Growing up in northern Thailand, Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok would sketch and paint the birds he saw during family outings. These early artistic pursuits soon fledged into a lifelong passion for avian lifeforms.

Over the past two decades, Ayuwat has photographed and observed the diversity of Thailand’s bird life throughout the country’s forests, wetlands, mudflats, salt pans, limestone crags and agricultural fields. This body of work recently culminated in his new book, The Birds of Thailand. Aimed at tourists and beginner bird-watchers, the book details the characteristics of common and rarer species alike, alongside information about some of their favorite haunts.

After starting out as a sustainability researcher, Ayuwat spent many years working with the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BCST), the local affiliate of BirdLife International. His focus there was on the conservation of flagship species, such as helmeted hornbills (Rhinoplax vigil) and spoon-billed sandpipers (Calidris pygmaea). Today, he dedicates his time to writing and leading bird tours.

While Ayuwat notes the threats to birds from hunting, the wildlife trade and Southeast Asia’s rapid development, he says he’s buoyed by a rising public interest in birds in Thailand and remains cautiously optimistic about Thailand’s ability to preserve its impressive range of bird species.

Mongabay’s Carolyn Cowan recently spoke with Ayuwat about the work that went into compiling his latest book and what he perceives as the most pressing bird conservation issues in Thailand. The following interview has been lightly edited for length.

Mongabay: Tell me about your book, The Birds of Thailand. You could only include about 400 of the roughly 1,100 species found in Thailand. How did you narrow it down?

AyuwatJearwattanakanok: Since the book is mainly intended for beginner bird-watchers and people visiting Thailand for the first time, I selected the species you’ll see most often, like the commoner species you might see around Bangkok. I also included some species whose populations in Thailand are globally significant, like the spoon-billed sandpiper, even though they’re perhaps more difficult to find.

The spoon-billed sandpiper is a migratory shore bird that migrates to Thailand every winter. Only about 10 birds overwinter in Thailand, but considering there are thought to be between 400 and 600 left globally, it’s significant. Thailand’s BCST puts in a lot of effort to conserve them, especially at Pak Thale Nature Reserve in Phetchaburi province.

Other rare species in the book include the rufous limestone-babbler [Gypsophila calcicola], which is endemic to Thailand and can be found only in limestone mountains in a very small area around Saraburi, Lopburi and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces. It’s highly threatened by habitat loss since that area is a major production hub for the cement industry.

Mongabay: How important is Thailand for migratory birds? It’s one of the countries along the migratory route known as the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, right?

AyuwatJearwattanakanok: Yes, many of the migratory species that overwinter in Thailand breed in the far northern parts of Siberia during the summer months, then fly south along the East Asia coastline from August onwards. By September, a huge number of them have already arrived in Thailand. Some stay here for winter, and some migrate further south all the way to Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia before flying back up to the North Pole again the following spring.

The spoon-billed sandpiper is one of these migratory species, along with many other globally threatened migrants, especially shorebirds like Nordmann’s greenshank [Tringa guttifer] — a significant portion of the world’s population of that species overwinters in Thailand.

Thailand is also the main wintering ground for the yellow-breasted bunting [Emberiza aureola], a small, sparrow-sized bird. It used to be one of the most abundant birds in the world, but because they migrate in huge flocks — the whole global population on the move at once — people would catch them for food in big nets in China, Thailand and Vietnam. Over the past few decades, the global population has declined by around 90%. So it went from being one of the most abundant birds in the world to one of the most endangered species. It’s a sad story, but it’s now one of the most well-protected species in China, and there’s conservation projects focused on the species in Thailand too. So I think the situation will hopefully get better for them.

Mongabay: What other threats are birds facing in Thailand, and what conservation efforts are underway to help them?

AyuwatJearwattanakanok: Thailand has quite progressive wildlife protection laws, in part thanks to the work of Dr. Boonsong Lekagul, who was one of the first conservationists in Thailand. So roughly 90% of the birds in Thailand are protected species, which is quite different from many other countries in the region.

The BCST has a conservation strategy of focusing on flagship species so that many species that people don’t really know about are being protected under those sorts of umbrellas. The helmeted hornbill is a flagship species for forests, and conservation efforts for the spoon-billed sandpiper will benefit all the other birds that live within the same coastal habitat.

The songbird trade is definitely a big threat. One of the most popular cage birds in Thailand is the red-whiskered bulbul [Pycnonotus jocosus], and there’s currently a campaign to try to remove it from the national protected species list. There are high-profile singing competitions focused on that species, especially in provinces in the south. It’s a big business and has the support of some powerful people. So it’s not looking good for that species. These days, the wild population of red-whiskered bulbuls is basically extinct in the south of Thailand because they were all caught.

