One of the first things that many birdwatchers
will notice in Thailand is the relative abundance of birds
outside of national parks, compared to many other countries
in Asia. Whilst hunting and trapping of birds for both the
cage bird trade and for food is still all too common in Thailand
(See Bird
Persecution) it never reaches the scale of these activities
in other countries; these problems are particularly bad in
Indonesia and Vietnam.
Because birds are left more or less un-harassed in Thailand,
in areas of farmland which are cultivated in semi-traditional
fashions there are large numbers of species to be found.
For those bird watchers with time on their hands, investigating
random agricultural areas will reveal some interesting birds,
unfortunately, most visiting birders will not have time for
this. Still, such is the abundance of many open country species
that travellers will notice many different birds in roadside
fields, sitting on posts and wires as well as flying overhead
as soon as they leave the airport.
In the past I have kept a list of the species I have seen
from the vehicle as I travelled around the country and it
is surprising how many can be seen in this way. Even in areas
where there are just roadside ditches and scrubby pieces of
land, visitors will be able to see many of the birds that
I have featured on this list.
This article is intended to give visitors a taster of some
of the more common and interesting roadside birds of the lowlands
which are the most likely to be noticed from the car window
as one travels; hopefully this will give potential visitors
an idea of some of the bird species they are likely to see
without having to try very hard.
For many people Asian Openbill, cruising overhead, will be
the first birds they see in Thailand as they head to their
destination along one of the many roads out of the airport.
This impressive species is easily identified by its large
size and large bill; be careful not to mistake it for an Ibis
as its profile in flight can resemble these species.
Asian Openbill was one of the few large waterbirds to survive
extinction in Thailand, surviving in a small pocket in northern
Bangkok. Since the introduction of a species of snail which
lives on rice plants, the population of Asian Openbill Storks
has exploded. By providing this service, of keeping down snail
numbers, to rice farmers they are left to do their job in
ever-growing numbers. In recent years many other large waterbirds
have begun to make something of a comeback in Thailand due
to the fact that they are not hunted any longer, however,
Asian Openbill numbers have increased dramatically for a very
different reason - they can now be seen in large numbers in
many places and have made it to every province of Thailand
and started colonizing neighbouring countries such as Malaysia
and Myanmar.
At one point Asian Openbills were seen by the Thai Government
as a major vector
for bird flu and a cull was considered. Thankfully they
realized this would be foolish, reactionary measure and the
storks were spared.
One of the reasons that Asian Openbills have multiplied in
number so rapidly is the large brood size they are able to
rear due to the hyper-abundance of food in the form of snails.
Watch this video clip I made of an Asian Openbill feeding
young in the nest at Inle Lake in Myanmar - Asian
Openbill Feeding Young.
Little Cormorant is a very common resident bird throughout
much of the country and it can often be seen flying overhead
or sitting with its wings outstretched on roadside wetlands
in a similar fashion to other cormorant species around the
world as one drives away from the airport in Bangkok.
In flight Little Cormorant has a rather panicky, flappy action
and this, together with its small size, tricks a number of
visiting birders into thinking that they have seen a duck.
Wild ducks are rather uncommon in Thailand away from just
a few regular sites and, particularly when driving close to
Bangkok, Little Cormorant is much more likely to be seen as
one drives along the highway.
One confusion species is Indian Cormorant which is slightly
larger and has a much longer bill, something which can be
seen even in flight. This species has a more leisurely flight
pattern than Little Cormorant with flapping interspersed by
glides. Indian Cormorant is less common than Little Cormorant
although it is likely to be seen close to Bangkok where it
is growing increasingly abundant, flying in formations in
contrast to Little Cormorant's scattered groups.
Eastern Great Egret (split from Great Egret by some authorities)
is a common bird across much of Thailand in the "winter"
months and is a fairly common resident around Bangkok and
the Central Plains. Its abundance and conspicuousness make
it highly likely that it will be spotted from the car window
heading out of Suwarnapoom airport,on the way into Bangkok
or traveling to birding sites in the west or north east.
