Spot-breasted Parrotbill
Paradoxornis guttaticollis
Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand
In early April I had written about the Birds on the Doi and in August it was the turn of the beautiful Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird. Today’s blog is about another enchanting bird from these beautiful Dois - the Spot-breasted Parrotbill.
About 685 kilometers to the north of Bangkok lies the former seat of the ancient Lanna Kingdom & is considered one of the most scenic provinces in the country given its mountain ranges, valleys, flora and fauna. A land of misty mountains and colourful hill tribes, a playground for seasoned travellers, and a delight for adventurers. Despite its relatively small size and blissful calm, Chiang Mai truly has it all, a city that is still firmly Thai in its atmosphere and attitude. It is the second-largest changwat (province) of Thailand. Bordered by Chiang Rai to the northeast, Lampang and Lamphun to the south, Tak to the southwest, Mae Hong Son to the west and the Shan State of Myanmar to the north. Located in a verdant valley on the banks of the Ping River, Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 as the capital of the ancient Lanna Kingdom. Today it is a place where past and the present seamlessly merge with modern buildings standing side by side with venerable temples. Of all the places I have visited in Thailand, Chiang Mai with its forests and mountains and the historic city of Ayutthaya are by far my favourites.
The word Chiang itself is from North Thai, or Lanna, meaning town or city and Mai means new making Chiang Mai the New City as it was founded later than Chiang Rai, the earlier capital of King Meng Rai. The districts in the province are called amphoe, and sub-districts are called tambon. Another twist is the use of Nakhon (or Nakorn or Nakhorn), derived from the Sanskrit word Nagara, also means city, though strictly speaking it refers to a capital city such as Nakorn Sri Ayutthaya (more on Ayutthaya later). Indeed to emphasise its former status you may sometimes see Chiang Mai referred to as Nakhon Ping. Other common names of geographical features include mae (river) and doi which is north Thai for mountain - for example Doi Inthanon and Mae Ping.
The four Dois we spent our time on were Doi Inthanon, Doi Ang Khang, Doi Luang and Doi SanJu.
Doi Luang & Doi SanJu in close proximity to the Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park, it is the second highest mountain in Thailand and a part of the Dan Lao Mountain range, northwest of Chiang Mai, sharing the border with Myanmar. Doi SanJu, can be easily accessed from Fang town. The mountain forest and no traffic make it easy to view birds. The entire area is very quiet, secluded and home to rare species like Mrs. Humes Pheasant, Long–tailed Sibia, Himalayan Cutia, Black–throated Tit, Black–eared Shrike Babbler, Whiskered Yuhina, Crimson–breasted Woodpecker, Fire–tailed Sunbird to name a few.
We didn’t have the good fortune to see all the species on all the mountains, that would have been impossible, but we did rack up quite a number of species - about 95 of them. The gallery today is of the shy and enchanting Spot-breasted Parrotbill.
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For a print of the beautiful birds from the Dois click on the button below to read my process and order a limited edition canvas.
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Spot-breasted Parrotbill
The Spot-breasted Parrotbill (Paradoxornis guttaticollis) is a species of bird in the Paradoxornithidae family. It is a bulbous-headed brown bird with a comically large pale yellow bill which is oddly twisted, making it seem as if the bird is smiling.
The bird as you can see is brownish overall, with a rich chestnut cap and paler underparts. Its face is liberally splattered with black splotches, the largest patch on the ear where it forms a thick crescent.
It prefers brushy habitats with dense cover, including bamboo stands and heavily overgrown field edges, and is also seen in the foothills up to montane areas. It is not an easy bird to see and photograph because of its preference for dense and thick cover. Some of the instances which worked for me was when it perched up to sing its song which is a repetitive “aw-wi-WI-WI-Wi-WI” with varying pitch and cadence.
It forages in small parties and joins mixed flocks and is occasionally seen joining bird waves. I spotted them rummaging in a mixed flock of laughingthrushes and barwings.
They are distributed in North East India in the extreme eastern Himalayas of Arunachal Pradesh and the hills of the Brahmaputra. They are also seen in the west, north and east in Myanmar, northern and north western Thailand, North Laos, North Vietnam, and central, south and south east China.
Its preferred habitat is grass and scrub, abandoned cultivation, and bamboo occurring at 900–2100 m in India, 1050–2135 m in SE Asia, and 350–3250 m, possibly to 3355 m, in China.
The parrotbills feed on insects and their larvae, seeds and berries and they are known to break open grass stems in search of food.
The following gallery is of this enchanting parrotbill observed & photographed in the pristine montane forests of Doi Sanju in the north east of Thailand where they are widespread, and generally fairly common as it is a favourable habitat..
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