Birdwatching In Isan

[Mousehound]

I have seen many kinds of birds near the Phanom Rung -Hill temple. The one rare bird is the The Greater Coucal . They say if you see this bird , it will be lucky day for you. There are other birds like Hummingbirds, Egrets and cranes in the rice fields.

I saw my first flock of White-crested Laughingthrush at Phanom Rung - also my first Thai snake. A really good spot. There is a nearby Khmer ruin in a good state of repair (temple) with large lotus ponds - I forget the name. It is set in a park with many trees. There are very few visitors and is is a good spot for passerines as well as a really nice place to visit. The local people seemed exceptionally friendly. I have been there twice and would like to go back birding and down closer to the Cambodian border. There is also a reportedly excellent lightshow and ceremony once a year which is well worth attending.

[evadgib]

Hi All,

Can anyone identify a bird from this description please?

- Finch-like in appearance but noticeably smaller @ 3"/ a thumb.

- Scarlet head & scull with bottle blue wings when settled & scarlet down it's back in flight.

I saw one in my mango tree yesterday.

How does such a brightly coloured bird avoid predators?

I have looked at online images but can't find the bird there.

Thanks

Edited December 20, 2015 by evadgib

[jack2964]

This maybe?https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet-backed_flowerpecker

lf you head over to "for the birds" in the photography subforum AjarnNorth has posted a photo of this bird couple days back

[evadgib]

Well done Jack, That is the right bird

[gerryBScot]

The scarlet-backed flowerpecker also has a very distinctive rapid clicking call which is usually how I recognise it. It is fairly hyper at the best of times and can sometimes be difficult to actually see.

[evadgib]

It was the sound that first caught my attention

Edited December 20, 2015 by evadgib

[jack2964]

Help with ID please.

I saw this one foraging on the ground at Doi Lang approx 2000m elevation. Before I could get closer it took off. This is the only frame I have. Thanks.

[isanbirder]

I'm pretty sure it's a Siberian Thrush, first winter, but I've never seen them in quite that plumage!

[jack2964]

I'm pretty sure it's a Siberian Thrush, first winter, but I've never seen them in quite that plumage!

Thank you. Silly me was looking at Pipits in Robson's Guide.

[jack2964]

Here's why I took to looking at pipits: About the same time the Thrush flew off I flushed what looked like your usual pipit and so didn't pay it too much attention. But I am not too sure now.

What do you guys think?

[isanbirder]

Usual? Olive-backed!

[jack2964]

Thanks IB. Thought it might be some thrush too.

[Toknarok]

Greetings to all birdwatchers in Isaan. Although I'm not a birdwatcher myself I do like to watch birds at play (feathered variety that is). I have a question, yesterday afternoon I was watching what I took to be a hummingbird feeding. Hovering, beak into the flower, wings beating so fast they were a blur, backing off and repeating.

The bird itself was very small. It was mainly a brown/grey colour with a pale yellow breast.

I Googled Thai Hummingbirds and there seems to be some confusion here. Some state Thailand doesn't have these birds, whilst others state what I saw was a sunbird. Can sunbirds fly backwards, the bird I saw certainly could, I thought hummingbirds were the only birds that could fly in reverse.

I live in Ban Kruat, Southern Buriram.

Just asking, I'm curious about this. Thanks.

[Pla shado]

^{I may be completely out in left field on this but what you saw may have been a hummingbird hawk moth. I was also confused at one time by this little guy. Take a look at the attached links to see if this could possibly be the critter.}

^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummingbird_hawk-moth}

^{http://www.arkinspace.com/2013/02/the-amazing-hummingbird-hawk-moth.html}

Edited February 6, 2016 by Pla shado

[isanbirder]

There are certainly no hummingbirds in Thailand. Y<our bird was most likely a sunbird, female by the sound of it, but I didn't know they could fly backwards!

The hummingbird hawkmoth is the wrong colour.

[Langsuan Man]

Well, all that I have read is that there are no humming birds in Thailand and I have a useless humming bird feeder to prove it

PM me and just pay the postage and it is yours (including) the "nectar" mix

[Mousehound]

Usual? Olive-backed!

Agree about the Olive backed. Also agree that the thrush does not fit anything I would expect in Thailand.

[Mousehound]

Well, all that I have read is that there are no humming birds in Thailand and I have a useless humming bird feeder to prove it

PM me and just pay the postage and it is yours (including) the "nectar" mix

Feeder.png

I would put it out anyway. You could get a lot of very interesting insects. Butterflies, diurnal moths, native bees etc. Many other birds like nectar as well. In addition insects attract birds also. Hang it up a bit away from the house though.

[Langsuan Man]

Well, all that I have read is that there are no humming birds in Thailand and I have a useless humming bird feeder to prove it

PM me and just pay the postage and it is yours (including) the "nectar" mix

Feeder.png

I would put it out anyway. You could get a lot of very interesting insects. Butterflies, diurnal moths, native bees etc. Many other birds like nectar as well. In addition insects attract birds also. Hang it up a bit away from the house though.