In flight Great Egret can be separated from Little Egret by
its larger size, heavier bill and black feet. If not in the
car, its "Kraaark" call can often be heard as it
flies away. Intermediate Egret is a confusion species but
this bird is only fractionally bigger than Little Egret whereas
Great Egret is much larger.
Look out for recently drained fishponds or paddies being ploughed
where an abundance of food often draws large groups of not
only Great Egret but other species such as Little Egret and
Pond Herons. In the breeding season you may spot some birds
with bright blue facial skin and reddish legs - quite a sight!
Javan Pond Heron in breeding plumage (Photo by Nick
Upton)
Most bird watchers visit Thailand in the northern hemisphere's
winter - Thailand's dry season - when both of these species
are in their identical and rather plain winter plumage.
Chinese Pond Heron can be seen throughout Thailand in the
dry season and Javan Pond Heron is common in the central plains
all year round.
An identification tip for these species in winter plumage
mentioned in Robson's
Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand is that
Chinese Pond Heron has more distinct dark tips to its wings
in flight; however, dark tips are more usually down to worn
plumage meaning that this is not a reliable identification
point. It does appear, though, that in freshwater habitats
Chinese Pond Heron tends to outnumber Javan and in saltwater
habitats Javan tends to outnumber Chinese; this becomes obvious
as both species come into breeding plumage towards the end
of February. It is also worth noting that Javan Pond Heron
seems to come into breeding plumage slightly earlier than
Chinese.
As birders drive around Thailand in the dry season they are
certain to see both of these species flying across the road,
fishing in roadside ditches and farmland. In winter plumage
these species appear brown and streaky when on the ground
but in flight they are predominantly white. In summer plumage
both of these pond herons are quite striking birds: a visit
in March or April will see both species in summer plumage.
White-throated
Kingfisher is one of the most obvious and easily identified
birds that visitors will see perched on roadside posts and
cables. The flash of blue on the wings of this species is
usually what alerts birders to the presence of White-throated
Kingfisher although sometimes it can be confusing if seen
from the front at some distance in the middle of a field.
It is a common bird which is resident throughout most of the
country in well-watered and dry open-country, feeding mainly
on insects and lizards but sometimes taking crabs and fish
or even young birds. This downloadable paper will tell you
more about the food
and feeding habits of White-throated Kingfisher.
White-throated Kingfisher has a whinnying call which carries
quite some distance. Like many other kingfishers, this species
excavates a nest hole in a suitable earth bank usually raising
one or two young.
This is perhaps Thailand's most common kingfisher species
and most definitely the easiest to see due to its preference
for open areas. It is practically a certainty that bird watchers
will see a White-throated Kingfisher from the car window before
very long.
Black-shouldered
Kite is likely to be seen from the car window either perched
on a power cable or hovvering in flight as it searches
for prey.
This species is one of Thailand's most common raptors,
particularly in open-country, and is quite striking in
appearance, leaving no difficulty in identification even
from a moving vehicle. However, Black-shouldered Kite
often remains inactive for much of the day, sitting perched,
and usually does most of its hunting in the late afternoon.
If visitors see Black-shouldered Kite from the car it
is worth stopping to watch it properly as although common
it is encountered far more often as one travels than from
regular birding stops and it is possible that it will
be the only chance to view it properly, particularly if
only on a short trip.
For birders from the US it is worth mentioning that this
species has been split from the similar species in America.
Brahminy
Kite is one of the more abundant species of raptor in
Thailand and this is particularly true close to the coast
and it is included here because of the frequency it is
seen flying across the road as one leaves Bangkok and
heads to Laem Pak
Bia/Pak Thale - a journey made by many visiting birders.
As well as being a bird of the roadside on this particular
journey, any beach holiday in the south of Thailand will
almost certainly result in sightings of the species.
