Rufous-bellied Woodpecker (Dendrocopos hyperythrus) is a very rare bird in Thailand. It used to be much more common and widespread in the past, but has heavily declined due to the logging of lowland deciduous forest which is the species' primary habitat. There are 2 disjunct populations in Thailand, the nominate in the north-west, and the... Continue Reading →
Out of 7 species of yuhinas in the genus Yuhina, the Burmese Yuhina (Yuhina humilis) is undoubtedly the most difficult one to see. This species has only 2 small and disjunct populations, the race Y. h. clarki in eastern Myanmar (primarily in Shan State), and the nominate in western Thailand and small adjacent area in... Continue Reading →
Back on 21 December 2023, I was birding in Khao Yai National Park with Wayne Paes and Andy Last. As we stopped for birding near Chao Pu Khao Khieo Shrine on the way up to Khao Khieo summit, I noticed a Phylloscopus warbler feeding in the canopy level of a tall open tree. I watched... Continue Reading →
Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch (Sitta cinnamoventris) is a rare and little known bird in Thailand. There are only very few sites in the north where it is known to occur. Traditionally, most birders look for this species at Doi Phu Kha in Nan province. However, my friend found and photographed a pair of birds at Ban Khun... Continue Reading →
When I first started birding 26 years ago, most people had very little idea about how "Pale-footed Bush Warbler" actually looked like. Back in those days, we didn't have very many photos of most birds, let alone bush warblers. Most photographic guide books got their warblers all mixed up and the quality of the photos... Continue Reading →
It has somehow become my annual mission to look for the secretive Russet Bush Warbler (Locustella mandelli) in the wet season. This species is the only breeding Locustella warbler in Thailand. It is known to breed on high mountains in northern Thailand, typically above 1,000 m. It is one of the few highland species that... Continue Reading →
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 →