Thanks for the advice, but after four months of it hanging on a low branch of the only tree in the middle of the yard I finally emptied it and brought it inside because the TG kept laughing that I was trying to give the birds Fanta

[Toknarok]

Thanks foe the replies. What I saw was a sunbird it appears. Definitely wasn't a moth.

[isanbirder]

Usual? Olive-backed!

Agree about the Olive backed. Also agree that the thrush does not fit anything I would expect in Thailand.

I think it is a Siberian, Mousehound, but it's not as nice a one as someone posted a month or two ago!

[jack2964]

Here's another mystery bird but hopefully you guys can help me ID it.

Typically flycatcher like to me seen perched on a very large diameter concrete circular pipe overgrown with moss.

Couldn't match it to anything in Robson's.

Location: Doi Lang; Elev: approx 1800m

Thanks.

[AjarnNorth]

Here's another mystery bird but hopefully you guys can help me ID it.

Typically flycatcher like to me seen perched on a very large diameter concrete circular pipe overgrown with moss.

Couldn't match it to anything in Robson's.

Location: Doi Lang; Elev: approx 1800m

Thanks.

Maybe Female Little Pied FC...?

[isanbirder]

Here's another mystery bird but hopefully you guys can help me ID it.

Typically flycatcher like to me seen perched on a very large diameter concrete circular pipe overgrown with moss.

Couldn't match it to anything in Robson's.

Location: Doi Lang; Elev: approx 1800m

Thanks.

Maybe Female Little Pied FC...?

You're braver than I am, AN. Little Pied has a notably short bill, whereas this bird has a longish one. There is also a brownish patch at the base of the upper mandible which I can't find anywhere. I couldn't get nearer than a small flycatcher/chat,/robin.... but the altitude should help to narrow things down (1800m is pretty high).

[jack2964]

I popped over to OBC and this is perhaps the best match out of many pics of female Little Pied FC (link below). Thanks to AN for pointing the way. For now I'll take it as Pied FC which means I don't get a tick as I've seen it before at Fraser's Hill, Malaysia.

http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=2660&Bird_Image_ID=85068&p=15

[AjarnNorth]

I popped over to OBC and this is perhaps the best match out of many pics of female Little Pied FC (link below). Thanks to AN for pointing the way. For now I'll take it as Pied FC which means I don't get a tick as I've seen it before at Fraser's Hill, Malaysia.

http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=2660&Bird_Image_ID=85068&p=15

Not saying I have this one right - never seen one so no field experience to rely on at all here - but yes, I saw that pic from OBC yesterday and that does look like a match.

You mention looking through Robson and not finding a match. Robson's guides are fantastic, but I couldn't imagine birding in Thailand without Lekagul Round as well. If you don't have it, you need to get it and this is a perfect example.

The illustration in Lekagul/Round is, I think, better. And the brownish part at the base of the upper mandible is visible in the Lekagul/Round illustration.

Robson says of female pfc: Upperside distinctly greyish with contrasting rufescent upper tail coverts. (no mention of olive tinge or that the rufescent extends down the tail)

Lekagul/Round on same: Light greyish olive upperparts with a rufescent tinge on the rump, upper tail coverts and tail.

Anyway, as I said, may well be wrong on this particular bird but I guess my point is that every difficult ID I have ever made has usually required both books. Both books are great, but sometimes one has info that the other does not and that can be the difference between making and ID or not. And in general i like the illustrations in Lekagul/Round and the ease of use of the book as whole, but that may be because I don't yet have the Thailand-only Robson.

[jack2964]

I am aware of Lekagul/Round and many like you prefer this. Unfortunately it is no longer in print and I've been looking for one over the last few years without success.

Tried many 2nd bookstores without luck too.

I have both Robson's: Thailand alone and all of SEA. The Thai alone is good as it has distribution maps for each specie. Descriptive texts are similar in both books however.

[AjarnNorth]

I am aware of Lekagul/Round and many like you prefer this. Unfortunately it is no longer in print and I've been looking for one over the last few years without success.

Tried many 2nd bookstores without luck too.

I have both Robson's: Thailand alone and all of SEA. The Thai alone is good as it has distribution maps for each specie. Descriptive texts are similar in both books however.

There are some on Amazon. New and used.

[jack2964]

I am aware of Lekagul/Round and many like you prefer this. Unfortunately it is no longer in print and I've been looking for one over the last few years without success.

Tried many 2nd bookstores without luck too.

I have both Robson's: Thailand alone and all of SEA. The Thai alone is good as it has distribution maps for each specie. Descriptive texts are similar in both books however.

There are some on Amazon. New and used.

It's a shame they don't ship to Thailand. But I am sure I have read on this forum others have successfully bought books from Amazon.

[jack2964]

re: Lekagul/Round 'Birds Of Thailand': I managed to order a used copy after much googling for USD26.00 but the shipping is $20.

I suspect the seller also trades via Amazon. If anyone else is after a copy, you can google AbeBooks and place an order.