Sri Nakorn Kuen Khan, is in an area
known as Bang Krajao which is often referred to as the "Green
lung of Bangkok". In fact the area is actually in Samut
Prakarn province but when it is seen on a map it is an obvious
green area in a loop of the Chao Praya river and completely
surrounded by the city of Bangkok.
The park itself, which was opened in 2003, is medium-sized
and consists of some landscaped gardens next to a lake but
at least half of the park is un-manicured and overgrown coconut
plantations which are surprisingly wild and attract a lot
of birds, particularly in migratory periods. The park is also
surrounded by lots of similar habitat making an obvious green
oasis amongst the concrete jungle, a fact which is not lost
on migrating birds.
Although Sri Nakorn Kuen Khan park is geographically in the
centre of a huge urban area it is only accessible by one small
road, meaning that it is usually very quiet and that the only
visitors are usually a few bird watchers, joggers and cyclists.
This is an excellent location for a morning's birding for
those people who are staying in Bangkok. At all times of the
year a good number of resident species can be seen, including
some scarce ones, and during migration this may just be the
best spot in the city to be if you want to find something
rare.
Sri Nakorn Kuen Khan park is a good place to see plenty of
resident species in a morning, including a few which are fairly
scarce in Thailand; Vinous-breasted Starling, Pink-necked
Green Pigeon and Stork-billed Kingfisher.
In fact, Pink-necked Green Pigeon and Stork-billed Kingfisher
are probably more common at this site than anywhere else I
know in Thailand. The pigeons are easily seen and occur in
quite large numbers but Stork-billed Kingfisher is not so
easy to observe even though it is fairly common. However,
with a little luck visitors should be able to track it down
by its call and see one at any time of the year. A few Vinous-breasted
Starlings occupy the more well-kept parts of the park.
A few forest species, surprisingly, breed in the park; Greater
Racket-tailed Drongo is quite common and splendid with its
long tail rackets, Green-billed Malkoha is also fairly numerous
and a few pairs of Laced Woodpeckers breed here too.
During migration, particularly in April, the park really
comes alive with passage migrants and this is an exciting
time for birders to visit this site as there is the possibility
of finding some real rarities here. The ever-increasing list
of rare passage migrants includes Malayan Night Heron, Narcissus
Flycatcher, Ruddy Kingfisher, Northern Boobook, Siberian Thrush,
Fairy Pitta, Kamchatka Leaf Warbler and Green-backed Flycatcher
have all been recorded and there is the real possibility of
any of these reappearing or even finding something new, perhaps
one of the rarer crakes.
A number of species are regular passage migrants including
the beautiful Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Mugimaki Flycatcher,
Drongo Cuckoo, Crow-billed Drongo, Forest Wagtail and Black
Baza; all great birds for a Bangkok park!
If weather conditions are right for grounded migrants in September/October
and March/April a high number of species can be seen in a
morning. For birders who enjoy finding rarities, this is one
of the best sites in Bangkok during these months.
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
Use the interactive map below to plan your journey to
Sri Nakorn Kuen Khan park. The blue line shows the route from
Suksawat road (Blue Pin) to the park (Red Pin).
By Car/Motorcycle
Although Sri Nakorn Kuen Khan park is set in an obscure part
of the city it is relatively simple to find given that there
is only one possible route into it. The first thing to do
is to get to Suksawat Road on the west bank of the Chao Praya
river; the expressway system goes to Suksawat road and as
soon as one crosses the huge bridge over the river take the
first exit off of the expressway onto Suksawat road, it is
sign posted.
Head south on Suksawat road and a sign for the park will be
seen. Sometimes signs get covered up or removed so if you
do not see the sign take the left hand turn to PrapraDaeng
at a large T junction, roughly 2 kilometres south of coming
off of the expressway. Follow this road for about 2km and
turn left just before the end of the road. The streets are
narrow here and often full of market traders but after taking
this turning simply continue straight on, cross a small bridge
as one goes under a massive bridge and continue for about
6km when there will be blue signs directing you to the park
which will involve one more left hand turn.
By Bus
I have never needed to use a bus to get here but it is not
possible to get all the way to the park by this method. Various
buses go to nearby Suaksawat road though; routes 35, 140,
20, 75 all go to Suksawat although it is best to use this
website for planning bus journeys on Bangkok - Transit
Bangkok.
By Taxi/Motorcycle Taxi
For those without their own vehicle taking a taxi is by far
the most convenient way of getting to the park. The park is
not well-known by taxi drivers so it may be necessary to take
a taxi first to Suksawat road and then find another taxi driver
who knows the local area. See the link at the end of this
section for a prinatable document which has the Thai scipt
for this park to show the taxi driver.
When leaving the park it is very likely that it is not possible
to find a taxi but there are motorcycle taxis in the area.
Sometimes (at weekends) the motorcycle taxi drivers are at
the park entrance but if you just wait on the road a motorcycle
taxi should come along fairly soon and it can just be flagged
down. Ask to go to Prapra Daeng and the fare will be about
60 baht (2018 prices).