Adult Brahminy Kites are easily identified even from a
fast moving vehicle due to their size and colouration
and juveniles can be separated from Black Kites by their
unforked tails. Brahminy Kites catch their own fish and
also rob birds such as egrets and herons of their catch;
an exciting spectacle. Although this species is still
relatively abundant it has apparently undergone a massive
decline since the 1970s, a decline which is thought to
be due to dam construction, increased use of agrochemicals
and persecution - it is still common around the coast
south of Bangkok.
More photographs of Brahminy Kite here: Brahminy
Kite.
Indian
Roller is a common bird throughout Thailand and seems
to favour drier country although it will also be found
in smaller numbers in wetland areas. Sooner or later,
birders driving around Thailand will see the distinctive
outline of an Indian Roller sitting on overhead cables
and when it flies its beautiful blue wings create a memorable
spectacle, although it can appear quite dull when perched.
As tempting as it might be to leap out and photograph
Indian Rollers at every opportunity, you can end up spending
a lot of time doing this as, in some places, there will
be a Roller on the cables every couple of hundred metres.
It is worth waiting until you see one of these colourful
birds sitting somewhere photogenic and in good light -
silhouetted shots of the bird sitting on wires are not
so exciting!
So
often, when one gets to a new country all the birds are
lifers, every crow, sparrow and dove. Well, don't get
excited this is just the same old Feral Pigeon that seems
to get everywhere. In Robson
and also in Lekagul
& Round this species is rather grandly referred
to as Rock Pigeon/Dove and whilst many birds do look like
genuine Rock Pigeons and there are no doubt some genuine
birds nesting on isolated cliffs, it seems somewhat optimistic
to assume that most of the birds are anything other than
Feral Pigeons.
Feral Pigeons seem to do especially well in Bangkok
where the typical design of apartments includes a balcony
containing an air-conditioning unit, behind which the
pigeons make their nest. This abundance of pigeons attracts
Peregrine Falcons into the city as it does elsewhere in
the world.
Take a look at Pigeon
Watch for lots of information on Feral Pigeons.
Ashy
Woodswallow is a fairly small but compact bird and is
perhaps one of the cutest species that is likely to be
seen on a Thailand birding trip due to its habit of sitting
huddled together, often in large groups, making a rather
attractive photo opportunity - similarly to how these
two are perched.
The woodswallows are an Australian group of birds but
this species is common throughout much of Thailand, in
drier open-country and even in the centre of some smaller
towns. Ashy Woodswallows seems to particularly like tall
radio masts and suchlike where they will often nest -
if one sees any large masts, stop and an Ashy Woodswallow
will almost certainly be there.
Common
Myna is indeed a very common bird and it will be one of
the first species that any visiting bird watcher is likely
to see as it forages around in villages, farmland, petrol
stations, parks and cities.
As might be expected from a bird that does so well in
proximity to humans, Common Myna is a generalist, feeding
on worms, beetles, insect larva, fruits and raiding bins
for scraps of food. On one occasion, at Suan
Luang, I witnessed a Common Myna winning a three-way
tug-of-war over a katydid (a large insect) with a Streak-eared
Bulbul and an Oriental Magpie Robin.
In keeping with its often scruffy appearance and scruffy,
bin-raiding lifestyle, Common Myna builds a scruffy ball
of a nest which is sometimes parasitized by Koels; watching
Mynas feeding juvenile Koels is an interesting sight.
In
the "winter" months (October to April) Black
Drongo is a very common bird across the country in farmland
and can frequently be seen perched on posts and overhead
cables as one is driving. This is the only species of
drongo likely to be seen in this habitat so despite its
superficial similarity to other drongos there is no difficulty
identifying it, even from a speeding car.
It is worth noting that although Black Drongo is listed
as being resident in Robson's
Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand, in reality most
birds are migrants are of the migrant race, particularly
in open-country and smaller numbers of the resident race
remain in Thailand in the wet season, and most of those
in lightly wooded parkland situations.
In winter, Black Drongos can form impressive roosts, numbering
in the thousands and it is quite a spectacle to watch
them swooping in, in groups of 10-20 as they gather. One
such roost exists in the mangroves at the King's Project
Area, Laem Pak
Bia.
