THAILAND
Gurney's Pitta & Nicobar Pigeon Extension

$5675; extension $2075 (2009 fees). 22 days
From Bangkok. Limit: 12
Good to fine accommodations, two internal flights, one boat trip, easy to moderate terrain (with a few short climbs), moderate elevation, several long drives, cool to warm, humid climate. Our staff travel agents can book your air travel for this tour. Contact us at (800) 728-4953 for more information. The March 2007 trip may be combined with our BHUTAN tour.

See our triplist for 2008 (1st tour) (extension) or 2007 (second tour) (extension) or 2007 (first tour)

Banded Kingfisher by guide Dave Stejskal

In the north along the border with Myanmar lie the mountain massifs of Doi Inthanon, Doi Angkhang, and Doi Suthep, where the resident birds comprise a list of montane Asian exotica, with names like minivet, leafbird, parrotbill, fulvetta, spiderhunter, mesia, minla, yuhina, iora, sibia, tesia, barwing, niltava, and scimitar-babbler.  Closer to Bangkok, Khao Yai and Kaeng Krachan national parks protect large expanses of towering humid evergreen and dipterocarp forests sheltering such typical Asian groups as babblers, bulbuls, laughingthrushes, broadbills, malkohas, cuckoo-shrikes, drongos, sunbirds, flowerpeckers, and tailorbirds.  Even the “familiar” is different here: a magpie that is green, tiny woodpeckers with punk hairdos, and kingfishers with bright red bills.

Just as our winter and spring trips to tropical America are enlivened by North American migrants, our Thailand trips will be enriched by the many species that breed in Siberia and China and winter to the south.  Among these migrants are Old World warblers, flycatchers, buntings, and others; visitors to watch for include Eurasian Hoopoe, Taiga (Red-throated) Flycatcher, Red-flanked Bluetail, Siberian Rubythroat, and Siberian Blue Robin.  Although the tour emphasizes Thailand’s forests at all elevations, we also will visit a few coastal, wetland, and agricultural areas for birds ranging from Chinese Pond Heron to Spoon-billed Sandpiper (rare but rather regular) to Citrine Wagtail.

Following our tour we offer a 5-day extension to southern peninsular Thailand for the endangered Gurney’s Pitta, the exotic Nicobar Pigeon, and other specialties of the lowland rainforest, mangroves, and offshore islands of the south.

Expert Uthai Treesucon, who lives in Bangkok, joins us again for these tours.  A keen birder and biologist, he rediscovered Gurney’s Pitta in June 1986 with Phil Round and has since been very active in the realm of international conservation.  Join Uthai and our guides in the warm heart of Southeast Asia for some great birding (not to mention the Thai food!).

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• 1+ 512-263-7295
• 1+ 512-263-0117 (fax)

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