Another threat is the use of mist nets, but this is another complicated issue. If you go into rice fields around Thailand, you might see these nets with dead birds hanging in them. The nets are often so thin you can barely see them. Farmers say they need to put up the nets to protect their crops, and the net itself is not illegal, but the birds that are caught are protected by law. So it’s something we’re trying to change. If we can push for mist nets to be more of a controlled product, or to be banned, it would help a lot, because the mist nets only have one function: to catch birds.

Mongabay: What about birds nesting along the shores of the Mekong River in northern Thailand? They seem to be increasingly impacted by water-level fluctuations caused by large dam operations. Do you have any hope of those issues being resolved?

AyuwatJearwattanakanok: Talking about the Mekong River is quite depressing actually, because it’s just going to get worse and so little can be done. The waterbirds nesting along the Mekong River are definitely heavily declining. The Lanna Bird Club in Chiang Mai has been monitoring the waterbirds along the Mekong River in Chiang Rai for several decades, 20-30 years. So I think people are aware of the decline, but nothing’s going to change unless all the governments of all the countries along the Mekong River take action. Especially in China, which is upriver.

Mongabay: Many of Thailand’s remaining intact forests are managed as protected areas and are known to be important for birds. Are there any other types of habitats in Thailand that you think need more attention and research?

AyuwatJearwattanakanok: I think we still need a lot of conservation efforts in agricultural land like rice fields and also in salt pans, limestone karst and coastal areas. These are the main habitats that groups like the BCST focuses on since the government already takes care of all the protected areas in Thailand. Projects focusing on yellow-breasted buntings in rice fields and shorebirds along the coast and in salt pans involve conservation work on private properties, so we try to work with the landowners, local communities and local governments to preserve these areas that are not legally protected.

For example, salt pans are really important for the spoon-billed sandpiper, so we try to help salt producers get more from their land by developing value-added products like soap and beauty products to give them a better income and encourage them to maintain the habitat for the birds.

Similarly, in northeast Thailand, together with the Zoological Park Organization, we encourage farmers to switch from using chemicals in their rice production to organic methods that benefit nesting sarus cranes [Grus antigone]. To support this, we came up with the idea of branding it as Sarus rice, which increases the value of the product to encourage more bird-friendly practices.

Mongabay: Over the years that you’ve been studying, photographing and drawing birds in Thailand, have you noticed any changes in people’s awareness about them? Are people growing more interested in birds?

Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok: Yes, on the bright side, I think the birding community is definitely growing in Thailand, especially within the past 10 years. I think it’s probably because of new camera technology that allows people to take photos so easily. A lot of people who go out birding these days actually started by taking photos of them. I’ve also noticed more young people attending public bird walks in and around Bangkok. So because of that, I think there will be more young people who understand the importance of birds and nature in Thailand. That gives me hope that people will have environmental awareness in the future.

Mongabay: Why is it important for people to be able to tell the difference between bird species and understand what they’re seeing?

Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok: I think knowing the species is a very important first step that leads to more understanding about nature. People see birds every day, but they don’t really think about them. But once you know the species, you know their names, you know their habitat preferences, it makes you understand how all these things are related.

For example, once you know the spoon-billed sandpiper, then you know where to find it. You have to go to the salt pans. But then you notice the salt pans are disappearing because the salt producers are not making a lot of profit and so they’re giving up and selling the land to be developed. So being able to identify the species leads you to more understanding about environmental issues. You might not think of these aspects if you hadn’t known the bird.

Mongabay: Do you have any advice for people on how to be conscientious bird-watchers, to ensure the birds aren’t stressed?

Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok: The easiest way to start bird-watching is by joining local bird walks run by local bird clubs or the BCST in Thailand. At those events, there’ll be someone leading who can point out the birds, give you information about them and explain ethical practices. In general, you should be quiet so as not to disturb the birds, since they’re very sensitive to noises. You should also take special care not to unsettle them when they’re nesting. In other words, just respect the birds and their habitats. Whether you want to just watch them or take photographs, the birds have to come first, that’s the most important thing.

The Birds of Thailand by Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok is now available in bookstores.

Banner image: A yellow-breasted bunting. Once abundant, the global population plummeted due to wild capture along its migration route through Asia. Image courtesy of Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok.

Carolyn Cowan is a staff writer for Mongabay.

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