25 common birds of thailand #birds #animals #thailand

I love birds. I think birds are special creatures that are beautiful and some are also intelligent. So when I came to live in Thailand I first bought a bird guide and looked around outside to see which birds were flying and foraging here. In this video I will show you 25 common birds you see The common myna are everywhere. In the evening the birds gather in large numbers in trees and you can hear this as you drive past. The adults are 23 centimetre long, have thick yellow legs, a yellow tipped bill and a yellow patch of skin underneath their eyes. The undersides of their wings are pure white. Common mynas are social birds that roost communally throughout the year either in pure or mixed flocks with other birds. These roosts can contain less than 100 and up to thousands of birds. Birds start to gather in roosts before sunset and depart before sunrise. During the day common mynas spend most of their time foraging and may travel up to 10 kilometres between their roosting and feeding sites each day. The common myna will eat basically anything. They eat insects, fruits, lizards and chicks and eggs of other birds. Their extreme vocal range makes them noisy all day long. The common myna can even mimic human speech. The great myna is also known as the white vented myna. It is found in northeast India through Bangladesh to southeast Asia. It is black with elongated forehead feathers forming a frontal crest that may curl backwards. Its beak and feet are yellow. It has white from the vent to the tip of the tail and a white wing patch. It forages in flocks in open areas such as meadows, agricultural fields and urban parks and gardens often with other species of mynas and starlings. The adults are about 19 centimetre long. Males are black on the head and back and the wings are white on the underside. Females have the same colour pattern but their heads are slayed grey instead of black. During their breeding season, males sing long melodic tunes to attract females. Although they usually nest in tree cavities, they don't mind buildings or nesting boxes. Unfortunately, their sought after colouration and vocals have led to illegal poaching. These birds live singly in pairs or in small family groups. They are often active late at dusk mostly seen close to the ground hopping along branches or foraging in leaf litter with a cocktail. To communicate with each other, oriental magpie robins use beautiful songs and a range of other calls including territorial calls, emergence and roosting calls. Oriental magpie robins breed mainly from March to July in India and January to June in Southeast Asia. Males are quite aggressive during this time and defend their territory. They respond to the singing of intruders and even their reflections. Oriental magpie robins nest in tree hollows or niches in walls or buildings often adopting nest boxes. They line the cavity with grass. The female is involved in most of the nest building which happens about a week before the eggs are laid. She then lay four to five eggs and these are oval and usually pale blue-green with brownish speckles that match the colour of hay. The eggs are incubated by the female alone for 8 to 14 days. Both parents take part in raising their chicks which remain in the territory until the next breeding season. They make me think about the European magpie that is very colourful and very smart. Eurasian tree sparrows are often found in cities and in farmland, open woods and large parks. These songbirds are not only found in Thailand but all over the world. At first glance, the sparrow might look like any other brown bird but each bird has his own identity. Eurasian tree sparrows are diurnal and social birds. They feed and roost in flocks. They predominantly eat seeds and grain. Eurasian tree sparrows will also feed on invertebrates especially during the breeding season when the young are fed mainly on insects. Eurasian tree sparrows are monogamous and form long-lasting pair bonds. They breed in spring and then again in autumn. The Asian quail is a large cuckoo that lives a secret life in the interior of dense trees in many habitats, even inner cities and fields. It is found in the Indian subcontinent, China and Southeast Asia. Adult males are glossy black with dull lime green bill. Females and immatures blackish brown with white dots on the wings and strong streaking on head and throat. Adults have ruby red eyes. Asian curls are shy birds that are usually more often heard than seen. They spend their time singly or in pairs hiding in the dense canopy. Asian calls feed by day taking fruits directly from trees. Asian calls are very vocal especially during the breeding season making a range of different calls. It's called Mekisit the loudest bird in the tropics. The breeding season of Asian calls varies depending on location. In the Indian subcontinent it usually occurs from March to August. These birds don't build a nest and lay their eggs in the nests of a variety of birds. A female may remove a host egg before laying. The eggs of the call hatch in 12 to 14 days about three days ahead of the host chicks. The young call does not always push out eggs or evict the host chicks and initially calls like a crow. It usually fledges in 20 to 28 days and unlike some other cuckoos the young does not attempt to kill the host chicks. The adults of the spotted dove are 30 centimeter long. This species has red eyes, a rosy gray