Thailand Raptor Tour

Combine it with our Nepal Raptor Tour, 5-20 November and target 60+ Asian raptor species!

The best raptor migration in Located on the coast of the South China Sea, Khao Dinsor—much like Veracruz in Southeast Asia! southeastern Mexico—is witness to a Every autumn hundreds of fantastic raptor migration. Over one quarter thousands of raptors in Indochina million of diurnal birds of prey of some 25 follow four main migration routes species fly past this point every autumn. originating in remote Siberia, northern China The raptor highlights here include up to and Mongolia, across the region through 125,000 Chinese Sparrowhawks, over Thailand and Malaysia, into Indonesia, the 40,000 Oriental Honey Buzzards, 15,000 Philippines, to Papua New Guinea, and even Gray-faced Buzzards, more than 10,000 northern Australia. Japanese Sparrowhawks, and thousands of One of these routes, the East Asia Shikra. The jewel of Khao Dinsor is, however, Continental Flyway, lies along the Kra the massive flight of over 150,000 Black Isthmus, the land bridge connecting the Bazas! Numbers of charismatic Black Bazas are staggering—between Thai-Malay Peninsula with the continent. 75,000 and 150,000 are recorded every fall! The species migrates in dense flocks, sometimes passing the hawk-watch at eye-level or below. © S. Seipke

View to the north from Khao Dinsor, southern Thailand. © S. Seipke

Copyright © Raptours, L.L.C. 2014–2016. All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced without Raptours, LLC’s express consent. 1 Bird the oldest rainforest on Hawks, culture, seafood, and Earth! beaches… the Perfect Raptor

At 160 million years-old lowland tropical Vacation! forests at the wondrous Khao Sok National Witness the spectacular raptor migration Park—a few hours’ drive from Khao that takes place in this new hawk-watching Dinsor—are considered to be the oldest in Mecca, and experience the wonderful local the world. Here we will target resident seafood and culture. Relax in our raptors including Lesser, and Gray-headed comfortable hotel by the beach near the Fish Eagles, Bat Hawk, and Black-thighed hawk-watch, and in comfy ﬂoating cabins at Falconet. the Khao Sok reservoir. Take a dip in the hotel’s swimming pool, or take an authentic A visit to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand Thai massage. After the ﬂight easies down in (2016) will allow us to look for the afternoon enjoy your favorite drink at the Between 83,000 and 124,000 Rufous-winged Buzzard, Mountain hotel’s beachside bar. Chinese Sparowhawks migrate Hawk-Eagle, and White-rumped Falcon. past Khao Dinsor every fall, making it the most commonly seen accipiter at the site. Adult females have yellow eyes. © R. DeCandido

Lowland forests surrounding Khao Sok reservoir are home to a breathtaking number of bird species, including ﬁve species of hornbills, and raptor rarities such as Bat Hawk. © S. Seipke Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1 | 18 OCTOBER Gray-faced Buzzard. If we are lucky, maybe Arrival at Suvarnabhumi International even a leopard! 7:00 PM, dinner at hotel. Airport (IATA Code BKK), meet with Raptours Overnight near park. staff, and transfer to hotel. Dinner at the hotel (also lunch if arriving in the morning). Days 3 | 20 OCTOBER Welcome briefing in the evening. 7:00 AM, breakfast and checkout. 8:00 AM, Day 2 | 19 OCTOBER drive into the park once again. This time we will drive to the highest reaches of the park 8:00 AM, breakfast at hotel restaurant. to target Mountain Hawk-Eagle. Picnic 9:00 AM, check-out. 9:15–11:30 AM, drive to lunch in the park. 2:00-6:30 PM, drive to Phetchaburi area. Watch raptors in the rice Saphli, our base for the next few days. fields. We expect to see Brahminy and Black- Check-in at the Nana Beach Hotel. 7:00 PM, shouldered Kites. 2:30 PM, late lunch and dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. Evening check-in at hotel. Evening drive in Kaeng presentation “Common Raptors at Khao Krachan National Park. We may see Jerdon’s Dinsor”, by Sergio Seipke. Night in the Nana Baza, Oriental Honey Buzzard, and Beach Hotel.

