Mae Ping National Park, in Lamphun
province, is one of the easiest to access areas of mature
dry dipterocarp forest in Thailand with a long but quiet access
road to the camp site providing miles of peaceful birding
with some very spectacular birds to see, most notably woodpeckers.
This habitat is quite different to most of the main bird
watching sites in Thailand and a useful addition to any birding
trip to the country. A high number of habitat specialists
inhabit the forest so it is interesting to bird watchers but
the habitat is quite uniform and unspectacular so non-birders
are unlikely to find much here to get excited by. The forest
is very dry looking, even in the wet season and it can be
extremely barren in the middle of the dry season with frequent
fires ripping through the understorey although rarely getting
hot enough to cause serious damage to trees.
Similar habitat to this exists on the lower slopes of Doi
Inthanon but for some reason at that location it is very species
poor while at Mae Ping there are far more birds, although
one should not expect lots of activity and particularly when
it is hot there can be very long quiet spells. Mae Ping is
a great place to visit to see certain specialist species,
worth a day or two for some high quality sightings.
A high number of species that are habitat specialists are
the main draw to birders to visit Mae Ping but for me the
main highlights are the woodpeckers. The stunning Black-headed
Woodpecker is rather common here and often surprises visitors
by habitually traveling around in flocks outside of the breeding
season. Another star attraction at Mae Ping is the very striking
White-bellied Woodpecker which is often quite vocal in the
early morning and very late afternoon. Numerous other species
of woodpecker inhabit this location too with Greater and Common
Flamebacks being abundant, Lesser and Greater Yellownapes
both fairly common and the cute little Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
is very abundant. For a lucky few the rare Rufous-bellied
Woodpecker can occasionally be found.
It is not only about woodpeckers though with plenty of other
great birds including Collared Falconet, Grey-headed Parakeet,
Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Chinese Francolin, Rufous-winged
Buzzard, Burmese Nuthatch and Crested Treeswift to name a
few. Although the species diversity in this type of forest
is not that high, many of the birds here will not be encountered
in any other sort of habitat making Mae Ping a great place
to visit.
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 route to
Mae Ping National Park. The blue line shows the route from
Chiang Mai airport (A) to Tung Gik campsite at Mae Ping National
(C) via the town of Li (B).
By Car/Motorcycle
The easiest way to visit this location is by private vehicle,
not just for reaching the location but for birding along the
long road to Tung Gik campsite.
By Bus
This area has a small population and there is little public
transport. There must be buses from the provincial capital
of Lamphun to the town of Li but they do not seem to be very
regular. From Li to the national park gate there are no buses
or public transport of any kind so one would need to acquire
some transport in Li to be able to access the forest. This
might be possible by arranging it through accommodation in
Li but it would not be a simple task. Basically this is not
a location that is easily visited by public transport.
By Taxi
It is certainly possible to take a taxi the couple of hours
from Chiang Mai, Lamphun or Lampang town centres but unless
you charter it for a few days you will struggle for transport
once in Li. If you are intending to camp then it would be
possible to get a taxi into the national park and then arrange
some way out with the park staff; not an easy option though.
By Tuk Tuk or Motorcycle Taxi
It is far too far from any of the nearby cities to consider
these dangerous modes of transport. However, if you have managed
to get to Li by public transport it may be possible to arrange
a motorcycle taxi from there into the national park, although
it is likely to be very time-consuming trying to find a motorcycle
taxi driver.
By Train
Chiang Mai city can be reached by train but from there you
need to then use one of the previously mentioned forms of
transport to get to Mae Ping national park.
By Plane
The nearest airport of any significant size is Chiang Mai
where birders would be advised to hire a vehicle and drive
themselves the few hours south to Mae Ping.
Finding Birds
Most of the habitat is fairly uniform at Mae Ping so most
of the species here can be found more or less anywhere throughout
the forest. However, there are a few key spots for birding
at this site.
