Khao
Sok National
Park's 165
square kilometer
reservoir
provides easy
bird watching
opportunities.
We paddle a bit,
then sit and
watch the
activities in
the thick
jungle. It's
very easy.
Besides a
variety of
monkeys and
other mammals,
the diversity of
bird life is
nothing short of
thrilling!
If you're
looking to add
birds to your
life list, Khao
Sok National
Park will
certainly fit
the bill. Khao
Sok can be part
of an extended
tour of Southern
Thailand.
Phang Nga
Province is
within an hour's
drive from
Phuket. There
are a couple of
nice forest
parks and a
wildlife
sancturary that
offer superb
birding. Pittas,
broadbills,
barbets,
babblers,
warblers,flowerpeckers,
sunbirds,
kingfishers and
many more bird
families reside
in this special
area. Phang Nga
Province is a
piece of
traditional
Thailand. It is
not heavily
developed and
there are a lot
of birds all
over the
Thailand Hornbill
There are 54 species of
hornbill worldwide. Thailand
has 13 species. You can see
8 species of hornbill in
Khao Sok National Park.
Hornbill Species List
Oriental Pied Hornbill -
very common
Southern Pied Hornbill -
a variation of the
Oriental Pied that we've
seen in Khao Sok
Great Hornbill - very
common in Khao Sok
Helmeted Hornbill -
Endangered though fairly
common in Khao Sok
Bushy-crested Hornbill -
common
Wreathed Hornbill -
vulnerable due mainly to
habitat destruction
Plain-pouched Hornbill -
Endangered though fairly
common in Khao Sok. We
see them all the time
actually
White-crowned Hornbill -
Vulnerable due to
habitat destruction
Rhinoceros Hornbill -
found in the Deep South
in Hala Bala
Black Hornbill - very
rare
Wrinkled Hornbill - very
rare
Thailand Kingfisher
There
are many families of birds
in Thailand. Uncommon and
rare birds are fairly easy
to see if you visit the
right place. Thailand,
unlike her neighbors, is a
prosperous country and
therefore the locals don't
need to eat wild birds to
survive. This is great news
for birders. All of Southern
Thailand's kingfishers are
colorful. From the comfort
of a kayak, they're easy to
see as well. There are 86
species of kingfishers
worldwide. Thailand has 15
species. Most of them have
bright plumage. Kingfishers
typically perch in trees in
an upright exposed posture.
They often plunge-dive in
the water for food. They eat
fish, shrimp, other small
aquatic animals, insects and
occasionally small
terrestrial animals such as
lizards.
Some species, such as the
White-throated kingfisher,
inhabit inland areas.
They’re commonly seen around
rice fields looking for
lizards, frogs, and insects.
They’re absolutely stunning
when the sunlight hits their
beautiful shiny blue
feathers.
Southern Thailand
Kingfisher Species List
Brown-winged
Kingfisher
- common around many
islands in the South
Stork-billed
Kingfisher
- fairly common in
Khao Sok
White-throated
Kingfisher
- common
Common Kingfisher
- common
Blue-eared
Kingfisher
- fairly common
Blue-banded
Kingfisher
- uncommon
Banded Kingfisher
- fairly common
jungle resident,
though difficult to
see sometimes
