Khao Yai National Park

National Park · Thailand

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Photo © Nawit science

Photo © Nawit science — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Evergreen dipterocarp forest blankets the rolling terrain of this national park in eastern Thailand, where limestone hills rise abruptly from the forest floor and seasonal streams carve through ravines thick with moisture-loving vegetation. The park's 2,168 square kilometers span a critical transition zone between the tropical lowlands and the drier plateaus of the Dong Phayayen range, creating a mosaic of habitats that sustains an extraordinary diversity of life. Dense woodland canopy shelters populations of primates and small forest mammals, while birds of prey hunt above the treetops and forest-floor predators move through undergrowth where light barely penetrates. The abundance of fruiting trees and flowering plants supports an array of nectar-feeding songbirds, and during the wetter months, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates colonize temporary pools and wetland margins. This is a landscape fundamentally shaped by the rhythm of monsoon rains, where water—scarce in the dry season, abundant in the wet—dictates the rhythms of movement, breeding, and survival for every creature within its boundaries.

For wildlife photographers and observers seeking an immersive experience in Southeast Asian tropical ecology, the park offers exceptional opportunities across multiple seasons. The dry season (November to February) concentrates wildlife around permanent water sources, making mammals and ground-dwelling birds more predictable to locate, while the transition months bring explosive floral displays that draw migratory songbirds and nectar-feeding species. The morning light here has a luminous quality that rewards early starts—mist rising from the forest floor catches the first rays of sun, and the chorus of woodland birds reaches its crescendo before dawn fully breaks. Access is straightforward from Bangkok, with a well-developed system of trails and observation points that allows visitors to experience the forest's interior without requiring specialized mountaineering skills. Whether following waterfall streams into pristine forest or watching from quiet observation spots at dawn, travelers here encounter the raw biodiversity that makes mainland Southeast Asia one of the world's most compelling wildlife destinations.

