Diverse Habitat
Thailand is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Not only does the country’s 500,000 square kilometers sustain at least 955 bird species (more than Europe or North America), its highly developed infrastructure also makes it easy to access and explore areas teeming with all sorts of wildlife. The tropical climate, though sometimes a little on the warm side, means that any time of year is hospitable for birdwatchers to come and commune with our feathered friends.

The nation’s terrain varies considerably from deciduous forests in the mountainous north to tropical lowlands of swamp, scrub, jungle, mangrove and coastline. It would be easy to spend a lifetime documenting all the species dwelling here, though a week or so should yield enough sightings to delight even the most discerning birdwatcher.

Convenient Parks
Not surprisingly, most species in Thailand can be found in the many lush national parks and sanctuaries. The vast Doi Inthanon National Park for example, includes Thailand’s highest mountain with the rare Green-tailed Sunbird taking up residence at the 2,500-meter summit. Closer to Bangkok – about three hours’ drive – is the beautiful Khao Yai National park, hosting more than 300 bird species including varieties of Parrot, Kingfisher, Cuckoo, Woodpecker and Babbler, to name a few.

Though the parks have strict regulations restricting development, all of them offer comfortable resorts either within the park or conveniently nearby providing the visitor a relaxing sanctuary of their own after a hard day spotting birds.