Large Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis magnirostris) is probably one of the most enigmatic flycatchers in Asia. Until quite recently, it was treated as a subspecies of the more widely distributed Hill Blue Flycatcher despite looking remarkably different. I recently had a chance to observe an adult male Large Blue Flycatcher that had been returning to the... Continue Reading →
Pymgy Flycatcher (Ficedula hodgsoni) is a rare and little-known bird in Thailand. We were uncertain about its seasonal status until a juvenile was photographed at Doi Lang, Chiang Mai on 6 July 2020 confirming that this species is a breeding resident in the north-west. Apart from high mountains in the north, this species has also... Continue Reading →
It's been a while since my last blog post. I think it's about time to keep this site relevant! In August, I had a long and surprisingly fruitful trip to the south. We travelled by car so we could make several stops along the way but our destination was Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary in Narathiwat, the... Continue Reading →
There were so many incredible bird sightings in Thailand over the past winter. It's impossible to choose which one was the best, but the sighting of a Wood Snipe (Gallinago nemoricola) at Doi Inthanon has got to be a personal favourite. There are few reasons why I was particularly excited about this sighting. First, I... Continue Reading →
"What's your favourite bird?" has to be one of the most frequently asked questions that birders receive. Personally, it's impossible for me to choose just one bird. I can tell which groups of birds are my favourites though, and Locustella warblers are one of them. I instantly fell in love with these mouse-like birds when... Continue Reading →
The discovery of Umber Flycatcher in Thailand was a big surprise. This cryptic and little known bird was previously thought to occur only in the lowland forest of Borneo. However, photos of a bird from Perdik posted in an excellent blog by Dave Bakewell in 2013 spiked our interest in this species. Finally, photos of... Continue Reading →
Finally, eBird has followed the split of Saxicola stejnegeri from S. maurus. The newly split species is now called Amur Stonechat, and it is considered to be the default species wintering in Thailand. However, the identification between Amur Stonechat and 'maurus' Siberian Stonechat is still rather poorly known. Throughout the past spring, I focused on... Continue Reading →
Following up on my recent post about roosting behaviour of the harriers in Chiang Saen, in this post, I'd like to focus more on the identification of the 4 species that can be regularly seen in Thailand. These 4 species include Eastern Marsh Harrier (Circus spilonotus), Western Marsh Harrier (C. aeruginosus), Pied Harrier (C. melanoleucos),... Continue Reading →
The harrier roost at Wiang Nong Lom, located between Mae Chan and Chiang Saen district in Chiang Rai, is the most well known roost of wintering harriers in Thailand. Since I visit Chiang Saen almost monthly, I always visit the roost during winter months. I have observed 4 species of harriers roosting at the site... Continue Reading →
Since my first sighting of a Swinhoe's Snipe (Gallinago megala) at Mae Faek in 2004, it has become my annual challenge to find more, particularly during the autumn migration. So far, I have recorded 3 Swinhoe's Snipes, all within Mae Faek area. This year, I was very happy to find one bird on 25 September... Continue Reading →
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