By Train
Neither the skytrain nor underground (MRT) go close to this
location. Birders could take the skytrain to Wong Wien Yai
station and catch a taxi from there or take the underground
to Klong Toey station and get a taxi to Klong Toey port to
get a boat (see below). Both of these convenient methods of
transport will get you closer the the site from far flung
parts of Bangkok but further transport will be needed after
disembarking.
By Boat
Klong Toey pier is located around 200 metres down a small
road to Wat Klong Toey, the entrance to which is 50 metres
or so west of the gate for the large port area. From this
pier it is possible to catch a small boat across the Chao
Praya river. The boat makes two stops on the opposite side,
the first one being the stop for the park, although this could
change so it is worth letting the boatman know where you want
to go; use the link at the bottom of this section for a printable
document with the Thai script for the park to show people.
Sri Nakorn Kuen Khan park is not huge in size and birders
can easily cover all parts of it in a morning visit. Pink-necked
Green Pigeons and Stork-billed Kingfisher can be found almost
anywhere but most of the passage migrants collect in the Eastern
side of the park, so it is best to concentrate efforts here
in migratory periods.
Different parts of the park do hold different species and
here I will outline the hotspots around the site.
Park
Entrance & Lawns: The only place to park
when visiting this location is the entrance driveway and this
is where the birding begins. In the morning this area can
be alive with birds, mostly common species such as Asian Koel,
Oriental Magpie Robin, Indian Roller, Streak-eared Bulbul
and suchlike but it is quite likely that birders will spot
their first Pink-necked Green Pigeon of the visit; there will
be plenty more.
The driveway leads over a small bridge and into the park
opening out into a well-tended area of lawns and flower beds;
this area, and the lead in road, are probably the best regions
to look for Vinous-breasted Starling which is a scarce bird
throughout most of its range in Thailand. This species used
to be seen in Lumphini Park years ago but not any more - I
suspect the small population moved to Sri Nakorn Kuen Khan.
The Starlings can usually be found foraging on the ground
underneath small trees close to the park entrance.
It is as one comes over the bridge at the park gate that it
is likely that visitors will spot their first Collared Kingfisher;
a pair are usually to be found there and nest in the area.
Stork-billed Kingfisher can be found right here too, sometimes
they will sit in the open and call or be spotted flying across
the entrance road.
The entrance road itself is adjacent to a large open orchard/plantation
and in the early morning it is worth scanning the surrounding
trees for birds perched in the open, catching some sun or
drying off after a rain shower. This is a good place to spot
Coppersmith Barbet.
This area is not usually well-used by passage migrants although
a couple of fruiting trees here have the potential to pull
in some passing Eyebrowed Thrushes to join the commoner birds
such as Yellow-vented Bulbul, Brown-throated Sunbird and Scarlet-backed
Flowerpecker that will usually be found on such trees.
The Pools:
The park's main pool has rather sterile edges and attracts
few waterbirds, although a large tree on an island attracts
large numbers of Pink-necked Green Pigeons, Black-naped Orioles
and other species when it is in fruit. However, the smaller
pools that branch off of the main water body and the surrounding
trees attract a few birds of interest.
Bird
Watching Trips:
Sri Nakorn Kuen Khan park makes for a nice morning's
birding, particularly when migration is in full
swing, and is a good addition to a longer birding
trip to Thailand.
Adding this location to a birding trip to Thailand
will give photographers the chance to get close
to several photogenic species and birders will
get the opportunity to see a few species that
are otherwise scarce in Thailand.
Contact me to arrange a birding trip and/or to
discuss the best bird watching options for you:
nickupton@thaibirding.com
As stated, the main pool is fairly sterile with usually just
Asian Palm Swifts and House Swifts swooping around above it
but the smaller pools have scruffy edges and islands in them
which attract several species.
Once again, Pink-necked Green Pigeons seem to like to sun
themselves on the exposed branches around the pools in the
early morning and both Javan and Chinese Pond Herons can be
found although they are indistinguishable from eath other
until March when they come into breeding plumage. A few Striated
Herons lurk around the edges of these pools too and I have
also seen Yellow Bittern on a couple of occasions.
Large fish, terrapins and monitor lizards can also be seen
in the water.
The areas around the pools consist of trees with a well-tended
ground layer which means that bird life is limited. However,
Drongos seem to favour this habitat and the park has a healthy
population of Greater Racket-tailed Drongos and Ashy, Black
and Hair-crested Drongos are likely to be seen in the dry
season with a few Crow-billed Drongos passing through on passage
migration. Both Brown-throated and Olive-backed Sunbirds are
abundant in flowering trees around the pools.
Of all the areas around the pools, the nursery area is perhaps
the most interesting with migrants such as Forest Wagtail,
Eyebrowed Thrush and Drongo Cuckoo passing through in April
and Asian Brown Flycatcher and Leaf Warblers throughout the
dry season.
Bird
Watching Tower: A purpose built bird watching
tower in the middle of the most overgrown part of the park
gives a good view over the surrounding area and is particularly
good for viewing birds sitting in the tree tops in the early
morning as well as raptors on passage migration. The tower
itself is well-built and a good place to rest and watch birds
in the early morning; sometimes there is a breeze up here
giving a bit of a cooling influence.
