Thailand Birding: Finding A Java Sparrow

Although I have lived in Bangkok for years I have never taken the effort to go and track down any of the city’s Java Sparrows; there has long been a self-sustaining population of this species, originating from escaped caged birds. However, beyond the vague instructions of “the Don Muang area” I have never known where to look for Java Sparrows

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Java Sparrow by Peter Ericsson

Don Muang is the name of Bangkok’s old international airport, which is only really used for some domestic flights these days - it is in the north of the city. The area is really busy and I live quite far away, so the prospects of hunting these birds down in residential areas and along busy roads was never one that I relished. However, during a phone conversation with Phil Round yesterday, I finally remembered to ask him where I should look for Java Sparrows and he gave me details of a specific place to look that was easy to find.

With the encouragement of my wife, we went and had a look yesterday afternoon. The location is a small compound of apartments belonging to the airforce, right next to the Amari Airport hotel - easy to find. The hotel is on the opposite side of the road from the airport and there are signs for it in English after you have passed the domestic terminal and are about level with the international terminal. You can park in the car park of the Amari hotel, exit the car park and turn right, walk down the street for about 50 metres and you will see the apartments in a leafy compound.

We checked in with security, who made a bit of a song and dance about letting us in, but after a bit of a chat we entered. Java Sparrows were not obvious. After a bit of a search I spotted a pair, high up on a building, sitting above a ventilation window. Soon another pair joined them and the four of them spent a long time just sitting, preening and flitting about, occasionally disappearing beyond the boundaries of the compound but always coming back quickly. After about 30-40 minutes of watching them we left them to their business.

I understand that Java Sparrows are listed as Vulnerable by Birdlife International with a population of only 2,500-10,000 individuals in its native range, Java and Bali. Due to trapping and increased use of pesticides, Java Sparrow populations are declining; the population in Bangkok may be of significance in this light.

Thailand Birding: Asian Golden Weaver

The large majority of birders visit Thailand between the months of November and March, which is a great time for winter migrants but not so good for resident birds.

There are a few birds in particular which just are not present in the dry season or not at their best. Asian Golden Weaver is one of the latter; through the dry season months it is in non-breeding plumage and rather dull, but in the breeding season (late March to August) the male is one of the most fabulous birds of the wetlands.

Asian Golden Weaver by Alex Vargas

Over the last few months I have been seeing small nesting colonies of Asian Golden Weavers regularly at Muang Boran Fishponds near Bangkok and Tung Bang Jak near Petchaburi. They make small, ball-shaped nests in emergent vegetation such as Typha whilst their relatives, Baya Weavers, make pipe-shaped nests in trees and Streaked Weavers make a ball with a pipe in emergent vegetation.

Anyone heading to Bueng Boraphet from March to August should also easily see this species by going to the crocodile enclosure at the fisheries research station on the north side of the lake, where they breed, their nests protected by crocodiles.

Thailand Birding: Spoon-billed Sandpiper

Lots of people have been e-mailing me about Spoon-billed Sandpiper recently. With the species continued decline more and more birders are keen to see it and it seems that Thailand is just about the easiest and most reliable place to see a Spoon-billed Sandpiper right now.

Spoon-billed Sandpiper at Khok Kham by Jörg Hanoldt

Pak Thale is the best place to find this bird with 5 birds seen together recently on salt pans. The area is fairly easy to find using maps on thaibirding.com and following the signs at the site. If all else fails look for the other birders!

Spoon-billed Sandpipers usually arrive at Pak Thale at the very end of October and are usually not seen beyond end of March (last year I think the last date was around 24th March). During this period they are always present and can be found on salt pans with very shallow water.

For those with less time, at least one Spoon-billed Sandpiper still winters at Khok Kham, close to Bangkok. This site is not as good for other birds as Laem Pak Bia/Pak Thale but for those with only half a day to spare, this offers an opportunity to see this rare species. For those with more time, get yourself straight to Pak Thale and see the birds there, then enjoy the many other species that are present.

Thailand Birding: Year List 2009

Whilst I am not a twitcher (tried it and don’t like it at all), nor do I usually chase birds in any way, I do keep all sorts of lists as I find that doing so keeps my enthusiasm going. Of course I have kept year lists for many years, but never go looking for birds just to get a big list, just that it is interesting to see how each year varies.

In 2009 I spent a far greater time out birding than I ever have before and of course this resulted in my biggest year list ever; 648 species in Thailand in 2009.

Highlights for me in 2009 included a couple of sightings of Cutia at Doi Lang, a fantastic Diard’s Trogon at Khao Nor Chu Chi and a couple of seldom seen species at Kaeng Krachan - Rufous-browed Flycatcher and Ferruginous Partridge, both of which I got to see a couple of times.

In 2009 I finally caught up with some migrants that are common back in UK but I had never before seen in Thailand; Great Cormorant, Gadwall, Mallard, Common Teal, Common Ringed Plover, Common Shelduck, Northern House Martin are a few of these.

I will be keeping a year list for 2010 too but it will be difficult to top 2009.

Thailand Birding: Chiffchaff Calling at Chuwit Park, Bangkok.

Walking along Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, this afternoon I heard the distinctive call of a Chiffchaff above the roar of the traffic. Wow! This would be a new bird for Thailand!

The call was coming from some trees in nearby Chuwit park, a small park created a few years ago to make some green space in the concrete jungle, and was easy to track down quickly to perch in a tree about 2 metres of off the ground; right above my head.

Unfortunately the song was coming from a speaker mounted on a tree; indeed my suspicions had been aroused beforehand as the Chiffchaff’s call was backed up by a number of other northern European birds. It seems that the park keepers had decided that the ambience of the park would be improved with the addition of some bird song, and it was quite pleasant, just that the species were a little out of place in Bangkok.