native species including the
local lewisi subspecies
of Silver Pheasant .
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