breast, head and underbody and a nearly black mantle that is densely spotted with white. The tail is unusually long for a pigeon and tipped in white. The wing pattern is interesting as each feather has a drop shadow. It looks extremely three dimensional deceiving predators. Depending on where you live the Thai people know this bird as the lace-necked dove, the pearl-necked dove, the mountain dove or the spotted turtle dove. They generally rove in pairs but may also form groups when foraging for grains, seeds and fruits. They've been known to take insects on occasion. Spotted doves you can find in parks and backyards and even airports. Spotted doves are usually seen in small flocks or pairs foraging on the ground or perching in trees and on telephone wires. Spotted doves are primarily herbivores. They eat seeds and grains and may supplement their diet with insects. Spotted doves are monogamous breeders. This means that both the male and the female have only one partner. They breed throughout the year with most activity being from September to December. Their sounds are soft and soothing and they are exceptionally comfortable around humans. The adults of the zebra dove are 16 to 18 centimetres long. The colouration and stripy pattern of the zebra dove hide them from predators above. Their main diet is small seeds though they will take insects if they are convenient. You can see them in urban areas since they tolerate humans well. They build their nests in buildings or populated spaces like other doves and pigeons. In its native range the breeding season is from September to June. Upon selection of a nesting site the female will place herself there and will make guttural sounds to attract males to help build the nest. The nest is a simple platform of leaves and grass blades. One or two white eggs are laid and are incubated by both parents for 13 to 18 days. The young leave the nest within two weeks and can fly well after three weeks. The rock pigeon is a plump bird who everyone knows. They are found in urban areas and are often a nuisance. They are associated with humans for a long time. Some Egyptian hieroglyphics suggest that people started to domesticating pigeons 5,000 years ago. Anyway or you love them or you hate them. Barn swallows are bright little birds with blue suits and orange dress shirts. From the tops of their heads to their tails their feathers are blue. On the other side from their throats to the undersides of their tails they are reddish orange. They also have a patch of feathers directly above their beaks that is bright orange. This species is quite small with most individuals about six or seven inches long and weighing in at less than an ounce. They have a fork-like tail. Both sexes are similar. White spots on the tail are typically visible during flight. These birds are found in open fields, meadows, pond marshes and coastal waters. Swallows prefer to eat insects. They primarily feed close to water or the ground catching insect in midair. Both males and females sing a song of warbling notes and mechanical sounds. Adults of the grey heron are 100 centimetres tall with a wingspan of 160 to 195 centimetres. Their colouring is white overall with narrow bluish black stripes on the front of the body and the head. A long thin crest of darker feathers fall of the back of the head. The wings are light grey with dark slate graw wing tips. The sharply pointed bill is faint yellow and their legs are dark pink to brown. They are wading birds that you find in wetlands, lakes, rivers and mangrove forests and coastal areas. Grey heroes are predators who stab fish or other prey with their sharp bill. Grey herons are social birds. They may feed alone or in groups and at night they roost in trees or on cliffs and tend to be gregarious. During the breeding season they nest in big colonies. Grey herons usually hunt around dawn and dusk but they may also be active at other times of the day. They often perch in trees but spend much time on the ground striding about or standing still for long periods with an upright stance often on a single leg. Grey herons are serially monogamous. They form pairs and remain together for only one breeding season which extends from early February until May or early June. These birds breed in colonies known as heronries usually in high trees close to lakes, the seashore or other wetlands. The plumage of the little egret is normally entirely white although there are dark forms with largely bluish grey plumage. The legs are black and the feet yellow. Little egrets are sociable birds and are often seen in small flocks. They are diurnal birds and feed mainly in the early morning and in the late afternoon. They use a variety of methods to procure their food. They stalk their prey in shallow water often running with raised wings or shuffling their feet to disturb small fish or may stand still and wait to ambush prey. On land they walk or run while chasing their prey, feed on creatures disturbed by grazing livestock and ticks on the livestock and even scavenge occasionally. Little egrets are silent birds in general however at their breeding colonies they make various croaking and bubbling calls. When disturbed they produce a harsh alarm call. Little egrets are carnivorous birds. Their diet includes mainly fish but they also eat amphibians, small reptiles, mammals and birds as well as crustaceans, mollusks, insects, spiders and worms. Little egrets are monogamous. They nest in