Finding birds in Krabi (birding) is not really that difficult if you have the time and the energy to look for them! Krabi has lots of rainforest and mangrove locations where all kinds of birds can be found. Below are some of the best places we recommend to look for birds on your own while staying in Krabi.
Phanom Bencha Mountain Resort
Located at the end of the Phanom mountain chain on the opposite side of the big peak as the National Park and Huay Toh Waterfall is this wilderness area full of forest and rubber trees with many bird possibilities.
Pittas, birds of prey, and all kinds of smaller birds can be found in this area near the bungalows where you can stay for around 1,000 THB per night.
The family that manages this nature resort will make your stay something to remember as their passion for treating visitors like family is overwhelming! You’ll feel right at home in this wilderness resort and you’ll probably meet other visitors who are also interested in finding birds, reptiles, amphibians, spiders, and/or insects of all kinds.
Ngorn Nak Mountain (Dragon Crest) in Tub Kaak
On the opposite end of Krabi over past Ao Nang Beach and almost at Thalen Bay is a tiny area on the water called Tub Kaak. This subdistrict borders a massive rainforest called Ngorn Nak to locals and “Dragon Crest” for visitors.
This is a 3.7 km (2.5 miles) wilderness trail up the mountain to the peak at 500 meters high (1,700+ feet).
There is a stunning number of birds here under the tree canopy and a variety of habitats you can spend time in to find the birds you’re targeting.
There are no bungalows here, but you can bring a tent and camp at the top if you like. Make sure to tell the rangers at the bottom so they know you’re not lost when you don’t come back down the hill the same day to check out on their sheet.
We have seen eagles, kites, and many hard-to-identify birds (we’re not birders!). At night there are many owls and night jars you can find here.
Krabi Town Mangroves
This is one spot that is easily accessible to anyone who is staying in Krabi Town. It is found on the Krabi River and very close to the Krabi Hospital.
The mangroves are full of small mudskippers that some birds feed on. These are small fish that can breathe air for a long time as they stay up on the mud and can hide in the water from predators when attacked.
Also at the Mangrove Walkway, you can see a number of other animals like gliding lizards (Draco), forest crested lizards (C. emma), mangrove pit vipers (T. purpureomaculatus), and more.
Krabi River
A walk along the Krabi River down around Thara Park will allow you to see brilliantly colored blue kingfishers and other birds common over the water.
Noppharat Thara Park
Just past Ao Nang Beach and heading north, you’ll find a lovely beach connected to it called Noppharat Thara. This is one of the Krabi mainland’s nicest beaches to sit under towering casuarina pine trees in the shade and relax to the soothing sound of the small waves coming in.
Bird watching in this area can be especially good in the morning before the heat has consumed the day. Bring a blanket for afterward and relax and eat a picnic with your birding friends!
Huay Toh Waterfall and National Park
This is one of the best, if not the best places to go birding in Krabi. You can rent a bungalow for very reasonable rates and they are usually open and available. You can go out all day and spy birds around the waterfall and streams in the area, or take a hike up the nature trails. Some of them are steep. DO bring mosquito lotion.
This is a stunningly landscaped area adjacent to the Krabi primary forest. You can also go out at night to see wildlife of all kinds like civets, slow lorises, snakes, insects, bats, and other mammals in the forest.
List of Birds Found in Krabi (all of Thailand)
The Krabi National Parks service has a list of birds that can be found in Thailand here.
Rare and Endangered or Threatened Birds Found in Krabi?
- Gray-cheeked Bulbul
- Common Hill Myna
- Helmeted Hornbill
- Greater Green Leafbird
- Gurney’s Pitta – one of the few places in the world to find this amazing bird.
- Chestnut-capped Thrush
- Red-whiskered Bulbul
- Sun Parakeet
Bird Field Trips
There are a couple of guided tours you can do to find birds on a tour in Krabi. See that link!
Krabi Bird Hides (blinds)
We are considering making a bird hide here in Krabi in one of the public areas where we see a lot of interesting birds. We haven’t done it yet because, to be honest, we just started adding bird information to this Krabi site and we don’t have enough interest yet.
If you are a Thailand birder and you’d like to have a bird hide/blind in Krabi where you could observe birds and take photos and videos, do let us know. If we have strong enough support, we’ll do it!
Note – for non-birders, a bird blind or hide is simply a camouflaged area in the forest where people interested in seeing birds can observe from behind a tarp or other curtain. There should be a quiet way to get in there, and a bench or something to sit on. To attract birds to this area, fill up some ground pools with rainwater so birds have a place to drink, bathe, and cool off in the heat.
If you’d like to sign up for a nature field trip at night to see all kinds of animals and bugs, go here!