Study of waterfowl in Thale Noi

Study of waterfowl in the area of Thale Noi Lake, Phatthalung Province, from January to April 1998 for a total of 17 days by serveying the shoreline of Thale Noi, Klong Nang Riam Canal, Laem Din and Klong Ban Klang Canal. It was possible to observe a total of 66 species of birds of 53 genera and 28 families. These could be classified 34 resident species and 28 winter visitors or, in other words, 28 non-breeding species, 2 passage migrant, namely the Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus) and the House Swift (Apus affinis), 1 breeding species, Oraiental Pratincole (Glareola maldivarum), and 1 visitor with fewer than 5 records, namely the Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra). Within these numbers, there ware 3 dangered species found : the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), the Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) and the Black-Headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) and 3 species of near threatened birds : the Cotton Pygmy-Goose (Nettapus coromandelianus), the Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) and the Little Tern (Sterna albifrons). Bird that exceeded 1,000 species of that particular species were the Lesser Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna Javanica), the Cotton Pygmy-Goose (Nettapus coromandelianus), the House Swift (Apus affinis), flock of terns [(Chilidonias leucopterus), the Little Tern (Sterna albifrons), the Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana) and the Wiskered Tern (Chilidonias hybridus)], the Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio), the Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger), the Garganey (Anus querquedula). The numbers of species and the number of birds observe in the survey on each occasion were in inverse proportion to the amount of precipitation that fell during the period immediately preceding the day of the survey. Most birds migrated from the water basin of Thale Noi in order to forage for food in puddles on land during periods of heavy rainfall. In addition, comparing the species and numbers of birds that had been observe during this survey with past data and through unterviews, it has been found that the numbers of species have decreased, especially amongst the migratory species, but the numbers of birds of each species have increased.