Thailand Birding: Doi Lang

I have just spent three days at Doi Lang in Chiang Mai province and thought others would like to know of some of the amazing sightings from the location. Now that the breach in the road has been repaired and that the mountain is accessible from Fang, there is even better birding on the mountain than before. On the road up from the Fang side there is a lot of great pine forest and we saw Mrs Hume's Pheasant and Giant Nuthatch on the way up. This forest is good for flycatchers and we found Ultramarine, Sapphire, Pale Blue and Slaty-backed Flycatchers. However, it is the photographic stakeouts that make for a spectacular visit.

Large Niltava

I took this photo of a male Large Niltava using a cheap point-and-shoot camera from a distance of about 1 metre as the bird came down to take mealworms. At the same spot I was mobbed by Dark-backed Sibias and also was able to photograph Himalayan Bluetail and Eyebrowed Thrush from a similarly short distance.

Eyebrowed Thrush

Himalayan Bluetail

Other birds that came to this feeding spot at the upper checkpoint on Doi Lang included Silver-eared Laughingthrush, Spectacled Barwing and Blue Whistling Thrush.

Spectacled Barwing

Further down the mountain some photographic hotspots have popped up with access from the Fang side with birds such as Spot-throated Babbler, Siberian Rubythroat, White-gorgetted Flycatcher, Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher, White-bellied Redstart all coming down to take mealworms, but it is the Rusty-naped Pitta and Spot-breasted Laughingthrushes which are the main attraction - both are fairly tame and can easily be observed and photographed after supplying mealworms.

Spot-breasted Laughingthrush 

These last two species are next to impossible to see under normal conditions so it is a real treat to be able to observe them out in the open - thank you to the Thai photography community for having the patience to create these bird hotspots and sharing them with everybody.

Other interesting birds we saw were Spot-breasted Parrotbill, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babbler, White-browed Laughingthrush, Crested Bunting, Mountain Hawk Eagle and Slender-billed Oriole, all of which contributed to an excellent visit.