Khao
Nor Chuchi -
home of the Gurney’s Pitta
 Khao
Nor Chuchi represents the largest remaining area
of lowland jungle in Southern
Thailand. Almost all of the former lowland jungle
has been cut down to plant rubber trees or oil
palm trees. Khao Nor Chuchi is under constant
threat from encroaching farmers. Unfortunately,
cuts are made a little deeper into the preserve
on a regular basis.
Khao Nor Chuchi Birding Habitat
Besides the lowland jungle, there
is ample secondary growth, open country, farmland,
plantations and bamboo forests. One
of the most appealing features however is the
abundance of crystal-clear spring water.
There are two jungle pools within
the protected area as well as several flowing
creeks. The turquoise-colored water is truly breathtaking.
The plant life includes orchids, carnivorous Pitcher
Plants and a lot more.
 The
birding habitat can also be broken down further
into tall forest, extremely lowland with gullies
(the favorite habitat of the Gurney’s
Pitta), forest edges and even villages.
Some species such as sunbirds,
flowerpeckers and bulbuls
are often seen in the vicinity of villages.
Conservation efforts and village supporters
Khao
Nor Chuchi Lowland Forest Project
There is an increasing number of local villagers
who realize that they can generate revenue by
jumping on the birding bandwagon. They have set
up bungalows, restaurants, gift shops and small-scale
mobile food vending stalls. This brings in considerable
income to the local community. Unfortunately,
a handful of villagers are still attempting to
gain additional farmland. Unless something is
done to curb their actions, the future looks pretty
bleak. 
By
visiting the area, you are part of the solution
and a contributor to the local community. If enough
people visit, perhaps the remaining villagers
will someday see the benefits incurred in saving
this very rare ecosystem.
There is an education program
which is designed to help local school teachers
educate children on the importance of protecting
this wonderful area for future generations. One
important activity for the children is tree-planting.
The government has set up a headquarters in Khao
Pra-Bang Khram No-Hunting Area in the village
of Ban Bang Tieo.
Birding
trails
There
is a system of nature trails in Khao Nor Chuchi.
Some trails produce certain species, while others
are well-known for specific species. The
Gurney’s Pitta prefers
gullies. Some gullies are off of the trails however.
Our
success rate at seeing this rare bird is very
high thanks to Khun Yotin’s knowledge of
the region. 
Other
pittas reside in the park as well. The Blue-winged
Pitta, Hooded Pitta,
Banded Pitta and Giant
Pitta can be seen in here. In addition
to pittas, the area is great for malkohas,
woodpeckers, broadbills,
sunbirds, flowerpeckers,
babblers, kingfishers
(even the rare Rufous-collared Kingfisher),
barbets and plenty more.
The
combination of both Khao Nor Chuchi, Khao Sok
and Krung Ching allows you to see a variety of
terrain and therefore a larger variety of birds.
Kingfisher
and frogmouth photos by Mr. Ian Dugdale |
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