Website dnp.go.th/parkreserve/asp/style1/default.asp?npid=9&lg=2

Buceros bicornis

Siamese Fireback

Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo

Carpococcyx renauldi

Oriental Pied Hornbill

Anthracoceros albirostris

Black-crested Bulbul

Rubigula flaviventris

Wreathed Hornbill

Rhyticeros undulatus

Red-wattled Lapwing

Vanellus indicus

Dicrurus leucophaeus

Green-eared Barbet

Psilopogon faiostrictus

White-rumped Shama

Copsychus malabaricus

Little Cormorant

Microcarbo niger

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus paradiseus

Green-billed Malkoha

Phaenicophaeus tristis

Hair-crested Drongo

Dicrurus hottentottus

Verditer Flycatcher

Eumyias thalassinus

Paddyfield Pipit

Stripe-throated Bulbul

Pycnonotus finlaysoni

Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher

Culicicapa ceylonensis

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Pycnonotus jocosus

Common Kingfisher

Tachyspiza badia

Lanius cristatus

Crested Serpent Eagle

Spilornis cheela

Spilopelia chinensis

Saxicola stejnegeri

Golden-headed Cisticola

Cisticola exilis

Acridotheres tristis

Oriental Dollarbird

Eurystomus orientalis

Large-tailed Nightjar

Caprimulgus macrurus

Egretta garzetta

Geopelia striata

Streak-eared Bulbul

Pycnonotus conradi

Anastomus oscitans

Chinese Pond Heron

Ardeola bacchus

Sooty-headed Bulbul

Pycnonotus aurigaster

Greater Flameback

Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus

Acridotheres grandis

Scaly-breasted Munia

Lonchura punctulata

Centropus sinensis

Coppersmith Barbet

Psilopogon haemacephalus

Plain-backed Sparrow

Passer flaveolus

Lineated Barbet

Psilopogon lineatus

Red Collared Dove

Streptopelia tranquebarica

Puff-throated Babbler

Pellorneum ruficeps

Dicrurus macrocercus

Prinia inornata

Crested Goshawk

Lophospiza trivirgata

Black-naped Monarch

Hypothymis azurea

Red-headed Trogon

Harpactes erythrocephalus

Asian Fairy-bluebird

Mountain Imperial Pigeon

Blue-winged Leafbird

Chloropsis moluccensis

Long-tailed Broadbill

Psarisomus dalhousiae

White-crested Laughingthrush

Garrulax leucolophus

Red-breasted Parakeet

Psittacula alexandri

Black-winged Cuckooshrike

Lalage melaschistos

Taenioptynx brodiei

Thick-billed Green Pigeon

Treron curvirostra

Indochinese Roller

Coracias affinis

Banded Kingfisher

Lacedo pulchella

Blue Whistling Thrush

Myophonus caeruleus

Orange-breasted Trogon

Harpactes oreskios

White-bellied Erpornis

Erpornis zantholeuca

Scarlet Minivet

Pericrocotus speciosus

Large-billed Crow

Corvus macrorhynchos

Silver Pheasant

Lophura nycthemera

Austen's Brown Hornbill

Anorrhinus austeni

Blue-eared Barbet

Psilopogon cyanotis

Laced Woodpecker

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike

Hemipus picatus

Black-winged Kite

Elanus caeruleus

Grey-backed Shrike

Lanius tephronotus

Asian Palm Swift

Cypsiurus balasiensis

Dark-necked Tailorbird

Orthotomus atrogularis

White-browed Scimitar Babbler

Pomatorhinus schisticeps

Hemixos flavala

Chestnut-flanked White-eye

Zosterops erythropleurus

Green-legged Partridge

Tropicoperdix chloropus

Blue Rock Thrush

Monticola solitarius

Taiga Flycatcher

Ficedula albicilla

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Muscicapa dauurica

Crested Honey Buzzard

Pernis ptilorhynchus

Black-naped Oriole

Oriolus chinensis

White-throated Rock Thrush

Monticola gularis

Hirundo rustica

Apus nipalensis

Radde's Warbler

Phylloscopus schwarzi

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

Merops leschenaulti

Yellow-browed Warbler

Phylloscopus inornatus

Sulphur-breasted Warbler

Phylloscopus ricketti

Asian Green Bee-eater

Merops orientalis

Two-barred Warbler

Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus

Claudia's Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus claudiae

Eastern Red-rumped Swallow

Cecropis daurica

Pale-legged Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus tenellipes

