Western Thailand
contains the largest remaining area of forest on mainland
Southeast Asia. The west is a mountainous region where many
northern montane birds are at the southernmost limit of their
range and some of the southern lowland species are at the
northernmost limit of their range, making for a huge number
of species present. Extensive areas of unvisited forest close
to the Myanmar border provide adventurous birders with a chance
to discover additional species for the Thai list on remote
mountains.
Specialities of the region include Ratchet-tailed Treepie,
Rufous-browed Flycatcher and Rufous-necked Hornbill. Doi Mokoju
is the only know Thai location for Grey-bellied Wren Babbler
Spelaeornis repatus. In 2018 populations of Ayeyarwady
Bulbul were found in Tak and Kanchanaburi provinces with Red-vented
Bulbul being exclusively known in Thailand from the area round
the town of Sangklaburi.
The limits of the western region are a little difficult to
define but I have used the approximate area of overlap in
the ranges of northern and southern birds to create the western
region's boundary. The birding sites are marked on the map
below and listed by name below the map.
The forest on the mountains and foothills is
the main attraction here with a number of species that are
absent elsewhere in Thailand choosing this habitat, although
access is difficult in many national parks in the region.
A belt of healthy dry dipterocarp forest plays host to a number
of habitat specialists and provides a big variation of species
in comparison to the higher altitudes. Accessing this region
is fairly easy by car but almost all birding sites are a long
drive from transport hubs such as Bangkok or Chiang Mai and
public transport is very poor. As well as a very healthy avifauna,
the western region contains the most viable populations of
many large mammals in Thailand, including tiger, gaur, Asian
elephant, wild water buffalo, tapir, banteng, leopard and
many others.
Weather
The lowland parts of the region are hot all year round with
temperatures reaching their peak in March-May with midday
temperatures often reaching 40+C. However, the region is mountainous
and between November to Early February there can be cooler
weather, particularly in the first few hours of light. During
the wet season a lot of rain falls on the mountain forest
but some of the foothills are in something of a rain shadow
which is reflected in a drier forest type.In the early rainy
season (May-July) there are often afternoon storms, but not
always every day, and the birding can be good as many species
are breeding. The late rainy season (August-October) can be
extremely wet and some of the valleys and caves can experience
flash flooding.
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.
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