Bird Watching in Kaeng Krachan National Park Thailand

Crested Serpent Eagle

A day spent bird watching in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand was very rewarding for me personally although at times the dense jungle in the forest made spotting some of the huge range of species difficult.

Guided Bird Watching.

Fortunately I hired a guide and transport for the day so I could spend my time watching the birds and not the sometimes treacherous access road through the park.

As it turned out my guide, who was arranged by my host at the Baan Maka Chalet,  was one of the top Thai wildlife guides available, he certainly lived up to his reputation with his excellent knowledge of the park and importantly the places to find different species of birds including some nest sites for easier observation.

Birding in Kaeng Krachan.

We left Baan Maka where I was accommodated around 06:15 and were in the park some 15 minutes later. We spent the morning making our way up the steep access road stopping frequently to observe different species that my guide knew were in the vicinity.

In fact all the numerous birds we observed were near the access road that runs from the park gates up to the two camp sites.  Since vehicle travel on the road is limited it makes for a good location to spend time twitching in relative safety.

I soon discovered that straying to far into the wet undergrowth on either side attracted the attention of leeches in several places. While on another occasion I exited the vehicle and almost brushed against a Long Nose Whip Snake that was almost impossible to see in the green foliage.

Red-Bearded Bee-Eater

At one stop we made we watched a Red-Bearded Bee-Eater feeding its young in a nest fashioned from a hole in a muddy bank at the road side.  Had I not been shown the location I would have driven by oblivious of this beautifully coloured bird.

Lunch was taken at the upper camp site at Paneon Tong, at 1,200 metres, where we saw lots of butterflies and one of the giant black squirrels that inhabit the park. At this altitude the weather was very pleasant and the air was fresh and not too humid.

Even though my prime objective was birding we also saw lots of other wildlife on the way up including Spectacled Langur, Gibbons and a Crab Eating Mongoose.

Spectacled Langur

After lunch we continued along the ridge line towards a trail that leads to Thor Thip Waterfall and it was here that I got a brief view of a Greater Hornbill sitting in a tree top. Unfortunately he flew off as I exited the car with the camera!

The afternoon was taken up by making our way slowly down the mountain, with frequent stops to observe birds. I also got the chance to talk with several other birders, both Thai and foreigners who showed me some great photographs they had taken, which rather made my own efforts seem somewhat pathetic.  They say size doesn’t matter, but it certainly does when it comes to camera lenses for taking quality photographs of birds.

We took a break at the lower camp site at Ban Krang before making our way out of the park at about 17:30.

Anyway I had a great day bird watching in Kaeng Krachan National Park and observed 20+ different species of bird I had never seen before including the very rare Ratchet-Tailed Treepie for which the park is famed.

For anyone interested I can certainly recommend my guide and would be happy to supply you with his contact details. He doesn’t come cheap(by Thai standards) but I consider the 2000 Baht I paid for his services and the use of his vehicle to be excellent value for money. I will be publishing some of my better bird photographs over the next few weeks on my Thai Photo Blog.

Map of Kaeng Krachan National Park.

Related posts:

1. Kaeng Krachan National Park
2. Nam Tok Huai Yang National Park
3. Hat Wanakon National Park
4. Bird Singing Contests Thailand
5. Suan Luang Rama IX Park Bangkok