Shrikes
tend to be a sought-after group of species by most birdwatchers
and Brown Shrike is one that can hardly be missed in the
dry season as it can commonly be seen perched on posts,
twigs and wires in all manner of open-country habitats
throughout Thailand.
Like most other shrikes, the Brown Shrike feeds on large
insects and small lizards, sometimes impaling them on
thorns before eating them; it has also been known to eat
small birds.
mid August. At least four races have been recorded but
most birds in Thailand are of two subspecies; cristatus
and confusus, although due to worn plumage it
can often be difficult to decide which subspecies has
been seen.
Red
Collared Dove is probably the most attractive of the common
dove species likely to be seen in Thailand. The male's
beautiful red back contrasts with his grey head and black
collar, making it a very pretty bird indeed.
Red Collared Dove can be seen in ones and twos throughout
the day, sitting on wires and foraging at the roadside,
but in the late afternoon dozens of these birds can often
be seen collecting on roadside wires before heading to
their roosting places.
For those looking to get good photos of Red Collared Dove,
either Lumphini
Park, Suan
Luang or Suan
Rot Fai are excellent places to get close to it.
These
two species were split after the publication of a comprehensive
paper on crows throughout Asia. Despite this I find it difficult
to accept that these are separate species as I have studied
them and cannot observe any discernable difference between
the "two species"; the culmen of the bills supposedly
differ. There is supposed to be somewhere in Thailand (around
Petchaburi/Prachuab Kiri Khan?) where one species takes over
from the other although this spot has not been identified
and "intermediate" birds are known.
However, although they are just crows, these two species provide
easy ticks for visitors as the species can be seen in any
open country, forest clearings, campsites, farmland, parks
and even in Bangkok city centre. Although most birders are
likely to see one of these species from the car window (Eastern
Jungle Crow in most of the country, Large-billed in the south)
soon after arrival in Thailand, it is worth taking time to
observe it closely as they are birds which do all sorts of
funny things.
Like all
crows, Large-billed Crow is a very intelligent species and can
be seen performing various tricks depending on the habitat.
I have seen them "mugging" mynas for food, masquerading
as chickens to steal their feed and one individual, at Ko
Surin, that was admiring itself in a campsite mirror as
it preened: it seems that vanity comes with intelligence.
Read about crow's ability to recognise human faces here: Clever
Crows. Watch a crow making a tool from wire and using
it to obtain food in this collection of bird videos: 10
Bird Video Clips.
White-vented
Myna is one of the most common species in Thailand and
will most certainly be encountered by visiting birdwatchers
before getting out of the car. This species is almost
as common as Common Myna, indeed, in well-watered open-country
outside of urban areas it is probably more common.
In rice-farming areas White-vented Myna can often be found
in large groups following mechanical or buffalo-drawn
ploughs, collecting the invertebrates that are disturbed
in the process. White-vented Mynas perched on the backs
of buffalo and other cattle make nice photographs.
Birdwatchers heading to Kaeng
Krachan national park will inevitably see large groups
of White-vented Mynas on the roads that approach it; these
birds seem to be well-practiced at dodging speeding vehicles
although I always slow down for them.
Oriental
Magpie Robin may be one of the slightly harder species
on this list to spot when driving as it is only the size
of a European Blackbird. However, it will only be a matter
of time before one is seen early in the morning singing
from a roadside wire or post, perhaps outside your hotel
room's window early in the morning.
As well as being of similar size to European Blackbird
it would be fair to say that occupies a similar niche
as it can be found in parks, gardens, open land and forest
edge. It even jumps around on lawns cocking its tail whilst
foraging for invertebrates, similarly to Blackbirds. Magpie
Robins also sit of rooftops and sing in the late afternoon
to advertize their presence.
Oriental Magpie Robins are highly territorial and frequently
sing to warn competitors away. This territoriality also
manifests itself in aggressive clashes with intruders,
both other Magpie Robins and other species.
