Ao Phang-Nga & Sri Phang-Nga Bird Watching Day Trip

Pick up from the hotel at early morning. Leave for Somdej Phra Srinagarindra Park, a beautiful public park surrounded by limestone mountains. Start early morning birding in this park can be productive for Black-and-Red Broadbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Banded Woodpecker, Streak-breasted Woodpecker, Common Flameback, Grey-capped Woodpecker, Ruby-cheecked Sunbird, Brown-throated Sunbird Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Red-wattled Lapwing, Asian Glossy Starling, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Rufous-bellied Swallow, Olive-winged Bulbul, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Black-thighed Falconet, Blue Whistling Thrush, Pin-tailed Parrotfinch, Paddyfield Pipit, Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Lineated Barbet, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Greater Coucal, White-breasted Waterhen and several more.

Then, make a short distance ride to Ao Phang-Nga National Park. The park consists of various types of spectacular landscape features. However, we will do our birding only around the headquarter area where pristine mangroves occur. There are a wooden boardwalk trail and a dirt road that lead us through the mangroves. Spending our time before lunch around this area can be productive for Mangrove Pitta, Ruddy Kingfisher, Brown-winged Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Chestnut-bellied Malkoha, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Brahminy Kite, Mangrove Whistler, Golden-bellied Gerygone, White-chested Babbler, Buffy Fish-owl, Ashy Tailorbird, and more.

After lunch we will travel to Sri Phang-Nga National Park, where we will spend the whole afternoon birding here. The park stretches along a hill range parallel to the Andaman Sea coast. Most of the area is the low altitude moist evergreen forest. The park is also an outer part of a much larger forest complex, so it holds rich diversity of birds and other wildlife. There is a limited access to explore the park, only one streamside track which starts from the park headquarter leads to waterfalls in the forest. However, taking slow paces along this track and also a short forest trail can be very productive for Green Broadbill, Black-and-Yellow Broadbill, Dusky Broadbill, Red-bearded Bee-eater, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Great Hornbill, Wallace's Hawk Eagle, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Red-throated Barbet, Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker, Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker, Plain Sunbird, Little Spiderhunter, Grey-breasted Spiderhunter, Yellow-bellied Warbler, Rufous Piculet, Banded Woodpecker, Bamboo Woodpecker, Raffle's Malkoha, Abbott's Babbler, Rufous-fronted Babbler, Chestnut-winged Babbler, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta and many more. Several species of Bulbul also can be observed along this track such as Spectacled, Cream-vented, Red-eyed and Black-crested, Grey-bellied and Scaly-breasted Bulbuls. The open sky here is a good place to look for Swifts such as Silver-rumped Needletail, Brown-backed Needletail, Pale-rumped (Germain') Swiftlet, Pacific Swift and Whiskered Treeswift.

The highlight species that many birders and photographers highly anticipate when they are visiting the park include Chestnut-naped Forktail, Malayan Banded Pitta, Helmeted Hornbill, White-crested Hornbill, Bushy-crested Hornbill, Great Argus, Gould’s Frogmouth, Indochinese Frogmouth, Banded Kingfisher, Blue-banded Kingfisher, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Black-backed Kingfisher, Large Blue Flycatcher, Lesser Fish Eagle, Oriental Bay-owl, Brown Wood-owl, Buffy Fish-owl, and Barred Eagle-owl.

Drop off at your hotel around 6 am.