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Phuket's Avian Jewels
Address: 233/42 Moo 8. Sri Soon Thon Thalang Phuket,83000
Phone: +66 (0) 857897813
Email: info@souththailandbirding.com
After lunch we would head West to the Laguna Resort complex. Amongst the hotels are large lakes which provide a home for many birds including the White-throated Kingfisher and the Common Kingfisher. These are probably the most common and easiest kingfishers to find on the island. Almost every pond and lake in Thailand has at least one Common Kingfisher. This is also a migrant and can only be found from August until April. This is the same species that can be found throughout Europe and so is familiar with many visitors. The White-throated Kingfisher is often seen perching on electricity cables along roads and heard calling all over the island with it’s staccato, descending laugh.
If this day’s festival of colour leaves us wanting more we would have to go on a longer trip off the island and up to Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani to find the fantastic Rufous-collared Kingfisher and Banded Kingfisher.
Phone: +66 (0) 857897813
Email: info@souththailandbirding.com
Phuket’s Avian Jewels
Phuket is home to over two hundred species of birds including eight kinds of kingfisher. They live in a variety of habitats, some are common and easy to find and others are rare and live in inaccessible places.
It’s possible, with a lot of luck, to see them all in one day. Here is how we would go about doing this.
Two of the kingfishers are only winter visitors to Southern Thailand and breed further North so we would choose a clear day between September and March for our outing.
We would start the day at the Khao Phra Taew National Park in the centre of the island to the West of the town of Thalang. At the pond at the Ton Sai Waterfall entrance to the park a Black-capped Kingfisher over-winters and is usually easy to find sitting high up on a branch or bamboo stem overlooking the pond. This bird can also be found in quiet coastal areas like Layan Beach and the mangroves of the East coast of the island.
To find the next two species we would have to walk into the forest and spend a couple of hours looking along small streams. This is the preferred habitat of both the Blue-eared Kingfisher and the Oriental Dwarf kingfisher. These rare kingfishers are brightly coloured and it’s always a joy to find one. They are most frequently seen in flight patrolling their territories but on lucky days can be seen diving for fish from a low perch, often returning to the same perch to wait for another chance for a meal. These will be the two most difficult birds to find and it would be a rare and lucky day to find them both.
Collared King...
Brown-winged
Ruddy Kingfisher
Ruddy Kingfisher
Phuket is home to over two hundred species of birds including eight kinds of kingfisher. They live in a variety of habitats, some are common and easy to find and others are rare and live in inaccessible places.
It’s possible, with a lot of luck, to see them all in one day. Here is how we would go about doing this.
Two of the kingfishers are only winter visitors to Southern Thailand and breed further North so we would choose a clear day between September and March for our outing.
We would start the day at the Khao Phra Taew National Park in the centre of the island to the West of the town of Thalang. At the pond at the Ton Sai Waterfall entrance to the park a Black-capped Kingfisher over-winters and is usually easy to find sitting high up on a branch or bamboo stem overlooking the pond. This bird can also be found in quiet coastal areas like Layan Beach and the mangroves of the East coast of the island.
To find the next two species we would have to walk into the forest and spend a couple of hours looking along small streams. This is the preferred habitat of both the Blue-eared Kingfisher and the Oriental Dwarf kingfisher. These rare kingfishers are brightly coloured and it’s always a joy to find one. They are most frequently seen in flight patrolling their territories but on lucky days can be seen diving for fish from a low perch, often returning to the same perch to wait for another chance for a meal. These will be the two most difficult birds to find and it would be a rare and lucky day to find them both.
Collared King...
Brown-winged
Ruddy Kingfisher
Ruddy Kingfisher
Our next stop would be at the Pak Klok recreational area on the East coast of the island. In the coastal scrub and casuarina trees we’d be on the look out for the noisy Collared Kingfishers. Of the large kingfishers this is usually the most approachable and easiest one to photograph. Further up the beach in the mangroves is where we would look for our next two species. Brown-winged Kingfishers live exclusively in mature mangrove forests and although Ruddy Kingfishers also live in lowland forests they are easiest to find in the mangroves. It is possible to get lucky and come across these birds perching out in the open but more often than not we would have to use a “cheat”. We can make use of their territorial nature. By playing their calls with our Ipod we can usually get them to react by coming in to see off the intruder. They will often perch nearby and call back allowing us to admire them. The Brown-winged Kingfisher is an exceptionally beautiful bird and is often high on the wish list of visiting birders.
We would by now need a break and would probably take advantage of one the excellent seafood restaurants overlooking the bay.
common King...
White-throated ...
Banded King...
Rufous-collared...
We would by now need a break and would probably take advantage of one the excellent seafood restaurants overlooking the bay.
common King...
White-throated ...
Banded King...
Rufous-collared...
After lunch we would head West to the Laguna Resort complex. Amongst the hotels are large lakes which provide a home for many birds including the White-throated Kingfisher and the Common Kingfisher. These are probably the most common and easiest kingfishers to find on the island. Almost every pond and lake in Thailand has at least one Common Kingfisher. This is also a migrant and can only be found from August until April. This is the same species that can be found throughout Europe and so is familiar with many visitors. The White-throated Kingfisher is often seen perching on electricity cables along roads and heard calling all over the island with it’s staccato, descending laugh.
If this day’s festival of colour leaves us wanting more we would have to go on a longer trip off the island and up to Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani to find the fantastic Rufous-collared Kingfisher and Banded Kingfisher.
Weather phuket
30°C Mostly Cloudy
30°C Mostly Cloudy
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