Entry
Gate/HQ: At the entry gate there is a car park
and a few headquarters buildings surrounded by a moist, mixed
evergreen forest type allowing birders to see some species
that are thin on the ground throughout much of the national
park's dry dipterocarp habitat. In flowering or fruiting trees
around this area Black-headed, Black-crested and Stripe-throated
Bulbuls are likely to be seen and on a few occasions I have
found Silver-breasted Broadbill here, a very smart bird indeed.
Species such as Hill Blue Flycatcher, Puff-throated Babbler
and other common forest species are likely to be encountered
and in fact few people bird in this area so there is probably
a thing or two to discover.
The
Road to Tung Gik: Most birders come to Mae
Ping for the birds that specialize in dry dipterocarp woodland
and the long road to Tung Gik campsite gives easy access to
13 kilometres of this as well as a few patches of mixed bamboo
forest.
The habitat along most of this small road is fairly uniform,
although there are a few areas where pine trees are dotted
around which are often favoured by Eurasian Jay (split by
HBW as White-faced Jay) and the occasional Great Barbet although
the latter is at the lower end of its altitudinal range here
so not common. Lineated Barbet, Rufous Treepie and White-crested
Laughingthrush are fairly common birds and very vocal in the
early morning all along this road while parties of Red-billed
Blue Magpies are likely to be encountered but are very shy
here.
One of the main attractions here is Black-headed Woodpecker
and small flocks of these stunning birds can be seen at any
location along the road but as with most woodpeckers they
are most active at dawn and dusk. White-bellied Woodpecker
is also fairly abundant here but they have big territories
so are less common than Black-headed Woodpecker. This species
makes a lot of noise and has a distinctive drum; it is a magnificent
creature when it flies past at close range. Grey-capped Pygmy
Woodpecker is a common bird, in every flock of small birds,
while Common Flameback, Greater Flameback, Greater Yellownape
and Lesser Yellownape are all likely to be seen too. One of
the stars of the show is Great Slaty Woodpecker which is not
common but there are a few family parties to be found here
and once seen they are not soon forgotten. Rufous Woodpecker
can sometimes be found in the area close to the campsite,
usually first detected by its distinctive drum which starts
off loud and then slows down and fades. I found the first
Rufous-bellied Woodpecker for Thailand for many years here
a few years ago, it is extremely rare and birders will be
very lucky to see it, but keep looking!
There are lots of other good birds to look for along this
road with White-rumped Falcon seen in the few kilometres before
reaching the campsite, Grey-headed Parakeets flying over the
canopy all the way along the road and parties of birds including
Common Woodshrike, Small Minivet, Indochinese Cuckooshrike,
Black-naped Monarch, Golden-fronted Leafbird and Large Woodshrike
with Rosy Minivet joining them in the "winter" months.
Black-hooded Oriole is easily heard in this habitat, although
sometimes tricky to see, and Crested Treeswifts can be found
hawking over the canopy in the early morning.
Raptors are well-represented here with the afore-mentioned
White-rumped Falcon the prime target but Crested Goshawk,
Crested Serpent Eagle, Shikra and Rufous-winged Buzzard all
more common. In the undergrowth Rufescent Prinias are common
and are joined by migrant Radde's and Yellow-streaked Warblers
both of which are extremely similar and best told apart on
call.
Tung
Gik Campsite: The campsite is set within the
same habitat as the road through the forest that one drives
to get to it. However, the campsite itself comprises a rough
and mown grassy area, scattered trees and open forest edge.
This open area gives birders a chance to see several different
species as well as a line of view that allows some birds to
be spotted at distance, perched upon tree tops. Two of the
stand out birds that can be reliably seen in the scattered
trees in the middle of the campsite are Burmese Shrike and
Collared Falconet. These two smart birds often hunt from the
same perches and are reason enough to visit this spot.
