With Thailand being home to 62 important birding sites and 960 species of birds (roughly 10 per cent of the world’s total) for at least for part of the year, the Thai kingdom is a hot spot for globe-trotting birdwatchers.

The total number of species found in Thailand far surpasses that found in the United States, Australia, Southern Africa or West Europe, individually. In terms of total area, Thailand is only a fraction of the size of these places, so why the diversity?

The kingdom spans the 14 degrees of latitude (from 6 to 20 degrees north of the equator), and has elevations of up to 2,565 metres above sea level, giving rise to diverse habitats. These include lush tropical rainforest and rugged karst forests in the south, mountains clothed in mixed evergreen and deciduous forests stretching to the Tenasserim border to the west, and cool montane evergreen and dry deciduous dipterocarp forests in the north.

Thailand is also a tropical rest stop for birds that make long distance migrations between their breeding grounds in North Asia and feeding zones in Australia. As a result the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand and Birdlife International have identified sixty-two Important Bird Areas as outstanding places for birds and biodiversity. These are the main targets for visiting birders.

Forests are essential habitats for most resident birds - those which live and breed within Thailand - and some migrants, notably birds of prey. But freshwater habitats such as lakes, pools, marshes, rivers and irrigated areas are absolutely critical as feeding and breeding grounds to an entirely different group of birds. Among the most important of these wetlands are places least disturbed by humans, that support globally threatened or vulnerable species, or support twenty-thousand or more waterbirds at a time, at least for some part of the year.

Thailand is committed to protecting these rare places under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention). Almost a third of the country’s important bird areas fit this description. Eight are designated Ramsar sites.

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Image Copyright Philip D. Round

Striated Grassbird Image Copyright Philip D. Round

Image Copyright Philip D. Round

Chiang Saen Lake and Surrounding Areas
Lying near the northernmost point of the Kingdom, where Thailand meets Laos and Myanmar (Burma), the Nong Bong Kai Non-hunting Area is a Ramsar Site protecting Chiang Saen Lake, one of several semi-natural swamps that support impressive birdlife. Floating mats of grass bob on the water’s surface attracting insects to the rotting vegetation which are devoured by swamp hens, jacanas and other waterbirds. The nearby Yonok Wetlands, protected by a local conservation group, is a major roosting area for Pied and Eastern Marsh Harriers. Hundreds of the big boldly-coloured birds can be seen there. Monks have constructed a viewing platform for birds on the lake.

However, well-known ornithologist Philip Round indicates that some of the most important habitats for birds lie elsewhere – such as at the edges of the lakes and next to rice paddies. Grasslands may reveal grassbirds, bushchats and stonechats. Quiet roads leading out of Chiang Saen towards Chiang Khong or Mae Sai are both access points to the lakes and likely places along which to see grassland birds.

During the winter months of November to January, the Mekong River is used as a flyway by ducks, gulls, terns and migratory waders as they move south from Laos, Myanmar, China and beyond. This includes globally threatened birds such as Baer’s Pochard and Swan Goose, globally near-threatened Ferruginous Pochard, and globally vulnerable Baikal Teal. Birds difficult to find elsewhere in Thailand like Bar-headed Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Greylag Goose and Mandarin Duck, and more common species like Spotted Redshank are also possible. Vantage points are the riverbanks behind restaurants in Chiang Saen town.

Habitats in and beside the Mekong River such as large sandbars and sandbanks are breeding places for Great Thick-knee, a comical looking bird with large yellow eyes and an upturned bill, and River lapwings, excitable birds with a high-pitched call. Large numbers of Small Pratincoles can be seen feeding in the river. Jerdon’s Bushchat, a quaint and shy bird, can be seen skulking through low vegetation on islands and riverbanks.

Round says one attraction of the area is the chance to see unexpected birds. Grass Owls were discovered at Yonok in 2007, a first record for Thailand. Long-tailed Duck, seen this past January at Nong Bong Kai, was a new record for Thailand and Southeast Asia.

The Mekong flyways and byways can be interesting and accessible all year round. And best of all, for the birder on a limited time budget, three or four days is enough to sample all habitats.

ACKNOWLDEGEMENTS
News Room sincerely thanks Philip D. Round, Regional Representative of The Wetland Trust and Assistant Professor at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University for the tremendous support and kind assistance in providing information and images for this feature.

Related Links
Yonok Wetlands Project
Chiang Saen district, Chiang Rai province, Northern Thailand
http://yonokwetlands.awardspace.com/

Yonok Wetlands Project near Chiang Saen
http://thaibirding.com/news/yonokwetlands.htm

Birdwatching in Thailand
http://www.thaibirding.com/

Bird Conservation Society of Thailand
http://www.bcst.or.th/eng/

Birdlife International
http://www.birdlife.org/

A Guide to the Birds of Thailand
by Boonsong Lekagul and Philip D. Round
http://www.thaibirding.com/book_reviews/roundthai.htm

About The Author
An Australian citizen, Antony Lynam has authored 60 reports and popular articles on conservation related issues in Australia, North America and Asia. He writes for The Nation, The Bangkok Post, The Natural History Bulletin of The Siam Society, and travel magazines. He has also been involved in the production of documentaries related to his areas of expertise. These include Evolution: Extinction, Siamese Crocodile, Tigers Fighting Back, and Eye of the Tiger. He advises on wildlife conservation programmes in Asia for the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, and has trained over a thousand government staff and graduate students since coming to the region in 1989.

MARCH 31 - APRIL 6, 2008
2008 KING'S CUP ELEPHANT POLO TOURNAMENT
At Anantara Golden Triangle Resort, Chiang Rai
Spectator entrance is free of charge.
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Web site www.anantaraelephantpolo.com