Collared Falconet, photo by Phil Woollen
After an already bird-packed first day on Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest mountain, the excitement was palpable as our group set out early for more adventures. Expectations were sky-high, and the day didn’t disappoint. With expert guide Jay leading the way, we chased lifers and jaw-dropping sightings from lowland edges to misty highlands, finishing with one of the most iconic birds in Southeast Asia.
We started with low-elevation birding along a peaceful country road. The morning light was perfect for spotting a dazzling Purple Sunbird, a perky Yellow-cheeked Tit, and superb views of a Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker. While patiently waiting for a calling Black-headed Woodpecker, our minibus drivers radioed in with urgent news: they’d spotted raptors farther down the road.
We abandoned the woodpecker stakeout and hurried ahead. What greeted us was pure magic—five Collared Falconets perched boldly on exposed branches above open forest! These tiny falcons, no bigger than a starling, have an adorable panda-like face and a comical charm. Social and gregarious, they often groom each other and hunt cooperatively in family groups. We watched in awe as they posed perfectly, leaving the entire group elated.
Energized, we climbed about 500 meters higher for a short forest walk. Suddenly, the trees came alive. In just a couple of hours, and barely moving a few hundred yards, we ticked off a flurry of gems: Little Pied Flycatcher, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Asian Emerald Cuckoo, Indian White-eye, Streaked Spiderhunter, Rufous-backed Sibia, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, and fantastic views of two tiny Speckled Piculets—minute forest-dwelling woodpeckers that are always a treat.
Some detective work shone here too. Using a thermal imager and piecing together fleeting glimpses of body parts, we nailed a skulking Lesser Shortwing hopping through the undergrowth, a notoriously tough bird to see.
As we wrapped up the trail, alarm calls erupted overhead. Jay’s sharp eyes picked out a Collared Owlet hidden in the canopy. This little owl gave us prolonged, unobstructed views, putting huge smiles on every face.
A quick stop at a breathtaking lookout produced an Oriental (Cinereous) Tit, the eastern counterpart to the familiar Great Tit back home. Nearby cultivated fields yielded five elusive Olive-backed Pipits foraging through leaf litter.
Siberian Blue Robin, photo by Phil Woollen
After a hearty lunch (the meals on this tour just keep getting better!), we headed to a private forest bird hide set up by a local guide. His wife had the feeders stocked, and birds swarmed immediately. For the next hour, we enjoyed stunning close-ups of a gorgeous male Siberian Blue Robin, a bird UK birder’s drool over, both male and female White-tailed Robin, Buff-throated Babbler, Little Spiderhunter, Grey-eyed Babbler, and several sharp-looking Brown-cheeked Fulvetta. The hide was buzzing with excitement!
Descending the mountain, we added a Rufous-winged Buzzard and a vibrant Orange-breasted Leafbird to the tally.
The afternoon brought a dramatic habitat shift: a wide riverbed in lowland Chiang Mai province. Scanning a large sandbar turned into 20 minutes of pure chaos, we didn’t know where to look first! Over 100 Little Pratincoles scurried and flew like miniature gulls, joined by a flock of elegant Wire-tailed Swallows, Citrine Wagtail, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, multiple races of White Wagtail (including a stunning Amur Wagtail), more than 200 Black-winged Stilts, and 10+ Little Ringed Plovers (of the race jourdaini). It was shorebird heaven. We didn’t want to leave!
But we couldn’t linger, our next stop was special and required time. We arrived at Ban Hong Non-Hunting Area hoping for the elusive Green Peafowl. Smaller and wilder than the familiar Indian Peafowl (peacock), this species is skittish and typically hides in dense forest. Here, though, locals have long revered and protected it as sacred. We were treated to an incredible display: several males lekking in full splendor, fanning their iridescent trains to court females. A true spectacle of natural beauty and color.
Group watching Green Peafowl displaying
What a perfect way to cap the day! One final bonus came on the drive back, a Crested Treeswift perched on roadside wires. We even returned to our digs with daylight left to relax and reflect.
An astonishing 110 species for the day, including 18 new birds for the trip, pushing our trip total to an impressive 396. With just over two days remaining, the magic 400-species mark feels tantalizingly close.
Tomorrow, we head farther north to the remote northeast of Chiang Mai province, right along the Myanmar border. More adventures await.
If you’re dreaming of an epic birding trip in Thailand, the Birdwatching Trips ‘Spoon-full of Thailand’ tour delivers thrills like this every day. Highly recommended!