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BIRD SEARCH
AVID TWITCHER ANTONY SUTTON SCANS THE SKIES FOR SOME OF THE WORLD’S RAREST BIRDS ON TWO DAY TRIPS JUST OUT OF SIEM REAP
CAMBODIA’S NORTHERN PLAINS, A REMOTE habitat of grasslands, wetlands and deciduous dipterocarp (tropical hardwood) forests, is a special landscape indeed. Home to some of the richest fauna and flora in South-East Asia and a stronghold for some of the world’s rarest birds, these plains stretch north from the temples of Angkor to the Laos border.
TMATBOEY
The small village of Tmatboey is at the heart of a community-based ecotourism venture that aims to open up the region to visitors, while at the same time showing villagers the benefits of sustainable tourism at a grassroots level. Nick Butler works with the Sam Veasna Center (SVC) based in Siem Reap, and he believes it is the local communities that will determine the fate of the flora and fauna in their districts.
Hardly known at the turn of the 21st century, the Giant Ibis (Pseudibis gigantea) is the main attraction for keen birdwatchers – or twitchers as they’re known – who flock to this village some four hours from Siem Reap. The good news is that breeding pairs of both the Giant and White-shouldered Ibis are increasing here, while other sites are being developed to target other endangered birds like the White-winged Duck and Sarus Crane.
Spotting an ibis takes perseverance, so the most zealous twitchers stay overnight in the Tmatboey village guesthouse (organised through SVC), before meeting with their local guide. Th ey then set off in the dark for a 5km trek to the best sites, arriving before dawn when the birds are at their most active. Favoured locations are trapaeng (forest ponds), which are flooded during the rainy season, but become dry during the hot. As the ponds begin to dry up during March and April, ibis become easier to see as they congregate at the few remaining food sources. But be warned: this is the hottest time to be out walking, so take plenty of water. Giant Ibis nest around Tmatboey from July to December.
It’s not just the serious birdwatcher who is drawn to the remote villages and ponds around Tmatboey. Daytrippers are increasingly looking beyond the temples of Angkor and are being drawn to the community initiatives that show a side of Cambodia rarely featured in guidebooks.
The work at Tmatboey has proved so successful, says Nick, that they are repeating the same model at two more sites in Preah Vihear province. The money the villagers earn is used to develop schools and roads, and to dig new wells.
GETTING THERE
The Sam Veasna Center in Siem Reap can arrange daytrips with English-speaking guides to both Tmatboey and Prek Toal, as well as longer trips to Tmatboey, Chhep and other destinations. For more details, go to www.samveasna. org or visit their office at #0552, Group 12, Wat Bo, Siem Reap (100m past Angkor Village Hotel), tel +855
(0)63 963710
PREK TOAL
Prek Toal is much closer to Siem Reap and is a fixture on many daytrips from the town; visitors are drawn to the floating village as well as the bird sanctuary. The village is about a 90-minute ride across the Tonle Sap. During the dry season it becomes home to an incredible array of threatened birdlife, so even the most casual observer can expect to see half a dozen birds currently listed as globally threatened or near-threatened.
Large numbers of herons, storks, egrets and pelicans fill the skies and semi-flooded forests, especially during the dry season from January to May. Prek Toal is the largest breeding site in South-East Asia for Spot-billed Pelicans, which thrive in these rich waters, rising on thermals then looking for food.
Other birds are harder to spot. There are possibly just a couple of dozen Milky Storks in residence here, and to add to the difficulty of spotting them, they tend to hang out with a close relative, the Painted Stork. Look carefully or just enjoy the spectacle.
The best time to visit Prek Toal is from December through February; the water level is starting to recede but the core reserve is still accessible by boat and large numbers of waterbirds can be seen along the fringes of the Tonle Sap and the mouThof the Sangke river.
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