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Thailand Raptor Tour 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. Copyright © Raptours, L.L.C. 2014–2016. All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced without Raptours, LLC’s express consent. 2 Days 4–9 | 21–26 OCTOBER Day 10 | 27 OCTOBER 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… Copyright © Raptours, L.L.C. 2014–2016. All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced without Raptours, LLC’s express consent. 3 M 20° N A N L A O S T E I V 100° E Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Tour Map Int’l Airport N D A L 16° N I A Kaeng Krachan H National Park T 12° N 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.
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