Thailand Birding: Black-headed Ibis

I got lucky a few days ago with some Black-headed Ibises very close to the road near Wat Khao Takrao, Petchaburi. Usually sightings of these birds, in this area, are fairly distant and often made worse by heat haze, but these two birds were very obliging.

Black-headed Ibis, adult & subadult

These birds are to be found in this area all year round, with adults and juveniles often seen; this often makes me think that they must be breeding in the area at some unknown waterbird colony - this is not as unlikely as it may seem with large areas of habitat available that is virtually unvisited by birders. A nearby lake known as Nong Pla Lai, and which has access restricted by a locked gate, is a likely site for any such waterbird colony.

On 17th February I found a total of 26 Black-headed Ibises in the Wat Khao Takrao area.