Great thread here and thanks to all! I am still waiting to see a bird we have lately that has the most beautiful and diverse songs. Its wings and tail slope down, top coat style like a Laughing Thrush, but the colors are different. A greyish bird, it has a white slash along its eyes and no hood. They are very active in the early morning and in the evening, and cavort deep in the trees as a group. Have not gotten even close to getting a photograph of this elusive critter, but I am sure someone will post a photo eventually so will keep watching.

What size, T_Dog? And all grey?

Slightly larger than a Drongo. Have not gotten a good look at them as they are always deep in the trees. The only time I see them is when they fly to a new tree. Their songs change constantly and they were very vocal earlier in the year.

Hmm. My first thought was Cuckooshrike or Treepie, but neither one has an eyebrow....... Let me think. A photo would be great. Are they high up in the trees? Do they play "follow thy leader"?

The most distinctive thing about the bird besides its song is the wing feathers and tail going down like a White Collared Laughing Thrush. So take this image and take off the head crown, and then invert the colors. The eye slash on the mystery bird is white (not dark like the Laughing Thrush) while the body is grey. It is not high in the trees but they do move as a pack. The behavior is quite like a Laughing Thrush but they are generally quiet when alarmed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A03_2880_640x427.jpg

Apologies for hijacking the thread, but I identified the bird from its song on the following website. It is a Chestnut Headed Laughing Thrush. Hanno got me me thinking that everything about it reminds me of a White Collared Laughing Thrush so I did some digging into Laughing Thrushes and found that there are 12 different species in Northern Thailand. Happened across this website and bingo.....The songs go on continuously here on occasion and we feel lucky to have them, even if they are quite shy. The first three sound files are what we here, with quite a bit of variation and repetition.

http://www.soundboard.com/sb/Laughingthrush_bird_sound

I am not sure which one this is. I think you mean Chestnut-crowned (Silver-eared) as Chestnut-headed occurs in India.

Apologies for hijacking the thread, but I identified the bird from its song on the following website. It is a Chestnut Headed Laughing Thrush.

you sure T_Dog? firstly, there are 2 laughingthrush species with 'chestnut' in their name found in Thailand. One is very very rare, and the other you'll only see if you're at altitude or up a mountain (chestnut-crowned almost tame near the summit of Doi Inthanon) also both do not really fit your visual description.

i've just read your description a couple of posts up, and on that :-

"Its wings and tail slope down, top coat style like a Laughing Thrush, but the colors are different. A greyish bird, it has a white slash along its eyes and no hood. They are very active in the early morning and in the evening, and cavort deep in the trees as a group"

i would suggest the fairly common Green-billed Malkoha.

Goshawk, why do you come to that conclusion? Not dounting you, just want to know why as this is a bird I am not familiar with.

you've never seen a Japanese Sparrowhawk in Thailand? gulp..

Apologies for hijacking the thread, but I identified the bird from its song on the following website. It is a Chestnut Headed Laughing Thrush.

you sure T_Dog? firstly, there are 2 laughingthrush species with 'chestnut' in their name found in Thailand. One is very very rare, and the other you'll only see if you're at altitude or up a mountain (chestnut-crowned almost tame near the summit of Doi Inthanon) also both do not really fit your visual description.

i've just read your description a couple of posts up, and on that :-

"Its wings and tail slope down, top coat style like a Laughing Thrush, but the colors are different. A greyish bird, it has a white slash along its eyes and no hood. They are very active in the early morning and in the evening, and cavort deep in the trees as a group"

i would suggest the fairly common Green-billed Malkoha.

Well its not the Malkoha, and it looks very close to the Chestnut Headed Laughing Thrush but the one I see does have a more a distinctive eye slash of white. So not sure. The song on the website is exactly what we hear. When I played it, my wife thought they were back. Will keep trying to get a photo.

Will keep trying to get a photo.

good luck..

I have Robson's guide opened up in front of me but can't decide whether it is:

1) Juvenile Chinese Sparrowhawk

2) Juvenile Besra

3) Juvenile Japanese sparrowhawk.

Or none of the above.

Thanks in advance.

number 3 - Japanese Sparrowhawk (juv)

Thanks Goshawk! I really couldn't tell the diff between these birds.

Being a novice birder, I'd greatly appreciate if you could point out the distinguishing features.

Apologies for hijacking the thread, but I identified the bird from its song on the following website. It is a Chestnut Headed Laughing Thrush.

you sure T_Dog? firstly, there are 2 laughingthrush species with 'chestnut' in their name found in Thailand. One is very very rare, and the other you'll only see if you're at altitude or up a mountain (chestnut-crowned almost tame near the summit of Doi Inthanon) also both do not really fit your visual description.

i've just read your description a couple of posts up, and on that :-

"Its wings and tail slope down, top coat style like a Laughing Thrush, but the colors are different. A greyish bird, it has a white slash along its eyes and no hood. They are very active in the early morning and in the evening, and cavort deep in the trees as a group"

i would suggest the fairly common Green-billed Malkoha.