In the very early morning and late afternoon Chinese Francolin
can be heard calling but are hard to spot, often perched low
in small trees. Blossom-headed Parakeet can often be found
in this area too; listen out for its high-pitched call. The
grasses hold Yellow-eyed Babbler and Rufescent Prinia throughout
the year while wintering species include Siberian Rubythroat
and Yellow-streaked Warbler. The resident thai subspecies
of Black Drongo is ever-present in the campsite and noisy
Red-wattled Lapwings are hard to miss. The open nature of
the area makes it good for spotting birds in flight such as
Striated Swallow and raptors that can include Rufous-winged
Buzzard and Crested Goshawk.
The fringing forest has been thinned out by national park
staff and this makes any birds that visit rather easier to
see. These areas often receive Red-billed Blue Magpie as a
visitor, hunting for scraps left behind by humans, and it
is a good place to spot Black-hooded Oriole, Common Flameback,
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Golden-fronted Leafbird and
Eurasian (White-faced) Jay.
Bird
Watching Tours in Northern Thailand: Fang Hot
Springs is an excellent location to add to any Northern
Thailand birding itinerary and can be included in 3-4
days to Doi Lang and surroundings. Northern Thailand
is at its best in December to February for migrant species
but at all times of the year a large number of excellent
resident birds can be seen.
Contact me to arrange a birding trip and/or to discuss
the best bird watching options for you: nickupton@thaibirding.com
Farmland
near Ban Ko: The land around here is intensively
farmed but with lots of isolated trees in fields it is also
a good place to spot birds perched out in the open. Specifically,
if you have not come across Rufous-winged Buzzard in the forest
then scanning the bare trees in the farmland is a good tactic.
Species such as Indochinese Roller and Pied Bushchat are easily
seen here too and I have also spotted Collared Falconet perched
on tree tops in this area.
Other species in this dry farmland include Indochinese Bushlark,
Grey-breasted Prinia, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Plain-backed Sparrow
and handsome Burmese Shrike and it is a decent place to hang
around and scan for soaring raptors; Oriental Honey Buzzard,
Black Baza, Crested Goshawk and Crested Serpent Eagle are
all regularly seen here.
Facilities
Facilities at Mae Ping National Park itself
are very few. At Tung Gik campsite there are toilets and showers
but nothing else, all food and drink must be taken in and
cooked oneself. The campsite is very rarely busy and if you
camp here you will probably have the place to yourself. At
the entry gate, where you pay to get into the park, there
is a small information office, where the park staff are actually
quite knowledgeable, and some toilets, nothing more.
However, the nearby town of Li is small but big enough to
have everything that birders need including several small,
but comfortable guesthouses. Li is thirty minutes away from
the national park which is close enough to make staying there
convenient. Funwan
Resort (formerly Ing Fa) is a decent enough place to stay
and easy to find right in the main town. Funwan has a rather
out-of-place "Viennoiserie", basically a fancy cake
shop, that serves very delicious croissants. There are a few
small restaurants on the main street, within a short walk
that serve cheap and tasty food. If this location is full
then there are numerous similar places around town that are
signposted from the main road. All are decent enough and some
of them provide an early breakfast of sorts, although breakfast
at Funwan is not available until 7am.
Although I have not stayed there, Baan
Pailyn is a bit more upmarket and comfortable-looking
than other accommodations in town; useful for those who want
a little bit more comfort.
There are several convenience stores in Li and a fuel station.
For a town of this size there are surprisingly few restaurants
but there are a couple around and I have had good food at
all of the ones I have used here. Li also has a small hospital,
ATMs and a small daily market.
Entry to Mae Ping National Park is 100 baht per person for
foreigners and 30 baht per vehicle. This has to be paid daily
if going in and out of the park, but only once if camping
at Tung Gik and staying within the park.
Some Useful Books
Woodpeckers
of the World This is a beautiful collection of photographs detailing
every species of woodpecker in the world. The amount
of text is very limited so there are no detailed species
accounts but it is a wonderful way to become familar
with woodpeckers of the world.
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.
Download
a full 
