Khao Yai National Park

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Thailand

Overview

This is one of Southeast Asia's most famous birding sites and has long been the most popular national park in Thailand with foreign visitors.

Birds

Notable Species

The main habitat of the 2,168km2 park is dry evergreen and semi-evergreen dipterocarp forest which supports an excellent range of birds including such sought-after species as Scaly-breasted Partridge and Siamese Fireback, Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo, Green-eared Barbet, Eared Pitta and Blue Pitta. Other habitats include Podocarpus forest above 1,000, secondary-growth woodland and savanna.

Other birds to be seen here include a wide range of pigeon and parrots, owls, nightjars and hornills, kingfishers including Banded Kingfisher, barbets and woodpeckers such as Heart-spotted Woodpecker and Great Slaty Woodpecker. As well as South-East Asian forest birds the area attracts many wintering migrants from further north which include Forest Wagtail, Siberian Blue Robin and many species of warbler and flycatcher.

Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Little Grebe, Spot-billed Pelican, Oriental Darter, Purple Heron, Little Green Heron, Chinese Pond Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Malaysian Night-Heron, Yellow Bittern, Cinnamon Bittern, Greater Adjutant Stork, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Cotton Pygmy-Goose, Jerdon's Baza, Black Baza, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Black-shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Grey-headed Fishing-Eagle, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Pied Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Besra Sparrowhawk, Asian Crested Goshawk, Shikra, Grey-faced Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Indian Black Eagle, Booted Eagle, Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle, Crested Hawk Eagle, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Collared Falconet, Common Kestrel, Oriental Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Chinese Francolin, Blue-breasted Quail, Scaly-breasted Partridge, Silver Pheasant, Siamese Fireback, Red Junglefowl, Yellow-legged Buttonquail, Barred Buttonquail, Slaty-legged Crake, Ruddy-breasted Crake, White-breasted Waterhen, Common Moorhen, Masked Finfoot, Black-winged Stilt, Oriental Pratincole, Pacific Golden Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Spotted Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Pintail Snipe, Eurasian Woodcock, White-winged Tern, Pin-tailed Green-Pigeon, Wedge-tailed Green-Pigeon, Thick-billed Green-Pigeon, Pompadour Green-Pigeon, Orange-breasted Green-Pigeon, Green Imperial-Pigeon, Mountain Imperial-Pigeon, Feral Rock Dove, Pale-capped Pigeon, Barred Cuckoo-Dove, Oriental Turtle-Dove, Red Turtle-Dove, Spotted Turtle-Dove, Emerald Dove, Red-breasted Parakeet, Blossom-headed Parakeet, Vernal Hanging-Parrot, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo, Oriental Cuckoo, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Plaintive Cuckoo, Asian Emerald-Cuckoo, Asian Drongo Cuckoo, Green-billed Malkoha, Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo, Greater Coucal, Lesser Coucal, Oriental Bay Owl, Mountain Scops-Owl, Oriental Scops-Owl, Collared Scops Owl, Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl, Buffy Fish-Owl, Collared Owlet, Asian Barred Owlet, Brown Hawk-Owl, Spotted Owlet, Brown Wood-Owl, Javan Frogmouth, Great Eared-Nightjar, Jungle Nightjar, Long-tailed Nightjar, Himalayan Swiftlet, White-throated Spinetail Swift, White-vented Spinetail, Brown Spinetailed Swift, Fork-tailed Swift, House Swift, Asian Palm-Swift, Orange-breasted Trogon, Red-headed Trogon, Common Kingfisher, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Black-backed Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Banded Kingfisher, Ruddy Kingfisher, White-breasted Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Eastern Broad-billed Roller, Brown Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Indian Pied Hornbill, Great Hornbill, Lineated Barbet, Green-eared Barbet, Moustached Barbet, Blue-eared Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Eurasian Wryneck, White-browed Piculet, Rufous Woodpecker, Laced Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Greater Yellow-naped Woodpecker, Lesser Yellow-naped Woodpecker, Common Goldenback, Black-and-Buff Woodpecker, Great Slaty Woodpecker, White-bellied Woodpecker, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Greater Goldenback, Dusky Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Long-tailed Broadbill, Blue-winged Pitta, Hooded Pitta, Blue Pitta, Eared Pitta, Sand Martin, Dusky Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Asian House Martin, Forest Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Indian Tree Pipit, Richard's Pipit, Indochinese Cuckoo-Shrike, Dark-Grey Cuckoo-Shrike, Rosy Minivet, Ashy Minivet, Small Minivet, Scarlet Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, Large Woodshrike, Black-headed Bulbul, Black-crested Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Stripe-throated Bulbul, Olivaceous Bulbul, Bearded Bulbul, Grey-eyed Bulbul, Ashy Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Common Iora, Great Iora, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Blue-winged Leafbird, Asian Fairy-Bluebird, Tiger Shrike, Brown Shrike, Burmese Shrike, Grey-backed Shrike, Long-tailed Shrike, Siberian Rubythroat, Siberian Blue Robin, Bluethroat, White-rumped Shama, Slaty-backed Forktail, White-crowned Forktail, Siberian Stonechat, Grey Bushchat, White-throated Rock-Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Blue Whistling-Thrush, Orange-headed Ground-Thrush, Siberian Ground-Thrush, White's Ground-Thrush, Eye-browed Thrush, Abbott's Babbler, Spotted, Scaly-crowned Babbler, Long-billed Wren Babbler, Slaty-headed, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler, Chestnut-capped Babbler, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Black-throated Laughingthrush, White-crested Laughingthrush, Blyth's Shrike-Babbler, Clicking Shrike-Babbler, White-bellied Yuhina, Stub-tailed Bush-Warbler (Nov-Mar), Spotted Bush-Warbler, Lanceolated Warbler, Oriental Great Reed-Warbler, Thick-billed Reed-Warbler, Black-browed Reed-Warbler, Blunt-winged Reed-Warbler, Bright-capped Cisticola, Rufescent Prinia, Franklin's Prinia, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Common Tailorbird, Dark-necked Tailorbird, Dusky Warbler, Radde's Warbler, Pallas's Leaf Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Arctic Warbler, Two-barred Greenish Warbler, Pale-legged Willow Warbler, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Blyth's Crowned Warbler, White-tailed Willow Warbler, Golden-spectacled Warbler, Whistler's Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher-Warbler, Siberian Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Ferruginous Flycatcher, Indian Verditer Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Red-throated Flycatcher, Little Pied Flycatcher, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Vivid Niltava, Hainan Niltava, Hill Blue Niltava, Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher, Black-naped Blue Monarch, Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Sultan Tit, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Yellow-vented Flowerpecker, Plain Flowerpecker, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Green-backed Flowerpecker, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Purple Sunbird, Black-throated Sunbird, Yellow-backed Sunbird, Little Spiderhunter, Chestnut-flanked White-eye, Oriental White-eye, Yellow-breasted Bunting, Chestnut Bunting, Black-tailed, Scaly-breasted Munia, Pin-tailed Parrotfinch, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Plain-backed Sparrow, Ashy-headed Starling, Black-collared Starling, White-shouldered Starling, Common Mynah, White-vented Mynah, Golden-crested Mynah, Eastern Hill Myna, Black-naped Oriole, Asian Black-headed Oriole, Maroon Oriole, Silver Oriole, Black Drongo, Ashy Drongo, Crow-billed Drongo, Bronzed Drongo, Lesser Racquet-tailed Drongo, Spangled Drongo, Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo, Ashy Woodswallow, Common Jay, Green Magpie, Black Racquet-tailed Magpie, Large-billed Crow

