1. Asian Openbill Anastomus Oscitans 2. Little Cormorant Microcarbo Niger
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
1. Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans For many people, Asian Openbill, cruising overhead, will be the first birds they see in Thailand as they drive along one of the many roads out of the airport. This impressive species is easily identified by its large size and large bill; be careful not to mistake it for an Ibis as its profile in flight can resemble these species. Asian Openbill was one of the few large waterbirds to survive extinction in Thailand, surviving in a small pocket in northern Bangkok. Since the introduction of a species of snail which lives on rice plants, the population of Asian Openbill Storks has exploded. By providing this service, of keeping down snail numbers, to rice farmers they are left to do their job in ever-growing numbers. In recent years many other large waterbirds have begun to make something of a comeback in Thailand due to the fact that they are not hunted any longer, however, Asian Openbill Asian Openbill numbers have increased dramatically for a very different (Photo by Nick Upton) reason - they can now be seen in large numbers in many places and have made it to almost every province of Thailand by 2013. At one point Asian Openbills were seen by the Thai Government as a major vector for bird flu and a cull was considered. Thankfully they realized this would be foolish, reactionary measure and the storks were spared. 2. Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger Little Cormorant is a very common resident bird throughout much of the country and it can often be seen flying overhead or sitting with its wings outstretched on roadside wetlands in a similar fashion to other cormorant species around the world as one drives away from the airport. In flight Little Cormorant has a rather panicky, flappy action and this, together with its small size, tricks a number of visiting birders into thinking that they have seen a duck. Wild ducks are rather uncommon in Thailand away from just a few regular sites and, particularly when driving close to Bangkok, Little Cormorant is much more likely to be seen as one drives Little Cormorant along the highway. (Photo by Nick Upton) One confusion species is Indian Cormorant which is slightly larger and has a much longer bill, something which can be seen even in flight. This species has a more leisurely flight pattern than Little Cormorant with flapping interspersed by glides. Indian Cormorant is less common than Little Cormorant although it is likely to be seen close to Bangkok where it is growing increasingly abundant. 3. Eastern Great Egret Ardea modesta Eastern Great Egret (split from Great Egret by some authorities) is a common bird across much of Thailand in the "winter" months and is a fairly common resident around Bangkok and the Central Plains. Its abundance and conspicuousness make it highly likely that it will be spotted from the car window heading out of Suwarnapoom airport,on the way into Bangkok or traveling to birding sites in the west or north east. In flight Great Egret can be separated from Little Egret by its larger size, heavier bill and black feet. If not in the car, its "Kraaark" call can often be heard as it flies away. Intermediate Egret is a confusion species but this bird is Eastern Great Egret only fractionally bigger than Little Egret whereas Great (Photo by Johan Svensson) Egret is much larger. Look out for recently drained fishponds or paddies being ploughed where an abundance of food often draws large groups of not only Great Egret but other species such as Little Egret and Pond Herons. In the breeding season you may spot some birds with bright blue facial skin and reddish legs - quite a sight! 4. Chinese Pond Heron & Javan Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus & Ardeola speciosa Most bird watchers visit Thailand in the northern hemisphere's winter - Thailand's dry season - when both of these species are in their identical and rather plain winter plumage. Chinese Pond Heron can be seen throughout Thailand in the dry season and Javan Pond Heron is common in the central plains all year round. An identification tip for these species in winter plumage mentioned in Robson's Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand is that Chinese Pond Heron has more distinct dark tips to its wings in flight; however, dark tips are more usually down to worn plumage meaning that this is not a reliable identification point. It does appear, though, that in Javan Pond Heron in breeding freshwater habitats Chinese Pond Heron tends to plumage outnumber Javan and in saltwater habitats Javan tends to (Photo by Johan Svensson) outnumber Chinese; this becomes obvious as both species come into breeding plumage towards the end of February. It is also worth noting that Javan Pond Heron seems to come into breeding plumage slightly earlier than Chinese. As birders drive around Thailand in the dry season they are certain to see both of these species flying across the road, fishing in roadside ditches and farmland. In winter plumage these species appear brown and streaky when on the ground but in flight they are predominantly white. In summer plumage both of these pond herons are quite striking birds: a visit in March or April will see both species in summer plumage. 5. White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis White-throated Kingfisher is one of the most obvious and easily identified birds that visitors will see perched on roadside posts and cables. It is a common bird which is resident throughout most of the country in well-watered and dry open-country, feeding mainly on insects and lizards but sometimes taking crabs and fish or even young birds. White-throated Kingfisher has a whinnying call which carries quite some distance. Like many other kingfishers, this species excavates a nest hole in a suitable earth bank usually raising one or two young. This is perhaps Thailand's most common kingfisher species and most definitely the most abundant in the wet White-throated Kingfisher season. It is practically a certainty that bird watchers will (Photo by Johan Svensson) see a White-throated Kingfisher from the car window before very long. 6. Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus Black-shouldered Kite is likely to be seen from the car window either perched on a power cable or hovvering in flight as it searches for prey. This species is one of Thailand's most common raptors, particularly in open-country, and is quite striking in appearance, leaving no difficulty in identification even from a moving vehicle. However, Black-shouldered Kite often remains inactive for much of the day, sitting perched, and usually does most of its hunting in the late afternoon. If visitors see Black-shouldered Kite from the car it is worth stopping to watch it properly as although common it Black-shouldered Kite is encountered far more often as one travels than from (Photo by Johan Svensson) regular birding stops and it is possible that it will be the only chance to view it properly, particularly if only on a short trip. For birders from the US it is worth mentioning that this species has been split from the similar species in America. 7. Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus Brahminy Kite is one of the more abundant species of raptor in Thailand and this is particularly true close to the coast and it is included here because of the frequency it is seen flying across the road as one leaves Bangkok and heads to Laem Pak Bia/Pak Thale - a journey made by many visiting birders. As well as being a bird of the roadside on this particular journey, any beach holiday in the south of Thailand will almost certainly result in sightings of the species. Adult Brahminy Kites are easily identified even from a fast moving vehicle due to their size and colouration and juveniles can be separated from Black Kites by their unforked tails. Brahminy Kites catch their own fish and also rob birds such as egrets and herons of their catch; an exciting spectacle. Although this species is still Brahminy Kite relatively abundant it has apparently undergone a (Photo by Johan Svensson) massive decline since the 1970s, a decline which is thought to be due to dam construction, increased use of agrochemicals and persecution - it is still common around the coast south of Bangkok. 8. Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis Indian Roller is a common bird throughout Thailand and seems to favour drier country although it will also be found in smaller numbers in wetland areas. Sooner or later, birders driving around Thailand will see the distinctive outline of an Indian Roller sitting on overhead cables and when it flies its beautiful blue wings create a memorable spectacle, although it can appear quite dull when perched. As tempting as it might be to leap out and photograph Indian Rollers at every opportunity, you can end up spending a lot of time doing this as, in some places, there will be a Roller on the cables every couple of hundred metres. It is worth waiting until you see one of these Indian Roller colourful birds sitting somewhere photogenic and in good (Photo by Alex Vargas) light - silhouetted shots of the bird sitting on wires are not so exciting! An interesting paper on Indian Rollers can be seen here - Population, Diurnal Activity Patterns and Feeding Ecology of The Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis by N. Sivakumaran & K. Thiyagesan. 9. Feral Pigeon Columba livia So often, when one gets to a new country all the birds are lifers, every crow, sparrow and dove. Well, don't get excited this is just the same old Feral Pigeon that seems to get everywhere.