The best time to be birding from the tower is in the early
morning as the sun begins to hit the tops of the trees and
insects begin to emerge. Birds then come into the canopy to
warm or dry themselves in the sunshine and feed on the insects.
Species which are always common in parks, such as Asian Koel,
Streak-eared Bulbul, Oriental Magpie Robin, Scarlet-backed
Flowerpecker, Brown-throated Sunbird and Pied Fantail can
often be seen in large numbers in the mornings and these are
also joined by lots of Pink-necked Green Pigeons. This is
also probably the best place in the park to spot a Lineated
Barbet too.
Some of the larger migrant birds also perch in the tree tops
in the mornings with Black-naped Oriole, Ashy Drongo, Chinese
Pond Heron, Dollarbird and Blue-tailed Bee-eater all likely
at the right time of year (October and April).
Asian Openbill continues to become more and more common and
birders will see small groups of this species sitting around
in trees and soaring. During migratory times passing raptors
are best spotted from here and the spectacular Black Baza
is one of the more regular species to be seen as well as Japanese
Sparrowhawk, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Shikra and Oriental Honey-buzzard
while the ocassional Brahminy Kite strays up the river.
Eastern
Section: The eastern section of the park is
by far the least tended part and usually the best area for
finding birds. This area consists of old orchards that have
been left to become overgrown and are a magnet for migrants
and resident birds too. A network of dirt tracks running off
of a central paved road allow bird watchers to investigate
this area thoroughly and find a wide variety of species and
I have personally found some quite rare migrant species here
in the month of April several years running.
In this part of the park Collared Kingfishers are common
and several pairs nest here each year. Although Stork-billed
Kingfisher is less common it is still fairly abundant and
this area is probably the best area to find one. Common and
Dark-necked Tailorbirds share the understorey with Plain Prinia
and the waterways have an abundance of White-breasted Waterhens.
If you are looking for Laced Woodpecker this is the region
you are most likely to find one and Green-billed Malkoha can
be encountered anywhere here.
Migrating birds, in the months of September-October and April
are a real attraction to birders wishing to find some rare
species. Asian Brown Flycatcher, Mugimaki Flycatcher and Yellow-rumped
Flycatcher are frequent while Green-backed and Narcissus Flycatchers
have also been recorded. Migrating Leaf Warblers are also
likely to be encountered with Radde's, Arctic, Yellow-browed,
Eastern Crowned and Pale-legged Leaf Warblers all quite commonly
seen. Flocks of migrating birds are attracted to flowering
and fruiting trees here; the species forming these flocks
usually consist of Ashy Minivet, Black-winged Cuckooshrike,
Crow-billed Drongo, Black-naped Oriole and Ashy Drongo.
Quite frankly the variety of migrants that have been seen
here means that almost anything could be found and it is worth
taking time to visit several days in a row when birds are
on the move and weather conditions are right in spring and
autumn. Other species that are frequent on passage migration
are Drongo Cuckoo, Forest Wagtail, Eyebrowed Thrush and Black
Bittern while rarer species recorded include Chestnut-winged
Cuckoo, Malayan Night Heron, Ruddy Kingfisher, Hodgson's Hawk
Cuckoo and Oriental Cuckoo.
Other species that I have seen here and nowhere else in the
park are Red-breasted Parakeet, Hill Myna, Red-billed Blue
Magpie and Tanimbar Corella. The latter is obviously of escaped
origin while the provenance of the former three is not so
easy to determine.
Facilities
Facilities for the visitor are few here. There
are no restaurants here, but there is a small kiosk at the
park gate where cold drinks and snacks can be purchased. The
lady here also sells fish food for visitors to give to the
large fish that live in the pools.
There is also now a small coffee shop set back slightly from
the turning from the road into the park. I have not used this
myself but it is likely it sells some sort of snack or even
simple meals. It seems only to be open at weekends though.
Clean toilets are situated in the collection of administration
buildings to the right as one passes over the small bridge
into the park. There is a donation box for the upkeep of the
toilets.
The bird watching tower is an excellent facility for birders
to use to get up high and look out over the treetops and as
of 2016 there are a number of interpretative panels featuring
birds and most boardwalks have been repaired with the reparation
of others under progress.
Lots of convenience stores will be passed on the way from
the expressway to the park and these sell a variety of breads
and drinks that can be eaten for breakfast in the park. The
7-11 convenience stores sell hot coffee too. If birders are
hungry after a morning of birding here, Suksawat road has
several large Big C and Tesco Lotus stores that have a variety
of restaurants in them.
This location is not a National Park and there is no charge
to go birding here.
Birdwatching
Trips:
Sri Nakorn Kuen Khan Park is a great site to visit during
migratory periods when a large number of species can be
found, including some very scarce passage migrants; a
great place to add to a birding trip in April or October.
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.
How
Birds Migrate This is one of the most informative books on birds
that I have ever read. Covering all aspects of bird
migration this is a great read for broadening your knowledge.
There are usually some cheap second-hand copies available
through the link above.
Download
a full 
