BIRD ASSEMBLAGES IN THE THALE NOI NON-HUNTING AREA, SOUTHERN THAILAND

Bird assemblages in the Thale Noi protected area of southern Thailand were investigated using data concerning 23 common resident species routinely reported every month from January 2004 to December 2007 at seven wetland locations. These common resident species were selected using three requirements: (1) they are defined in Lekagul and Round (2005), (2) they were seen in each of the four years, and (3) they had median incidence rate per day greater than zero. The aim of this study was to classify groups of species with respect to incidence rates by season and location. Using factor analysis to find groups of species with common incidence patterns, we isolated five groups of birds that correlated with respect to their habitats and availability of food. The first group (seven species) was found in habitats predominantly providing continuous flooding and aquatic plants. The second group (six species) was found in terrestrial habitats containing various food supplies, especially grain and insects. The third group (six species) was found in habitats connecting from shallow fresh water to suburban environments and typically providing insect food sources both in water and on land. The fourth group (two species) was found in similar habitats to that of the second group, but related to fruit trees. The fifth group (two species) was found in lowland habitats with dense undergrowth providing different food types including insects, seeds and fruit, particularly figs. The classification reflects bird behaviours rather than bird taxonomies.