For the next 6 days our daily routine will be 7:00 AM, breakfast. 8:00 AM, checkout. quite the same. Most days will go as follows: 8:15 AM, head south to be at the Khao Sok 7:00 AM, breakfast at our hotel. reservoir by noon. 12:15-1:15 PM, boat ride 8:00-8:10 AM, drive to the Chumphon Raptor to floating hotel. 1:30 PM, check-in and lunch Center. Hike uphill on concrete trail to the at the hotel’s restaurant. 2:30-6:00 PM, boat lookouts or stay in the Center’s parking lot ride to look for Oriental Hobby, according to preference (the hike uphill is a White-bellied Sea Eagle and Lesser Fish moderately demanding one, tour leader will Eagle, among other raptors. 6:30 PM, dinner discuss with individual participants about at hotel. Night in floating hotel. the best course of action here). All the raptors species at Khao Dinsor can be seen Days 11–12 | 28–29 OCTOBER from both the lookouts up the hill and from the Center’s parking lot. Picnic lunch or 7:00 AM, breakfast. 8:00 AM, ride on White-bellied Sea Eagle © S. Seipke snacks, or drive back to hotel for a late lunch long-tailed boat to target raptors including depending on flight circumstances. Between Osprey, Lesser and Gray-headed Fish Four species of fish-eating raptors Eagles, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Brahminy 3:00 and 4:00 PM, go back to the hotel. Relax are regular at Khao Sok: Osprey, at swimming pool or hotel room, get a Thai Kite, Crested Honey Buzzard, Blyth’s and Gray-headed, and Lesser Fish massage, take a dip in the sea, or enjoy a Wallace’s Hawk-Eagles, among others. If we Eagles, and White-bellied Sea drink at the hotel’s beachside bar. 6:30 PM, are lucky, Black-thighed Falconet, too. Eagle. Fishing there must be dinner at hotel or short walk to eat out. 1:30 PM, lunch either at floating hotel or at excellent! Night in the Nana Beach Hotel. another floating restaurant. In the afternoon another boat ride, and before sundown visit The flight at Khao Dinsor is dominated, in place where a pair of Bat Hawks roost to see approximate order of abundance, by Black them take off. 7:30 PM, dinner. Night in Baza, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Gray-faced floating hotel. Buzzard, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Shikra, Japanese Sparrowhawk. Less abundant Day 13 | 30 OCTOBER migrants include Eastern and Pied Harriers, Crested Serpent Eagle, Besra, Booted 6:30 AM, breakfast, 7:30 AM, checkout. Eagle, and Steppe and Japanese Buzzards. 7:45–8:45 AM, boat ride back to pier. At all times, resident raptors such as 9:00–11:00 AM, drive to Phuket to target Brahminy Kite, Crested Goshawk and Black-thighed Falconet and local White-bellied Sea Eagle may pop up at the Peregrine Falcons, lunch and birding at the lookouts. Rarities at Khao Dinsor include beach. Catch our flight to Bangkok in the Short-toed Snake Eagle, Indian Black afternoon. Check-in at the hotel upon arrival. Eagle, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Greater 9:00 PM, dinner. Night in hotel near airport. Spotted Eagle. Day 14 | 31 OCTOBER Short local trips in the afternoon to see Plumage variation in migrant resident raptors will be also a possibility. We Catch flights back home… or, stick around juvenile Crested Serpent Eagles may also visit an alternative migration site: Bangkok for a relaxing couple of days and at Khao Dinsor warrants additional research. Most juveniles here show Radar Hill, depending on flight conditions. then fly on to Kathmandu, Nepal and meet dark bodies. On Day 9 Sergio will give the evening with participants of the Nepal Raptor Tour © S. Seipke presentation “Raptors of Khao Sok National (5-20 November) to target a combined total Park”. of 60+ Asian raptor species on both tours! Your call…