colonies often with other wading birds. The nests are usually platforms of shrubs or in reed beds or bamboo groves. The female lays three to five eggs which are incubated by both parents for 21 to 25 days. The eggs are oval in shape and have a pale non-glossy blue-green shell colour. Upon hatching the chicks are covered in white down feathers and are cared for by both parents. Around three weeks after hatching the chicks start to move around the nest and climb into the close branches. They fledge after 40 to 45 days and are able to follow the adults to learn how to feed themselves. The Asian green bee eater is 16 to 18 centimetre long. Their colouring is predominantly green with a bronze coloured cap, a black necklace and a black stripe on the face. Their central tail feathers are long and thin adding about five centimetres to their overall length. You can find them in grasslands, scub lands and forests. The green either cannot stand cold. They roost in groups of 200 to 300 birds and sleep well past sunrise, nestled close to each other to stay warm. Their favourite food is beetles but when they can't find them they eat bees and then small crabs if that is the only thing available. Adult storks are about 82 centimetres tall. Their colouring is white to light grey on the body and head but the perimeter of the wings and tail are glossy black with a purple or green tint. It has long pink legs and a grey and yellow beak. The name is derived from the distinctive gap formed between the recurved lower and arched upper mandible of the beak in adult birds. Young birds do not have this gap. The cutting edges of the mandible have a fine brush like structure that is thought to give them better grip on the shells of snails. They forage in flooded fields, shallows and wetlands. Although snails are their primary food they also eat snakes, amphibians and large insects. They build nests out of sticks on a partially submerged structure like a log. They breed in colonies with lots of birds close together. The storks are mostly silent with an occasional croaky sound to a mate returning to the nest. Adults of the black drongo are 28 centimetres long. Its colouring is glossy black with a grey beak and legs. It has red eyes. The black drongo has a forked tail but the tail feathers are rounded instead of pointed. They are found in savannas, open fields and even urban centres. They fly with snappy wing movements making them agile in the air for hunting insects. They even perch on grazing animals to eat the insects they disturb while grazing. The black drongo is aggressive. They guard their territory, fight for male dominance or hunt for food. Smaller birds often nest nearby the black drongo because they keep them safe. In return for their protection the smaller birds often feed the young of the drongo. It is an even trade, bodyguard to babysitter. Their song can be loud and harsh. They start singing early in the morning. The adult blackbird is 28 to 29 centimetres long. Males are black with a distinctive yellow eye ring and yellow beak. Females are similar in size but dark brown with lighter underparts. The Chinese blackbird is larger and powerful than the common blackbirds of Europe. Its tail has a scalloped end and is longer instead of round and fan-shaped. You can find Chinese blackbirds in urban areas and they can always find a place to nest. They are territorial in the breeding season and often feed in groups. Blackbirds have complex calls and often use mimicry to sound like other species. These birds can even mimic artificial sounds like doorbells, car alarms and motor soars. Adults of the black kite are 48 to 60 centimetres long with a wingspan of 150 centimetres. Their colouring is dark brown to brownish red with a white face. Their legs are yellow and the hooked beak is black with yellow at the base. These birds of prey are graceful flyers. They catch frogs, mice, rats, snakes, salamanders, snails and insects and sometimes roadkill. They can hunt on the ground as well as from the air and visits garbage bumps or beaches looking for eatable trash. They are also good fish hunters. Their call is a lonely whistling sound remind you of a hawk. The kingfisher adults are about 16 centimetres long with a wingspan of 25 centimetres. They have bright blue upper parts speckled with white with a rufous chest and rusty cheeks. Its sharp black bill is roughly the same length as its head. In Thailand this colourful bird is also called the river kingfisher. They eat most fish. It sits on a branch hanging over the water and dives into the water to catch a fish. For that they have a third transparent eyelid for when they are underwater. The underwater eye has binocular vision which allows the bird to judge the distance to its prey with extreme precision. They need to eat 60% of their body weight daily so they will aggressively control a territory with enough food. If another kingfisher enters the territory they will fight. The winner usually grabs the other's beak and holds it underwater until it drowns. Unfortunately most juveniles don't survive until adulthood. They are often driven out of their parents territory before they learn to catch food and many become waterlogged and drown. Only 25% of adults survive to brood next year and most adults only live for one year in the wild. The adult white-throated kingfisher has a bright blue back wings and tail. Its head, shoulders, flanks and lower belly are chestnut and the throat and