Ashy Woodswallow

Puff-throated Bulbul

Alophoixus pallidus

Blue-bearded Bee-eater

Nyctyornis athertoni

Common Hill Myna

Gracula religiosa

Swinhoe's Minivet

Pericrocotus cantonensis

Pericrocotus roseus

Hill Blue Flycatcher

Falco tinnunculus

Motacilla cinerea

Cambodian Flowerpecker

Dicaeum cambodianum

Brown-backed Needletail

Hirundapus giganteus

Hainan Blue Flycatcher

Cyornis hainanus

Grey-eyed Bulbul

Common Green Magpie

Cissa chinensis

Ploceus philippinus

Eastern Cattle Egret

Ardea coromanda

Eudynamys scolopaceus

Siberian Blue Robin

Larvivora cyane

Yellow-vented Flowerpecker

Pachyglossa chrysorrhea

Rufescent Prinia

Prinia rufescens

Mountain Hawk-Eagle

Nisaetus nipalensis

Great Eared Nightjar

Lyncornis macrotis

Himalayan Swiftlet

Aerodramus brevirostris

White-throated Needletail

Hirundapus caudacutus

Silver-backed Needletail

Hirundapus cochinchinensis

Centropus bengalensis

Asian Emerald Cuckoo

Chrysococcyx maculatus

Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus

Banded Bay Cuckoo

Cacomantis sonneratii

Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo

Surniculus lugubris

Large Hawk-Cuckoo

Hierococcyx sparverioides

Cuculus micropterus

Himalayan Cuckoo

Cuculus saturatus

Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon

Treron sphenurus

White-breasted Waterhen

Amaurornis phoenicurus

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Pin-tailed Snipe

Gallinago stenura

Oriental Pratincole

Glareola maldivarum

Oriental Darter

Anhinga melanogaster

Botaurus flavicollis

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Malayan Night Heron

Gorsachius melanolophus

Butorides atricapilla

Aviceda jerdoni

Aviceda leuphotes

Eastern Marsh Harrier

Circus spilonotus

Haliastur indus

Ninox scutulata

Asian Barred Owlet

Glaucidium cuculoides

Mountain Scops Owl

Otus spilocephalus

Collared Scops Owl

Strix leptogrammica

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Alcedo meninting

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Merops philippinus

Eurasian Wryneck

Heart-spotted Woodpecker

Hemicircus canente

Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

Yungipicus canicapillus

Greater Yellownape

Chrysophlegma flavinucha

Lesser Yellownape

Picus chlorolophus

Grey-headed Woodpecker

Common Flameback

Dinopium javanense

Bamboo Woodpecker

Gecinulus viridis

Rufous Woodpecker

Micropternus brachyurus

Black-and-buff Woodpecker

Meiglyptes jugularis

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Dusky Broadbill

Corydon sumatranus

Silver-breasted Broadbill

Serilophus lunatus

Banded Broadbill

Eurylaimus javanicus

Hydrornis phayrei

Hydrornis cyaneus

Large Woodshrike

Tephrodornis virgatus

Aegithina tiphia

Aegithina lafresnayei

Pericrocotus cinnamomeus

Pericrocotus divaricatus

White-browed Shrike-babbler

Pteruthius aeralatus

Dicrurus aeneus

Lanius collurioides

Red-billed Blue Magpie

Urocissa erythroryncha

Racket-tailed Treepie

Crypsirina temia

Melanochlora sultanea

Black-headed Bulbul

Microtarsus melanocephalos

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Pycnonotus goiavier

Riparia riparia

Asian House Martin

Delichon dasypus

Yellow-bellied Warbler

Abroscopus superciliaris

Urosphena squameiceps

Phylloscopus fuscatus

Eastern Crowned Warbler

Phylloscopus coronatus

Alström's Warbler

Phylloscopus soror

Martens's Warbler

Phylloscopus omeiensis

Phylloscopus nitidus

Phylloscopus borealis

Thick-billed Warbler

Arundinax aedon

Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis

Common Tailorbird

Orthotomus sutorius

Swinhoe's White-eye

Zosterops simplex

Hume's White-eye

Zosterops auriventer

Chestnut-capped Babbler

Timalia pileata

Pin-striped Tit-Babbler

Mixornis gularis

Large Scimitar Babbler

Erythrogenys hypoleucos

Scaly-crowned Babbler

Malacopteron cinereum

Abbott's Babbler

Malacocincla abbotti

Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush

Garrulax monileger

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Sitta frontalis

Golden-crested Myna

Ampeliceps coronatus

Black-collared Starling

Gracupica nigricollis

Orange-headed Thrush

Geokichla citrina

Eyebrowed Thrush

Turdus obscurus

Ferruginous Flycatcher

Muscicapa ferruginea

Blue-and-white Flycatcher

Cyanoptila cyanomelana

Chinese Blue Flycatcher

Cyornis glaucicomans

Slaty-backed Forktail

Enicurus schistaceus

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher

Ficedula zanthopygia

Mugimaki Flycatcher

Ficedula mugimaki

Blue-fronted Redstart

Phoenicurus frontalis

Saxicola ferreus

Saxicola caprata

Golden-fronted Leafbird

Chloropsis aurifrons

Thick-billed Flowerpecker

Pachyglossa agilis

Plain Flowerpecker

Dicaeum minullum

Ruby-cheeked Sunbird

Chalcoparia singalensis

Van Hasselt's Sunbird

Leptocoma brasiliana

Black-throated Sunbird

Aethopyga saturata

Crimson Sunbird

Aethopyga siparaja

Little Spiderhunter

Arachnothera longirostra

White-rumped Munia

Lonchura striata

Olive-backed Pipit

Anthus hodgsoni

Stork-billed Kingfisher

Pelargopsis capensis

Lesser Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna javanica

Cotton Pygmy Goose

Nettapus coromandelianus

Spatula querquedula

Anas platyrhynchos

Chinese Francolin

Francolinus pintadeanus

Synoicus chinensis

Coturnix coromandelica

Indian Nightjar

Caprimulgus asiaticus

Savanna Nightjar

Caprimulgus affinis

Crested Treeswift

Hemiprocne coronata

Edible-nest Swiftlet

Aerodramus fuciphagus

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo

Clamator coromandus

Plaintive Cuckoo

Cacomantis merulinus

Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo

Hierococcyx nisicolor

Orange-breasted Green Pigeon

Treron bicinctus

Ashy-headed Green Pigeon

Yellow-vented Green Pigeon

Treron seimundi

Green Imperial Pigeon

Heliopais personatus

Slaty-breasted Rail

Lewinia striata

Gallinula chloropus

Grey-headed Swamphen

Porphyrio poliocephalus

Ruddy-breasted Crake

White-browed Crake

Poliolimnas cinereus

Yellow-legged Buttonquail

Barred Buttonquail

Turnix suscitator

Indian Stone-curlew

Burhinus indicus

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Pacific Golden Plover

Pluvialis fulva

Grey-headed Lapwing

Vanellus cinereus

Greater Painted-snipe

Rostratula benghalensis

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Hydrophasianus chirurgus

Bronze-winged Jacana

Metopidius indicus

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Gallinago gallinago

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Tringa glareola

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Chlidonias hybrida

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterus

Mycteria leucocephala

Indian Cormorant

Phalacrocorax fuscicollis

Javan Pond Heron

Ardeola speciosa

Ardea intermedia

Spot-billed Pelican

Pelecanus philippensis

Himalayan Vulture

Gyps himalayensis

Greater Spotted Eagle

Hieraaetus pennatus

Eastern Imperial Eagle

Circus melanoleucos

Grey-headed Fish Eagle

Icthyophaga ichthyaetus

Rufous-winged Buzzard

Butastur liventer

Grey-faced Buzzard

Butastur indicus

Eastern Buzzard

Buteo japonicus

Eastern Barn Owl

Oriental Bay Owl

Phodilus badius

Oriental Scops Owl

Ketupa zeylonensis

Black-capped Kingfisher

Halcyon pileata

Pied Kingfisher

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Great Slaty Woodpecker

Mulleripicus pulverulentus

Falco amurensis

Blossom-headed Parakeet

Psittacula roseata

Alexandrine Parakeet

Psittacula eupatria

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameri

Blue-winged Pitta

Pitta moluccensis

Western Hooded Pitta

Common Woodshrike

Tephrodornis pondicerianus

Oriental Cuckooshrike

Coracina javensis

Indochinese Cuckooshrike

Lalage polioptera

Black-hooded Oriole

Oriolus xanthornus

Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus remifer

Crow-billed Drongo

Dicrurus annectens