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Tour Map Int’l Airport N D A L 16° N I A Kaeng Krachan H National Park T

12° N

Gulf of Saphli, Khao Dinsor & M Thailand A Chumphon Raptor Center N T E I V Kra Isthmus

8° N

Andaman MALAYSIA Sea 0 50 100 150 200 km Khao Sok NP 0 50 100 150 mi 96° E 100° E 104° E

Phuket 8° N

TARGE T SPECIES

1. Osprey 14. Crested Goshawk 27. Booted Eagle Pandion haliaetus Accipiter trivirgatus Hieraaetus pennatus 2. Oriental Honey Buzzard 15. Eastern Marsh Harrier 28. Rufous-winged Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus orientalis Circus spilonotus Butastur liventer 3. Crested Honey Buzzard 16. Pied Harrier 29. Gray-faced Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus torquatus Circus melanoleucos Butastur indicus 4. Black Baza 17. White-bellied Sea Eagle 30. Eastern Buzzard Aviceda leuphotes Haliaetus leucogaster Buteo japonicus 5. Jerdon’s Baza 18. Lesser Fish Eagle 31. Steppe Buzzard Aviceda jerdoni Ichthyophaga humilis Buteo buteo vulpinus 6. Crested Serpent Eagle 19. Gray-headed Fish Eagle 32. Black-thighed Falconet Spilornis cheela Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus Microhierax fringillarius 7. Black Kite 20. Short-toed Snake Eagle 33. Collared Falconet Milvus migrans Circaetus gallicus Microhierax caerulescens 8. Brahminy Kite 21. Bat Hawk 34. White-rumped Falcon Haliastur indus Macheiramphus alcinus Polihierax insignis 9. Chinese Sparrowhawk 22. Changeable Hawk-Eagle 35. Common Kestrel Accipiter soloensis Nisaetus cirrhatus Falco tinnunculus 10. Japanese Sparrowhawk 23. Mountain Hawk-Eagle 36. Oriental Hobby Accipiter gularis Nisaetus nipalensis Falco severus 11. Eurasian Sparrowhawk 24. Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle 37. Peregrine Falcon Accipiter nisus Nisaetus alboniger Falco peregrinus 12. Shikra 25. Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle Accipiter badius Lophotriorchis kienerii 13. Besra 26. Greater Spotted Eagle Accipiter virgatus Clanga clanga

Sergio has observed and photographed raptors for the past 20 years. He was born in Argentina, and TOUR RAPTOR EXPERT enjoys helping others to search for and identify raptors.

Sergio is currently working on Raptors of South America, to be published by Princeton University Press, and the ﬁrst ﬁeld guide to the raptors of the Sergio Seipke region.

Sergio is the owner of Raptours, L.L.C. and carries on Bill Clark’s legacy of raptor touring.

Sergio speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Games is an expert birder and tour leader, and has birded extensively in Thailand, both by her self and THAI EXPERT GUIDE leading tours. She is a licensed tour guide and works at South Thailand Birding, a birding co. based in Phuket.

Games is very personable, and knowledgeable about nature and wildlife in Thailand. She lives in Games Punjapa Phuket and is ﬂuent in English too.

SUGGESTED FIELD GUIDES Email Raptours, L.L.C. ([email protected]) to reserve KASORNDORKBUA C., C. CHINUPARAWAT, and C. NUALSRI. 2008. A Photographic your place in this tour, or book online Guide to the Raptors of Thailand. Amarin Printing and Publishing Co., Bangkok, at www.raptoursllc.com. Thailand. (Thai, with English common names.)

ROBSON, C. 2002. Birds of Thailand. Princeton Field Guides, Princeton, New Jersey.

