ZOOGEOGRAPHY

        Thailand is situated between northern 5 degree 37 Lipda and northern 20 degrees 30 Lipda Latitude, and between eastern 97 degrees 20 Lipda and eastern 105 degrees 39 Lipda Longitude.

        The distance from the utmost northern to the utmost southern point is 1,500 kilometers approximately, and utmost eastern to utmost western point is 806 kilometers approximately Though Thailand has not a large area, it is located in the trace of "zoogeographic crossroads".

        So, there are many birds and animals from several zoogeographic zones residing together in the country. Comparing to our neighbourhood countries, Thailand has a unique outstanding zoogeography. As Thailand located above the equator zone, it is one of those countries in the world, which contains good condition of Tropical Rain Forests, or is called "Oriental Region" in zoogeographical area.

        Thailand as situated in the mid of Oriental Region, which is geographically called Indo-Chinese Sub-Region, is the zone that supports various kinds of bird species, and is the runner up next to Neotropical Region in Mid America and South America.

        The northern latitude of 11th degree 40 Lipda functioned as the divider of these two regions (Oriental Region and Indo-Chinese Sub-Region). The area around the divider is called "Kor Kod Krah" in Chumporn Province (the south of Thailand). There are many of bird species, animals and plants, which have their origins in both of 2 sub-regions, residing together.

        For birdwatchers could find many kinds of them in the both regions. However, probably the same kind of them may be found clearly different in colours, physical appearance or some other clues. Those can be classified into sub species. For example, Orange-headed Trogons at Kaeng Kracharn National Park, in Petchburi Province, have oranged-yellow body while those in Khao Sok National Park have a bright and clear yellow.

        In winter, from October to February, is the most suitable time for birdwatching in Thailand, because many of those, which have their origins in Pale-arctic Region in Northern Asia, usually migrates to reside and retreat in Thailand. For example, Wader, Duck, Bunting, Heron, Ibis, Chat and Wagtail.

        The winter-retreated birds are normally called Non-breeding Visitors. In this season, both Thai and foreign birdwatchers are quite excited because numbers of bird species found in Thailand then, will be double increased! In rainy or dry season, many kinds of the migrants come to build their nest and laid the eggs. They are called "Breeding Visitor".

        When their young grow maturely, they will fly back to their original habitats. Kinds of these birds are such as Hooded Pitta, Blue-winged Pitta, Oriental Pratincole and Asian Openbill. As the mentioned zoogeographical information, it is no wonders why the number of birds in the recorded list is about 976 species or one-tenth of those found on earth (9,672 kinds).

        Every year, birdwatchers discover the new ones increasingly. Not only birds, but there are also 283 kinds of mammal, 298 of reptiles and around 25,000 of high-class plant species.