birds of Thailand

Order: PASSERIFORMES Family: ESTRILDIDAE Munias Scientific name: Lonchura punctulata English name: Scaly-breasted Munia Characteristic: Size 11 cm. A small brown bird with a distinctive long pointed tail, dark brown chin and throat, with brown scale-like spots on sides of breast and flanks. A young bird is plain brown all over. Distribution: India, China, Myanmar, Taiwan, the Philippines, Sulawesi, the Sundas, Sumatra, Java, Bali and SE Asia. Habitat: Secondary growth, scrub forest, orchards, grass fields and paddy fields. Habit: Stays in pairs or small parties, foraging on the ground, on grass stems or among the undergrowth in open grou...

Order: PASSERIFORMES Family: TURDIDAE Thrushes Scientific name: Luscinia calliope English name: Siberian Rubythroat Characteristic: Size 16 cm. A small insectivorous brownish bird with a greenish brown back, sullied white bell and a black and white facial pattern. A male bird has a conspicuous orange patch on its chin and throat, bordered on both sides with narrow dark lines; also, a large white band at the base of bill. A female differs in possessing white chin and throat, not so orange as that of a male. Distribution: Northern Asia, migrating southwards to India, China, Hainan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Habitat: Dry e...

Order: PASSERIFORMES Family: SYLVIIDAE Old World Warblers Scientific name: Phylloscopus fuscatus English name: Dusky Warbler Characteristic: Size 12 cm. Upperside is olive green and underside whitish, with distinct pale, long eyebrow. Ears, sides of neck and flanks are all reddish brown. Distribution: India, China, Hainan, Taiwan and the Andamans. Habitat: Dipterocarp forest, secondary growth, bamboo forest, mostly in the neighbourhood of water bodies. Habit: Appears only seasonally in winter months, seen solitarily, skulking predominantly among low undergrowth for insects, worms and wild fruits. Status: A common seasonal migrant.

Order: PASSERIFORMES Family: PYCNONOTIDAE Bulbuls Scientific name: Pycnonotus jocosus English name: Red-whiskered Bulbul Characteristic: Size 20 cm. Upperpart is brown contrasting to white underpart. Black head is adorned with an erect long crest. White cheek patch is more distinctive than a smaller red patch adjoining it. A broad dark band runs from the bill, passing the lower cheek to the side of neck. Red vent is also highly diagnostic. Immatures lack the red cheek patch and having pinkishred vent. Distribution: India, Southern China, and SE Asia. Habitat: Forest edges and clearings with tall grasses, including nearby orchards and oth...

Order: PASSERIFORMES Family: SYLVIIDAE Old World Warblers Scientific name: Orthotomus sutorius English name: Common Tailorbird Characteristic: Size 13 cm. A diminutive bird with its back, shoulders, rump and tail pale yellowish green; upperpart yellowish white; forehead brownish red. In breeding season, a male will possess elongate maiddle pairs of tail feathers, much longer than those of a female. Distribution: Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Southwest China, Hainan, Hong Kong, Soutest Asia. In Thailand, it is found throughout the country. Habitat: Scrub forest, secondary growths, open grounds, open forest, mangro...

Order: CORACIIFORMES Family: BUCEROTIDAE Hornbills Scientific name: Anthracoceros albirostris English name: Oriental Pied Hornbill Characteristic: Size 70 cm. A large black bird with white patches at cheeks, wing tips and tail tip, and on belly. Bill is remarkably large, yellow in colour, with a characteristic casque on the top. A female is smaller than a male. Distribution: India, Southern China, Indo-China and SE Asia. Habitat: Dry evergreen forest and dipterocarp forest. Habit: Keeps primarily to undisturbed, primary forest; wandering in group about isolated crowns of forest trees. Food comprises wild fruits and other small animals. B...

Order: STRIGIFORMES Family: TYTONIDAE Scientific name: Phodilus badius English name: Bay Owl Characteristic: Size 29 cm. A plump-looking brown owl, with brown upperpart and pinkish brown underpart. Both sides are heavily spotted with dark brown and pale pattern that scattering widely over the surfaces. Its heart-shaped facial disc is more pinkish, with a pair of large brown eyes. A pair of its ear-like tufted feathers stand erect above its eyes. Legs and feet are thickly covered with feathers, and the latter forming sharp talons. Distribution: India, China, the Sundas, the Philippines, Myanmer, Malaysia, Thailand, Indo-China, Tonkin and ...

Order: CUCULIFORMES Family: CUCULIDAE Cuckoos Scientific name: Carpococcyx renauldi English name: Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo Characteristic: Size 70 cm. A large ground-living bird with greyish back and wings and violet-glossed black head, neck, breast and tail; bill, legs and feet bright red; underpart whitish. A distinctive violet eye patch is usually noticed, at close range. Distribution: Endemic to Thailand and Indo-China, where it thrives on the plain to low hills of 900 m. in elevation. Habitat: Among thick undergrowth in the dry evergreen forest. Habit: Foraging on the forest floor for fallen fruits, seeds, insects and small animal...

Order: PSITTACIFORMES Family: PSITTACIDAE PARROTS Scientific name: Psittacula eupatria English name: Aexandrine Parakeet Characteristic: Size 51 cm. A large green parrot with a slender tail; bill bulbous and hooked at tip, red in colour; also with distinctive red shoulder patch. A male bird is readily recognized by having a reddish collar and black moustachial streak. Distribution: India, the Andamans, Myanmer, Laos, Indo-China. In Thailand, it occurs in all parts, except the southern one. Habitat: Dry evergreen forest, dipterocarp forest, to secondary growth. Habit: Keeps mainly in small flocks that venturing among the tree canopy and s...

Order: PASSERIFORMES Family: CORVIDAE Crows, Jays, Magpies Scientific name: Corvus macrorhynchos English name: Large-billed Crow Characteristic: "Size 25 - 28 cm. A small falcon, readly recognized by having a white rump patch; dark grey upperpart which including its wings and tail; underpart contrastingly white. A male has its head to upper back whitish with greyish streaks, while a female has this part reddinsh vrown. Immature has darker grey head and a pale ring around its nech." Distribution: "Myanmear, Thailand and Indo-China." Habitat: "Open spaces in dry dipterocarp forest, dry deciduous forest and secondary growth; from the plain ...