Make a difference!

RAPTOURS®, L.L.C. will make a ﬁnancial contribution to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary for every member that signs up for this tour. Join us on this tour and make a lasting contribution to raptor conservation.

Raptours®, L.L.C. is also a sponsor of the Chumphon Raptor Center. Join us on this tour and learn about raptor identiﬁcation and migration ecology while helping fund raptor conservation worldwide.

TOUR PRICE involved. There are benches and sometimes TOUR DATES chairs too. Tour price is $4,850 per person, and includes 18–31 October (yearly) hotels (double occupancy), meals, soft drinks, At Khao Sok we look for, and watch raptors entry fees, ground transportation, tips, and from long-tailed boats. These boats have BOOKING CLOSES ON guide and tour leader fees. padded benches but not actual seats. Boat rides usually last between 2-3 hours and no 1 August Extra nights in Bangkok, alcoholic beverages, pit stops are possible during these periods, items of personal nature, and insurance of any except at the Bat Hawk place, where we can GROUP SIZE LIMIT kind are not included. disembark and enjoy a nice cup of tea. 10 participants There is no reservation fee. To secure a place COMFOR T in the tour book the tour online and follow the TOUR PRICE payment procedure informed. Accommodations range from good to $4,850 per person excellent. SINGLE SUPPLEMENT Only one long (full-day) drive is involved. SINGLE SUPPLEMENT Single supplement is $450. WEATHER & CLOTHING Main Tour $450 Single rooms will be subject to availability. Average temperatures in the Khao Dinsor area R APTOR SPECIES Roommates will be assigned to those range from lows at 75 °F / 24 °C to highs around EXPEC TED participants willing to share a room. If a 90 °F / 31 °C. Occasional showers can be roommate is not available, you will be required 30 expected, especially towards the end of to pay the single supplement. October. COUNTRY ENTRY REQUIREMENTS COUNTRY ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Make sure you pack your raincoat or folding Passport holders from 48 countries including umbrella, and a light jacket. Hat and sunglasses Passport holders from the the U.S., New Zealand, Australia, and most of will be of use as well. Sunscreen and insect U.S., New Zealand, Australia, Europe do not need a visa to enter Thailand, repellent (DEET) is recommended. and most of Europe don’t need a visa and will be permitted a stay of 30 days if HEALTH visiting the country for tourism. DIFFICULT Y Visit your health care provider at least 6 weeks See here to ﬁnd out whether you need a visa to before the tour to allow time for your vaccines Easy to Moderate enter Thailand, and how to get it if you need to take eﬀect and to start taking medicine to one. prevent malaria, if you need it. COMFOR T

DIFFICULT Y Travel medical insurance is recommended. Good to Excellent

At Khao Dinsor great looks of both migratory For more information visit CDC’s website WEATHER & CLOTHING and local raptors are possible from the very 6 weeks before departure. Visitor Center’s parking lot. Chairs are Humid and hot. Showers available to visitors here. There are other LOCAL CURRENCY expected | Bring sunglasses, overlooks up the hill. On sunny days, or when sunscreen, a hat, insect the wind blows from the east, and especially for Local currency in Thailand is in baht, and repellent, and a folding photographers, it might make sense to hike exchange rate is roughly 32 baht for U.S. umbrella up the hill to reach a higher lookout. dollar. Most places will not accept travelers’ HEALTH Depending on where you choose to watch the checks. We will drive passengers to ATMs upon request or whenever available. birds from at Khao Dinsor you may need to hike Some travel vaccines and up to 60 mins. Again, those staying at the It is recommended to start the tour with baht malaria prophylaxis are Visitor Center will enjoy numerous sightings of cash for expenses such as souvenirs, drinks or advisable raptors regardless of time and wind direction. phone calls. LOC AL CURRENCY Hawkwatching takes place from a ﬂat hilltop at Radar Hill. We drive up there so no hiking is Baht

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