Black-winged
Stilt is one of the few waders that is a resident bird
in Thailand and it can be seen in a variety of wetland
habitats from rice fields to salt farms. Anyone driving
anywhere around the Central Plains is almost certain to
see this species from the car window somewhere on the
journey; they are easily spotted and recognized even when
travelling fast along the highway.
Black-winged Stilt nests in a variety of open situations
including trampled vegetation and the bunds between salt
pans and pools; the juveniles can be seen in July and
August - quite a cute bird. Juveniles can have a superficial
resemblance to Common Greenshank or Marsh Sandpiper at
a distance so check carefully in the breeding season.
For those visitors who like to take photographs a trip
to the Environmental Research and Development Project
initiated by H.M King Bhumibol at Laem
Pak Bia is an excellent location where you are guaranteed
to get really close to Black-winged Stilts.
Anyone
familiar with the decline of the Tree Sparrow in Europe might
well be surprised how they thrive in Thailand and, indeed,
throughout Southeast Asia. Perhaps they appreciate the warmer
climate, but whatever the reason for their abundance, this
species is ubiquitous around human habitation and it is likely
that it will be one of the first species seen by any visiting
birder; you can look out for it as soon as you get off the
plane.
One of the reasons for the Tree Sparrows success in Thailand
is certainly its ability to nest in cavities in buildings,
something it does not seem to do very often in Europe, and
as one drives through villages any small birds seen on and
around buildings are likely to be Tree Sparrows. The plumage
of town-dwelling Tree Sparrows in Thailand is dark and scruffy,
similarly to that of House Sparrows in Europe and be sure
that you do not leave plates of rice unattended outside or
you may find that one of these cheeky characters makes off
with your food.
While Eurasian Tree Sparrow remains the most common sparrow
in Thailand, House Sparrow is becoming rapidly much more common
and is also likely to be seen on the roadside along with Tree
Sparrows.
Eastern Cattle Egret is a common bird in both well-watered
and dry open-country and is usually seen in groups, sometimes
quite large alongside other species of egrets. This is one
species that is well-named as it is frequently seen alongside
cattle and other livestock, often riding on the back of buffaloes
but also large flocks follow tractors through fields during
ploughing; I have seen groups numbering in the hundreds in
many parts of Thailand's central plains.
In the breeding season Eastern Cattle Egrets are rather handsome
with their buffy, straw-coloured necks, but in the dry season
they are all white but easily identified by their rather squat
stature.
Most authorities have now split this species from Western
Cattle Egret; it does look quite different from this species
in breeding plumage and there are some minor structural differences
too. This paper is interesting for those wanting to know more
about Eastern and Western Cattle Egrets - Subspecies
identification and status of Cattle Egret.
Bird
Watching Trips in Thailand:
If you want to do more than just see common wayside
species then you may want to think about a trip
out to see harder to find birds.
Whether you just want a day out birding or a longer
trip there is always something of interest to see
regardless of the time of year.
Contact me to arrange a trip and/or to discuss
the best birdwatching options for you: nickupton@thaibirding.com
This is not intended to be a complete list
of common roadside birds in Thailand, but it should give visitors
an idea of the types of birds that can easily be seen.
If you manage to find a quite road, through rice-growing areas,
you are likely to see many more species than those listed
here, but the birds featured on this page are ones that can
be spotted even from the highway, in most parts of Thailand.
Other
common species likely to be seen by the roadside include:
Spotted Dove
Little Egret
Pied Fantail
Asian Pied Starling
Red-wattled Lapwing
Black-crowned Night Heron
Peaceful Dove
Eastern Stonechat
White-breasted
Waterhen
Asian Palm Swift
Asian Koel
Greater Coucal
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Green Bee-eater
Streak-eared Bulbul
Barn Swallow
Increasingly, House Sparrow is becoming a roadside
bird in much of the country, although it is still greatly
outnumbered by Eurasian Tree Sparrow in most places.
In northern Thailand both Sooty-headed Bulbul and Black-collared
Starling become common birds that can often be seen from the
car window.
Acknowledgements
Some of the information on the above species
was adapted from Phil Round's The
Birds of the Bangkok Area with his kind permission.
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