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Mahachai Mangrove Research Station
(Updated 08/04/20)

Introduction
Mangrove Whistler

Mangrove Whistler
(Photo by Nick Upton)

Mahachai Mangrove Research Station is a remnant of mature and regenerating mangroves on the western side of the River Tachin's estuary, in Samut Sakorn province and is home to a surprising number of species.

This area is one of several sizeable fragments of what remains of formerly extensive mangrove forests along the coastline of Bangkok, Samut Prakarn and Samut Sakorn province. The loss of much of this habitat has resulted in serious coastal erosion and loss of species making this small patch quite interesting as a half day trip from Bangkok or combined with a morning at Khok Kham or as a short stop on your way in/out of the capital as part of a more extensive birding tour. With a reconstructed boardwalk made of concrete this area gives birders an opportunity to get into the mangroves.

By combining time birding the mudflats and mangroves as well as the surrounding pools, scrubland and other scrappy areas quite a large number of species can be found here, particularly between the months of October and April. It can get really hot and humid here very quickly in the morning and mosquitos can be a problem too so it is not a good location to visit with non-birders.

Birding Highlights
Asian Dowitcher

Asian Dowitcher
(Photo by Nick Upton)

Two species occurring at the Mangrove Research Station stand out as real highlights; Mangrove Whistler and Asian Dowitcher. Mangrove Whistler is resident in the mangrove remnants which contain some surprisingly mature stands, whilst the Dowitcher is a passage migrant and winter visitor which can be found roosting on inland pools or feeding on exposed mudflats.

Some other interesting species that are resident in the mangroves include Collared Kingfisher, Golden-bellied Gerygone, Dark-necked Tailorbird, Pink-necked Green Pigeon and Swinhoe's White-eye. Birding here during migratory periods can be productive with a wide range of migratory species such as Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Siberian Blue Robin, Sakhalin Leaf Warbler, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Square-tailed Drongo Cuckoo, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo and many others occuring in September/October and March/April.

Between the months of October and April the mudflats can host large numbers of shorebirds, egrets, terns and pond herons at low tide. Asian Dowitcher is regular here but other waders such as Marsh Sandpiper, Lesser Sand Plover, Whimbrel, Kentish Plover, Common Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Pacific Golden Plover are all common winter visitors while it is always worth scanning the mudflats for something unusual.

A checklist of the birds of this location can be found here - Mahachai Mangroves Bird Checklist

Scarlet-backed FlowerpeckerBird 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

Use the interactive map below to plan your route to Fang Hot Springs. The blue line shows the route from Sathorn Road (Blue Pin, "A") to Mahachai Mangroves (Red Pin, "B").

By Car/Motorcycle
Given how off the beaten track this site is driving one's own vehicle is the best way to visit.The map above starts from Sathorn Road but the most important thing is to get onto Rama 2 Road which is the main road towards the west and south which heads towards the province of Samut Sakorn. In the early morning this is quite a quick journey, taking well under an hour from Bangkok. However, later in the day the traffic can get quite bad and the journey to Samut Sakorn can take far longer.

After passing Samut Sakorn one needs to keep in the left hand lane and after passing over the Tachin River (quite obvious as one goes over a bridge) take the first turning on the left, immediately before a Caltex petrol station. Follow this road for a few kilometres until crossing a railway and take a sharp right. Continue on this road and when it comes to a very small roundabout, with a large temple in front of you, turn left. After a couple of kilometres along here the sign Thai for the mangrove centre will be seen. There is a car park at the research station. The best thing, of course, is to input the location into a navigation App on your phone and let it direct you.

By Bus
Getting to the town of Samut Sakorn by public transport is fairly easy by bus but getting from there to the mangrove research centre will not be a simple thing. There are probably motor cycle taxis or other vehicles for hire there but communication is likely to be a problem. If you should make it here by public transport and cannot find a way out, speak to the staff who seem friendly and they will probably call a taxi for you.

By Taxi
Hiring a taxi for the duration of your visit, from your hotel in Bangkok, would be the best option for birders without their own vehicles. Alternatively it would also work to take a taxi to the mangrove centre and pay the driver, allowing them to leave, and then use the Grab App to summon a ride back into town.

By Tuk Tuk or Motorcycle Taxi
It is far too far from Bangkok to make this a safe or sensible option. It would be possible to arrange these modes of transport from Samut Sakorn should you get there without your own vehicle.

By Train

Mahachai has a station that can be reached from Thonburi station (Take the BTS to Wong Wian Yai) in Bangkok, the time table and details can be seen here: Travel from Thonburi to Mahachai. From here you would have to hire some local transport to get to the mangrove centre.

By Plane
The nearest airports are Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok. From both of these locations there is self-drive car hire and taxis.

Finding Birds

Although the mangroves might be the main focus here for some birders there are a variety of habitats to explore which easily provide a full morning of birding at the right time of year.

Boardwalk Viewpoint & Pier Overgrown Area Fish Ponds & Pools Fish Ponds & Pools Fish Ponds & Pools

Boardwalk: The boardwalk (as of March 2020) is constructed of concrete and should last some years before it begins to collapse. It is quite some height above the ground and has no handrails so be careful! This boardwalk allows birders access to the interior of the mangroves where species like Mangrove Whistler, Swinhoe's White-eye, Collared Kingfisher, Dark-necked Tailorbird and Golden-bellied Gerygone can be found. Getting a decent view of these birds can be a challenge due to the fact that the boardwalk puts birders at the level of the dense mangrove canopy but the track that connects the two ends of the boardwalk is at ground level and allows better views into the understorey. Being able to see the tree tops in the very early morning is an advantage though for spotting species such as Coppersmith Barbet, Asia Koel or Pink-necked Green Pigeon perched, sunning themselves.

