Current view: Text account
Site description (2004 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA is located in Tha Yang tambon, Muang district in peninsular Thailand, and comprises a strip of land, measuring c.10 km east-to-west and c.20 km north-to-south, along the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand. The topography of the site is mostly flat, although there are a few limestone hills. The site is dominated by anthropogenic habitats, including paddy fields, abandoned fields and coconut plantations, although there is a small patch of mangroves at Ban Bang Charoen, in the south of the site. Most or all of the site is under private ownership.
In terms of numbers of individuals and species, the site is the most significant bottleneck for migratory raptors known in Thailand. During October-November 2003, more than 160,000 migrating raptors were counted passing south through the site, including substantial numbers of Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus, Black Kite Milvus migrans, Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus spilonotus, Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis, Japanese Sparrowhawk A. gularis, Shikra A. badius and Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus. The migratory raptors passing through the site include very small numbers of the globally threatened Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga. In addition to migratory raptors, the globally threatened Pale-capped Pigeon Columba punicea has also been recorded at the site, in the mangroves at Ban Bang Charoen.
Non-bird biodiversity: No information is available about other globally threatened species at the site.
The IBA is located in Tha Yang tambon, Muang district in peninsular Thailand, and comprises a strip of land, measuring c.10 km east-to-west and c.20 km north-to-south, along the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand. The topography of the site is mostly flat, although there are a few limestone hills. The site is dominated by anthropogenic habitats, including paddy fields, abandoned fields and coconut plantations, although there is a small patch of mangroves at Ban Bang Charoen, in the south of the site. Most or all of the site is under private ownership.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Hunting of migratory bird species, including for sale in restaurants, is the main threat to biodiversity at the site.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tha Yang (Thailand). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tha-yang-iba-thailand on 13/01/2025.
