The salt pans and coast of Pak Thale and Laem Pak Bia in the Gulf of Thailand are well-known as an exceptional site for wintering shorebirds. There is good reason for this reputation with huge numbers of birds present, with great variety (over 40 species can be seen in a day) and great rarity in Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Nordmann's Greenshank and Asian Dowitcher. Perhaps the best shorebird-watching site in the world. However, what is less well-documented is how many species of terns occur there and in such high numbers.
1. Caspian Tern
2. Whiskered Tern
3. White-winged Tern
4. Common Tern (with cockle clamped to its foot)
5. Great Crested Tern
6. Lesser Crested Tern
7. Little Tern fish-juggling
8. Gull-billed Tern
Of the eight species above, seven of them can be expected to be seen on any birding trip to Pak Thale/Laem Pak Bia with only Lesser Crested Tern, a species that only seems to turn up on the sand bars exposed at low tide in late February and March, in small numbers.
Whiskered Tern is very numerous and can be seen anywhere in the area, including on frshwater pools inland, while the similar White-winged Tern joins these flocks with sometimes huge numbers appearing when on passage migration.
Caspian Tern is the largest species and easy to spot, often forming roosting flocks on salt pans along with Brown-headed Gulls. Common Terns with their black flash on the shoulder in winter plumage are very abundant too as are Little Terns which are the only species to actually breed in the area with all the others pictured being "winter" visitors.
Gull-billed Tern is less numerous, although not uncommon with flocks of up to 50 sometimes being present while Great Crested Tern is usually only found out to see, or at least a short distance offshore, sitting on bamboo poles rammed into the ground to break up wave action.