breast are white. The large bill and legs are bright red. The flight of the white-throated kingfisher is rapid and direct, the short rounded wings whirring. In flight large white patches are visible on the blue and black wings. The male and the female are similar but juveniles are a duller version of the adult. White-throated kingfishers are usually seen singly or in pairs. They are active during the day spending their time foraging or perching conspicuously on wires or other exposed perches within their territory. White-throated kingfishers are watch and wait hunters which dive onto potential prey from a perch. They mainly hunt large crustaceans, insects, earthworms, rodents, snakes, fish and frogs. White-throated kingfishers are monogamous and form pairs. They begin breeding at the onset of the monsoons. Their nests are unremarkable but they construct them downright weird. First they repeatedly fly into a mud bank with their beak until they make a big enough dent to stand on so they can begin excavating. Then they peck away at the dirt for hours to make a deep tunnel where they build their nests. Their call is distinctive and high-pitched. The adults Dorian redstart are 14 to 15 centimetres long. Males have a rust-coloured belly, a grey cap and black wings with a white patch. Females are a dull brownish grey all over with a wash of orange on the tail and rump. Dorian redstarts live in open forests, the edges of agricultural areas, parks and private gardens. The bird in Thailand is confident around humans, letting them get very close before moving away. Its primary food is insects, especially during breeding, but it also eats berries and seeds. Females looks all alike. The best way to recognise a female Dorian is the understated red rump and tail, more easily seen in flight. Males are easier to recognise because of their unique colour patterns. Dorian redstarts are quiet birds, except when advertising their territory. Even while courting the birds rarely makes noise. Instead, the male will feed the female and perform exaggerated wing and feather displays to show off its healthy colours. Adult Indochinese rollers are 30 to 34 centimetres long. Their colouring is a mix of violet, turquoise and navy blue on the wings with a blue crown and body. They have stout rounded bodies and thick conical beaks. Indochinese rollers prefer open pasture lands, rice fields and plantations, but are settling increasingly in urban areas where insects are in abundance. They particularly like beetles and other large insects such as crickets, locusts, grasshoppers, moths and wasps. Occasionally they'll even take frogs and small reptiles. The birds have a graceful flying style which earned their name. They tumble and roll as they try to catch escaping prey. They are also aggressive at defending their territory. They even dive bombing humans or other threats. Adult olive-backed sunbirds are about 12 centimetres long. Both sexes have bright yellow underpants, dull brown backs, black legs and downward curved beaks. Their original habitat is mangrove forests, but they have adapted to humans and can be found anywhere, even in dense cities. The curved beak of the sunbird is efficient at gathering nectar they use as food, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Their flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering, but usually perch to feed most of the time. The birds mate between the months of April and August in the Northern Hemisphere and between August and January in the Southern Hemisphere. Both the male and the female assist in building the nest, which is flask shaped with an overhanging porch at the entrance and a trail of hanging material at the bottom end. The adult of the red-vented bulbule are about 20 centimetres long. Their most unusual feature is the brilliant red patch of feathers at the base of their tail. The red-vented bulbules are happy in various habitats, including plains, dry scrub, open forests and cultivated lands. However, they avoid mature forests because the trees are too dense for flight. Red-vented bulbules are diurnal social birds. Outside of the breeding season, they like to form large flocks and gather together in communal roosts. Their alarm calls are usually responded to and heeded by many other species of bird. Red-vented bulbules have an omnivorous diet. They feed on fruits, petals of flowers, nectar and insects and occasionally will even hunt house geckos. Red-vented bulbules are monogamous and form long-lasting pair bonds. They breed from June to September and lay two or three eggs in a typical clutch. The eggs are pale pinkish with spots of darker red denser at the broad end. Red-vented bulbules build their nests in bushes at a height of around two to three metres. However, they may occasionally nest in side houses, in a hole in a mud bank or in tree cavities. The eggs hatch after about 14 days and both parents take part in feeding their chicks. During the 19th century, they were used in bird fighting. They were tied to the owner's finger by a thread and made to fight, attempting to steal the red feathers of the opponents. As you imagine, the birds escaped often, leading to invasive populations. They have a beautiful song. Nowadays, there are singing competitions of the birds. Red-wattled lapwings are large birds. Red-wattled lapwings inhabit almost any wetland habitat throughout their range, including well-watered open country, flooded grasslands, marshes, rivers, pools, cultivated