Well its not the Malkoha, and it looks very close to the Chestnut Headed Laughing Thrush but the one I see does have a more a distinctive eye slash of white. So not sure. The song on the website is exactly what we hear. When I played it, my wife thought they were back. Will keep trying to get a photo.

Could it be this guy? If it is, it's a montane bird.

Thanks Goshawk! I really couldn't tell the diff between these birds.

Being a novice birder, I'd greatly appreciate if you could point out the distinguishing features.

sure.. the absolute in your face point is the narrow tail bands (Besra much broader & virtually equally spaced.. dark-light-dark-light). Two more are the mesial stripe (narrow on yours, broader on a Besra) and the clean underparts (Besra usually rufous tinged on much of the white). Chinese ruled out immediately as they show dark dusky wing tips underneath.

ok?

(& don't use the robson book for raptor id... particularly young raptors. It is crap)

Scarlet minivet

^ correctly identified Fred..

edit: i believe it's the 1st minivet we've had posted here... c'mon members, let's see your bird pics !

Koh Phangan - Srithanu fishing port

Dancing Egret

Wonderful picture...i love it.

That one should be the Sooty Headed Bulbul Curt.

sotty headed bulbul edit.1 JPG.JPG

Not a wonderful photo but the only one I have.

Lovely bird....

I dont know how to upload my picture...when I click reply there is no attachment...so I went easier way...i clicked quote....grrrrr

to share my picture with you...

Ah..the sun's out.

Lucky to get a good look at this bird on a trip To Erawan National Park, it was hunting around in the leaf litter for insects.

Puff throated babbler

Thanks Goshawk! I really couldn't tell the diff between these birds.

Being a novice birder, I'd greatly appreciate if you could point out the distinguishing features.

sure.. the absolute in your face point is the narrow tail bands (Besra much broader & virtually equally spaced.. dark-light-dark-light). Two more are the mesial stripe (narrow on yours, broader on a Besra) and the clean underparts (Besra usually rufous tinged on much of the white). Chinese ruled out immediately as they show dark dusky wing tips underneath.

ok?

(& don't use the robson book for raptor id... particularly young raptors. It is crap)

Thank you sir;-) Actually, I think I have never seen it in LOS, only on Taiwan.

Just got back yesterday from a month in the UK and one of the things I missed, along with the warmth, was the amount and diversity of the Thai birdlife.

Went out for a ride on the pushbike this morning and ended up at a small swamp down a soi where I haven't been before and got up to 12 different species before I gave up counting.

One is this bird which I have never seen before. I am picking it as a common woodshrike. If that is correct it would be a bit out of its normal range around here.

Robby, what you have there is a Brown Shrike. Winter is coming....

Thank you for that Hanno.

I have a lot to learn about the birds from around here.

It was quite a way away and I only got one shot before it flew away.

Will be on the lookout for winter visitors from now on.

Thank you sir;-) Actually, I think I have never seen it in LOS, only on Taiwan.

many thousands of them (Jap Sprawk) pass through on north/south migration, and if you head down to Khao Dinsor (on the gulf coast, near Chumpon) right now you'll likely see them in their 100's every couple of days or so - it's peak passage time.

Thank you sir;-) Actually, I think I have never seen it in LOS, only on Taiwan.

many thousands of them (Jap Sprawk) pass through on north/south migration, and if you head down to Khao Dinsor (on the gulf coast, near Chumpon) right now you'll likely see them in their 100's every couple of days or so - it's peak passage time.

I know but I never make it for raptor watch as it is high season for me.

It came to me this morning that way back someone asked me the whereabouts of Phu Khae Botanical Gardens and I forgot to answer.

My apologies.

I have now stolen a bit from the Saraburi web site as a belated answer :

Phu Khae Botanical Garden

Established in 1941 as the first Royal Forest Department Botanical garden ever, it sprawls over an area of 300 ha of which 100 ha is natural vegetation and forest. It also features a literary garden, comprising 35 species of plants which are mentioned in Thai literature. It also contains a medicinal garden.

This Botanical Garden is located in Phu Khae district, 17 kilometres from Saraburi along the

Saraburi-Lop Buri route (Phahonyothin Road).

It collects various kinds of plants for study and breeding. The vast expanse of garden and the flowing stream are suitable places for

relaxation. The garden is open daily from 08.00-18.00

From me, it also has some interesting birdlife.

This lovely Uhu...is too far to catch a sharp picture, she or he is in Hua Hin Tree...

Plain flowerpecker with nesting material.

Only seen one pair of these in the one place.

If the book I have is correct they are the only flowerpecker where male and female look the same.

Big floating nest for such a little bird.... .... Hua Thanon, Samui... today.

Common but not seen for a long while.

Brown-throated Sunbird:

Need help with this one.

Looks like some sort of a cuckoo.

First though was female Koel but it appeared much smaller and the coloration and bill look different.

Looked just a little bigger than a bulbul and landed on a Lillie pad for a few seconds then disappeared again behind some vegetation and I never saw it again so I didn't get a look at the whole bird.

Far from expert but I would say Plaintive cuckoo. They love this habitat.

Thanks Jack, it does look like a young one when I look at the book.

I have only ever seen the adult before as per :