Dark-necked Tailorbird
Dark-necked Tailorbird

 


Black-tailed Godwit


Whimbrel

 

Golden-bellied Gerygone
Golden-bellied Gerygone

(Photos by Nick Upton)

During migratory periods there can be a wide variety of species using this area as a refuge. It will take several laps of the boardwalk, patience and a little luck to dig out species such as Eastern Crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Ashy Minivet, Sakhalin Leaf Warbler, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Himalayan Cuckoo, Arctic Warbler, Asian Brown Flycatcher and many others. Almost any migrant passerine is a posibility here.

Fish Ponds & Pools: On the opposite side of the road to the mangrove station is an area of fish ponds and other pools. These vary between fairly deep areas of water and some pools that are shallow with overgrown edges. Between the months of October and April shorebirds sometimes use these pools for roosting and feeding in the shallower areas. Species such as Marsh Sandpiper, Kentish Plover, Common Redshank and Lesser Sand Plover can be expected while rarer species can include Asian Dowitcher, Great Knot or perhaps even Spoon-billed Sandpiper.

Waterside vegetation can host Oriental Reed Warbler, Yellow-bellied Prinia and Red-legged Crake and the general level of "unkemptness" means that there are a lot of possibilities for those with time to check thoroughly. Collared Kingfishers will emerge from the mangroves to feed in these ponds and migrant Black-capped Kingfisher is a common visitor too.

Viewpoint & Pier: Towards the end of the dirt track is an area where there is a good view over the mudflats at low tide and an elevated concrete pier that birders can use to get out over the mud itself; be careful it is high and has no hand rails! If you time it right (Bangkok tide times), arriving at this viewpoint just as the tide begins to expose the mud, numbers of shorebirds coming in to feed can be spectacular (October to April) and this is one of the most reliable places in the Gulf of Thailand to find Asian Dowitcher. With mangroves blocking the best views of the mudfalts from the boardwalk this is now the best spot in this area to view feeding shorebirds at low tide.

Overgrown Areas: This area of trees and scrubby patches has dry patches and waterlogged areas and is good for dry season visitors and could be a good spot for passage migrants too. This is the a good spot to look for migrants such as Siberian Rubythroat, Eurasian Wryneck, Lanceolated Warbler and Bluethroat. The habitat here is different to the rest of the area so it is a good patch to visit to extend your day list.

Facilities
Bangkok Hotels

Facilites here are limited to a small car park and toilet block only. This means bringing ones own refreshments is essential but with a host of petrol stations accompanied by convenience stores and small food stalls being passed on the way to the site, this should not be a problem. If you happen to forget anything it is only a short drive back to some shops.

Car park and HQ
(Photo by Nick Upton)

Whilst it does get really hot here, the mangroves do offer shade while walking on the boardwalk, although humidity is usually high. This means that bringing drinking water is a good idea but one is able to get out of the direct sunlight fairly easily.

Given the proximity to Bangkok it is unlikely that any birders will wish to stay nearby, there is an almost infinite selection of places to stay in the capital city. However, if birders do find themselves needing somewhere to stay nearby there are some suitable hotels in Samut Sakorn to choose from.

The town of Samut Sakorn/Mahachai is only a very short drive away and has all the facilities of a large town including supermarkets, banks as well as pharmacies and hospitals. This town also has a bus station, railway and taxis are available if birders decide to visit using public transport.

This location is not a National Park and you will not be charged to go birding here.

Related Birding Videos

Egret Extravaganza
Great Knot
Great Knot
Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt
Painted Stork
Painted Stork Feeding
Other Related Pages

Mahachai Mangroves Bird Checklist

Birdwatching Day Trips from Bangkok

Other Central Thailand Birding Locations

Shorebirds in the Inner Gulf of Thailand

Slaty-backed Gull; A New Bird for the Thai Checklist

The Birds of the Bangkok Area

Shorebirds in the Hand

Leg-flagged Shorebirds in the Inner Gulf of Thailand

Sixth Shorebirds Festival at Khok Kham

Requests for sightings of wing-tagged Mongolian Gulls

Books I Recommend

Shorebirds: An Identification Guide to the Waders of the World
This is still the most complete guide to shorebirds with a wide variety of plumages of all species illustrated both standing and in flight. Packed full of information this is the book if you want to learn more about this group of birds..

Waders of Europe, Asia & North America
With beautiful and bright illustrations this is a true field guide to this group of species that easily is easily carried while traveling. Not as much information on the ecology of the birds covered in this book but much more portable than any other while covering all aspects of identification.

Related Blog Entries
Great Crested TernBirdwatching Trips:
Mahachai is one of the best mangrove sites close to Bangkok and certainly finding Mangrove Whistler here is easier here than most other sites outside of southern Thailand. This location is a decent half day trip from Bangkok or a short stop on your way somewhere else on a longer birding trip.

Look at some suggested itineraries, Thailand bird tours, or contact me for more information: nickupton@thaibirding.com.
Photo Galleries

Select the thumbnail photos to see larger images.

Around Mahachai Mangroves

Mangroves
Mangrove Trail
Bridge1
Boardwalk Bridge
Bridge
Bridge over Mangroves
Boardwalk
Boardwalk
Boardwalk-bridge
Boardwalk & Bridge

Birds at Mahachai Mangroves

Mangrove-whistler4
Mangrove Whistler
Ruddy-breasted-crake
Ruddy-breasted Crake
Common-redshank1
Common Redshank
Pied-fantail4
Pied Fantail
lesser-sand-plover3
Lesser Sand Plover
Selected eBird Lists
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