areas, ploughed fields, grazing land and rural gardens. Red-wattled lapwings are usually seen in pairs or trios not far from water. They occasionally form large flocks ranging from 26 to 200 birds. They run about in short spurts and dip forward obliquely with unflexed legs to pick up food in a typical plover manner. They feed mainly during the day but are said to also feed at night being especially active around the full moon. Red-wattled lapwings are uncannily and ceaselessly vigilant day or night and are the first to detect intrusions and raise an alarm. Their sounds have been variously rendered as diddy do it or pity to do it, leading to the colloquial name of diddy do it bird. Flight of red-wattled lapwings is rather slow with deliberate flaps but the birds are capable of remarkable agility when defending their nest or being hunted by a hawk. Red-wattled lapwings are monogamous and form pairs. They breed mainly from March to August. The eggs are laid in a ground scrape or depression, sometimes fringed with pebbles, goat or hair droppings. Nests are difficult to find since the eggs are cryptically coloured and usually match the ground pattern. In residential areas they sometimes take to nesting on rooftops where nesting pairs are very territorial and will attempt to dive, bomb or distract potential predators. Males relieve females incubating at the nest, particularly towards the hot part of noon. The eggs hatch in 28 to 30 days. When the chicks hatch they are cryptically patterned and immediately follow their parents to feed, hiding by lying low on the ground or in the grass when threatened. Parents often soak their belly feathers to provide water to their chicks as well as to cool the eggs during hot weather. The white wagtail is a slender bird with the characteristic long constantly wagging tail of its genus. White wagtails are usually seen alone or in pairs but during migration they often gather in flocks at good feeding areas or roost at night. These birds feed by day on the ground or on the wing. They may also forage in shallow water, catching prey in the mud or may hover over water. The most conspicuous habit of white wagtails is a near constant tail wagging, a trait that has given the birds their common name. White wagtails are carnivores. Insects and other small invertebrates form a major part of their diet. White wagtails are monogamous. They form pairs and defend their breeding territories. The breeding season for most is from April to August with the season starting later further north. Both sexes build the nest. The male initiates the nest building and the female finishes the process. The nest is a rough cup assembled from twigs, grass, leaves and other plant matter. It is lined with soft materials including animal hair. The nest is set into a crevice or hole, traditionally in a bank next to a river or ditch but white wagtails have also adapted to nesting in walls, bridges and buildings. The female lays three to eight cream-coloured eggs, often with a faint bluish green or turquoise tint and heavily spotted with reddish brown. Both parents incubate the eggs. The eggs begin to hatch after 12-16 days. Both parents feed the chicks until they fledge after between 12 and 15 days and then continue to feed them for another week after fledging. The red jungle fowl, Gallus gallus, is a tropical bird in Asia. It is the primary ancestor of the domestic chicken. Red jungle fowl are found from India eastwards across Indochina and southern China into Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia. They prefer disturbed habitats and edges, both natural and human created. These birds can be found in tropical moist forests, mangroves, scrub areas, tea and palm oil plantations and agricultural areas. Jungle fowl are behaviourally different from domestic chickens. They are naturally very shy of humans compared to the much tamer domesticated subspecies. Red jungle fowl are social and typically live in flocks of one to a few males and several females. Red jungle fowl are active during the day and usually feed in the early morning and late afternoon. They spend most of their time on the ground and will fly only in order to reach their roosting areas at sunset in trees or any other high and relatively safe places, free from ground predators and to escape from immediate danger through the day. Red jungle fowl are omnivores. They feed on fruits, seeds, crops, leaves, roots and tubers. They also capture a wide variety of arthropods, other invertebrates and vertebrates such as small lizards. Red jungle fowl are polygynous, the dominant male mates with females within his flock and protects them from rivals. Females lay three to seven eggs and incubate them for about 21 days. Chicks are precocial. They hatch fully developed and are able to move and feed by themselves. They fledge in about four to five weeks and at 12 weeks old they are chased out of the group by their mother, at which point they start a new group or join an existing one. Young red jungle fowl become reproductively mature at five months of age and females usually reach maturity slightly longer than males. These were the 25 common birds of Thailand that I collected in this video. If I forgot any or if details are incorrect, please write in the comments. I then process these comments in an adapted version. Just a few more images about the evolution of the chicken. 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