Other Wildlife

Mammlas at Khao Yai include Sambar and Barking Deer, Asiatic Elephant, Black Giant Squirrel, Pig-tailed Macaque and White-handed Gibbon. In addition there are carnivores including Tiger and Leopard Cat, Asian Black and Sun Bear, Hog Badger and Binturong. Mammlas at Khao Yai include Sambar and Barking Deer, Asiatic Elephant, Black Giant Squirrel, Pig-tailed Macaque and White-handed Gibbon. In addition there are carnivores including Tiger and Leopard Cat, Asian Black and Sun Bear, Hog Badger and Binturong.

Site Information

History and Use

To do

Areas of Interest

Many species can be seen in the HQ area but the trails need to be taken for the more elusive species. Trail 1 is good for Eared Pitta, Trail 6 for Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo and Trail 7 for Banded Kingfisher.

Access and Facilities

Khao Yai is situated about 160km north-east of Bangkok and the HQ can be reached by bus from the capital. For those with their own transport leave Bangkok on Highway 1, turning onto Highway 2 about 1km before Saraburi and then onto Highway 2090 about 5km before Pak Chong. The park entrance is at km23 on this road and the HQ at km37.Hotel accommodation can be found at Pak Chong but it is hoped the accommodation within the park, which was closed in the early 1990s, will be reopened.

Contact Details

[email protected]

External Links

• Khao Yai National Park bird checklist

• Khao Yai National Park: information on birds, how to get there and accommodation on thaibirding.com

Content and images originally posted by Steve