There are many interesting birds in Phang Nga Bay. This is just a small selection of them, and we will add more as we can. Sea Canoe will help rehabilitate any birds it can and have done so in the past, as you can see with the juvenile Sea Eagle above. If you know of any birds in need of rescue please do not hesitate to contact us. Our sunset cruise has proved to be a popular way of seeing the magnificent white bellied Sea Eagle and the Brahaminy kite.

Despite Man's accomplishments of flight, raptors remain the world's best aviators. If you are alert, you can watch these adept aviators maneuver so close you can sometimes hear them fly. Like all members of the raptor family, Bramany kites use their excellent eyesight and soaring abilities to hunt small baitfish dumb enough to play on the water's surface. Since raptors are both predators and scavengers, they follow our escort boat and give you a wonderful show when they dive for chicken skin. It is not good policy to feed wildlife, so we spent three years educating locals not to capture these birds before we started feeding them. We are also careful to keep them from depending on our food. Because of illegal over -fishing, Phang Nga's baitfish population is declining. Bramany kites then turn to human rubbish, a dangerous trend. Birds of Prey are "Raptors."Common yet dramatic, the Bramany Kite is one of Phang Nga Bay's most popular wildlife. Enjoy their aerial display!

This fearsome predator (if you are an
anchovy!) is cautiously unafraid of people.You will see them perched on waterline rocks everywhere. They usually fly when you are five meters out, putting on an aerialdisplay with their tight turns. If birds are related to dinosaurs, the Pacific Reef Egret is the missing link.Check out the egret's lines as it flies. Does lit remind you of a flying dinosauer?

The egret on the right lives at the Bat Cave. You might recognize the rock.
During tidol changes, the bird takes its
strategic position and waits for fish caught
in the currents. Since the egret dives on its
prey like a kingfisher, it's beak and neck are
adapted to literally "shoot fish in a barrel.".

Kingfishers are regarded as nervous birds, but we know locations in Thailand where we can paddle right up to them. Here in Phang Nga, kingfishers are cautious about people, but if you are quiet, you can get close enough to our kingfishers to make eye contact.

Kingfishers hang out in the shade on branches within five meters of the water. When you see one, stop paddling, drift motionless for a moment,then slowly paddle towards the bird.
Guaranteed it's watching you, so try not to move or talk.
Before the bird flies, it will probably bounce its head several times. Back up a meter and the bird may not fly.(Most times when that head starts moving, it's too late already.)

The Brown-winged Kingfisher (Halcyou amauroptera) on the right was photographed at home in Koh Hong. You might see it to the right when you enter the Double Hong. If so, say hello. The brown-winged kingfisher is a resident (lives here year-round), but other kingfishers can be migratory.Similar to Phang Nga's Collared Kingfisher (Halcyon chloris), the Kingfisher below 1.5 meters, but never flew away. There are more "Common" and "Blue-collared" kingfishers in the Bay than Brown-winged. All have a loud krerk krerk krerk call. If you hear it, look for the breast of the Blue Collared king-fisher, a snow-white spot in the bushes.The Black-caped Kingfisher (Halcyonpileata) is a migratory winter visitor that, except for the eye-line, is similar in appearance to the Fijian kingfisher in the photo.