River Lapwing is a species that has declined considerably in Thailand due to human disturbance along rivers as well as habitat destruction, particularly along parts of the Mekong. However, there is one river in southern Thailand that seems to have a small population of this handsome bird that is doing ok. The Takua Pa river in Phang Nga province has been a site well-known for some years as a reliable one for River Lapwing with a couple of road bridges over the river from where it is often possible to spot a few of these birds on sandy islets when the water levels are low. Back in early 2019 I was made aware of another site along the river where birders are able to walk around a set of wet fields and find River Lapwings at various wet areas and along the river so I made a visit at the end of March 2019 and obtained some nice photographs of River Lapwings, seeing 9 individuals. 

I stayed at the Good Morning Hotel at Takua Pa and drove the short distance to the iron bridge just outside of town at Ban Thung Yai Meadowlands, starting just before it got light so that I was able to get some breakfadt along the way. Walking out into the site I found a lot of birds in the early morning and found my first River Lapwing on a small shingle patch on the river bank. It didn’t take much longer for me to find several more on a damp area of grassland and get some reasonable photographs. I don’t see River Lapwings too often so it was nice to be able to watch these smart birds in action.

It was the time of the year in which River Lapwings are in breeding mode and you can see in the photo above their raised crowns as a couple of individuals got involved in a territorial dispute.

I walked a short distance to some very wet grassland where large numbers of Oriental Pratincoles were displaying to each other but when a passing Oriental Honey-buzzard came along the whole flock erupted into the air and were joined by some River Lapwings in chasing off this potential predator.

I made a second visit to this location on 10th June 2019 and it was easy to see River Lapwings on that ocassion too. This time many of the fields were completely flooded and the River Lapwings were resting and feeding in these. For information on visiting this River Lapwing birding site check out the page I have made on Ban Thung Yai Meadowlands.