Sunda Pied Fantail

Rhipidura javanica

Black Paradise Flycatcher

Terpsiphone atrocaudata

Lanius tigrinus

Bay-backed Shrike

Lanius vittatus

Long-tailed Shrike

Garrulus glandarius

Dendrocitta vagabunda

Singing Bush Lark

Mirafra javanica

Oriental Skylark

Hypsipetes leucocephalus

Dusky Crag Martin

Ptyonoprogne concolor

Hume's Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus humei

Greenish Warbler

Phylloscopus trochiloides

Sakhalin Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus borealoides

Davison's Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus intensior

Oriental Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus orientalis

Black-browed Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus bistrigiceps

Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler

Helopsaltes certhiola

Lanceolated Warbler

Locustella lanceolata

Baikal Bush Warbler

Locustella davidi

Striated Grassbird

Megalurus palustris

Prinia polychroa

Grey-breasted Prinia

Prinia hodgsonii

Yellow-bellied Prinia

Prinia flaviventris

Yellow-eyed Babbler

Chrysomma sinense

Rufous Limestone Babbler

Gypsophila calcicola

Vinous-breasted Myna

Acridotheres leucocephalus

Siamese Pied Myna

Gracupica floweri

White-shouldered Starling

Sturnia sinensis

Siberian Thrush

Geokichla sibirica

Japanese Thrush

Grey-sided Thrush

Chinese Vivid Niltava

Zappey's Flycatcher

Cyanoptila cumatilis

Siberian Rubythroat

Calliope calliope

White-crowned Forktail

Enicurus leschenaulti

Rufous-tailed Robin

Larvivora sibilans

Slaty-backed Flycatcher

Ficedula erithacus

Ultramarine Flycatcher

Ficedula superciliaris

Little Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula westermanni

Brown-throated Sunbird

Anthreptes malacensis

Cinnyris asiaticus

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Passer domesticus

Asian Golden Weaver

Ploceus hypoxanthus

Dendronanthus indicus

Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla tschutschensis

Citrine Wagtail

Motacilla citreola

Richard's Pipit

Anthus richardi

Red-throated Pipit

Anthus cervinus

Emberiza pusilla

Yellow-breasted Bunting

Emberiza aureola

Chestnut Bunting

Emberiza rutila

Butorides striata

Black-and-yellow Broadbill

Eurylaimus ochromalus

Pericrocotus flammeus

Slender-billed Oriole

Oriolus tenuirostris

Grey-crowned Warbler

Phylloscopus tephrocephalus

Elephas maximus

Northern Pig-tailed Macaque

Northern Red Muntjac

Muntiacus vaginalis

Finlayson's Squirrel

Callosciurus finlaysonii

Southern Black Giant Squirrel

Bengal Slow Loris

Nycticebus bengalensis

Long-tailed Macaque

Macaca fascicularis

Bubalus bubalis

Eurasian Wild Pig

Mainland Leopard Cat

Prionailurus bengalensis

Pileated Gibbon

Hylobates pileatus

Capricornis sumatraensis

Northern Gray-bellied Squirrel

Callosciurus caniceps

Indochinese Ground Squirrel

Menetes berdmorei

Southern Palm Civet

Paradoxurus musanga

Smooth-coated Otter

Lutra perspicillata

Small Indian Civet

Viverricula indica

Small-toothed Palm Civet

Arctogalidia trivirgata

Helarctos malayanus

Himalayan Striped Squirrel

Tamiops mcclellandii

Arctictis binturong

Northern Palm Civet

Paradoxurus hermaphroditus

Northern Treeshrew

Tupaia belangeri

East Asian House Rat

Rattus tanezumi

Wrinkle-lipped Free-tailed Bat

Great Himalayan Roundleaf Bat

Hipposideros armiger

Andersen's Roundleaf Bat

Hipposideros gentilis

Horsfield's Roundleaf Bat

Hipposideros larvatus

Lesser Asian False-vampire

Megaderma spasma

Croslet Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus coelophyllus

Lesser Indo-Malayan Chevrotain

Tragulus kanchil

Trachypithecus obscurus

Indian Crested Porcupine

Lesser Asian Yellow Bat

Scotophilus kuhlii

Cantor's Roundleaf Bat

Hipposideros galeritus

Yellow-throated Marten

Martes flavigula

Crab-eating Mongoose

Large Indian Civet

Viverra zibetha

Southern Red Muntjac

Muntiacus muntjak

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