Khao Yai National Park

🇹🇭 Thailand

🐦 Moustached Barbet Echoes Khao Yai
🌍 #17 Global · 4.8 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #2 in Southeast Asia #4 in Tropical Forest
Southeast Asia, Thailand 1070 spp. recorded

Khao Yai National Park sits in central Thailand, part of the tropical dry forest belt, with rolling hills, teak and dipterocarp woodlands, interspersed with grassland savanna and seasonal streams. It stands out for its mosaic of forest and open grass, offering clearings where large mammals roam.

14.325° N   101.513° E

Wildlife

SIGHTING PROBABILITY Share of citizen-science records from the park that report this species
<5%
Rare5–20%
With luck20–40%
Possible40–70%
Likely>70%
Very likely
ACTIVITY PATTERN
☀️ Diurnal 🌙 Nocturnal 🌅 Crepuscular ☀️🌙 Day & Night

⭐ Iconic Species

Asian Elephant ★
EN Endemic

Asian Elephant

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Elephas maximus

60–70% · Likely
Great Hornbill ★
VU

Great Hornbill

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Buceros bicornis

40–50% · Likely
Northern Pig-tailed Macaque ★
VU

Northern Pig-tailed Macaque

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Macaca leonina

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Sambar
VU Endemic

Sambar

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Rusa unicolor

70–80% · Very likely
Oriental Pied Hornbill
LC

Oriental Pied Hornbill

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Anthracoceros albirostris

60–70% · Likely
Indian Muntjac
LC

Indian Muntjac

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Muntiacus muntjak

60–70% · Likely
Lar Gibbon
EN

Lar Gibbon

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Hylobates lar

60–70% · Likely
Malayan Porcupine
LC

Malayan Porcupine

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Hystrix brachyura

50–60% · Likely
Vogel’s Pit Viper
LC

Vogel’s Pit Viper

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Trimeresurus vogeli

50–60% · Likely
Common Water Monitor
LC Endemic

Common Water Monitor

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Varanus salvator

50–60% · Likely
🐦 No photo available
LC

Moustached Barbet

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Psilopogon incognitus

50–60% · Likely
Black Giant Squirrel
NT

Black Giant Squirrel

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Ratufa bicolor

50–60% · Likely
Asian Fairy-bluebird
LC

Asian Fairy-bluebird

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Irena puella

50–60% · Likely
Large-billed Crow
LC

Large-billed Crow

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Corvus macrorhynchos

50–60% · Likely
Red Junglefowl
LC

Red Junglefowl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallus gallus

50–60% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Asian Elephant ★
EN Endemic

Asian Elephant

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Elephas maximus

60–70% · Likely
Northern Pig-tailed Macaque ★
VU

Northern Pig-tailed Macaque

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Macaca leonina

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Sambar
VU Endemic

Sambar

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Rusa unicolor

70–80% · Very likely
Indian Muntjac
LC

Indian Muntjac

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Muntiacus muntjak

60–70% · Likely
Lar Gibbon
EN

Lar Gibbon

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Hylobates lar

60–70% · Likely
Malayan Porcupine
LC

Malayan Porcupine

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Hystrix brachyura

50–60% · Likely
Black Giant Squirrel
NT

Black Giant Squirrel

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Ratufa bicolor

50–60% · Likely
Finlayson's Squirrel
LC

Finlayson's Squirrel

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Callosciurus finlaysonii

40–50% · Likely
Asian Jackal
LC

Asian Jackal

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Canis aureus

30–40% · Possible
Gaur

Gaur

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Bos frontalis

30–40% · Possible
Gray-bellied Squirrel
LC

Gray-bellied Squirrel

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Callosciurus caniceps

20–30% · Possible
Pileated Gibbon
EN

Pileated Gibbon

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Hylobates pileatus

20–30% · Possible
Common Palm Civet
LC

Common Palm Civet

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Paradoxurus hermaphroditus

20–30% · Possible
Southern Serow
VU

Southern Serow

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Capricornis sumatraensis

20–30% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

Great Hornbill ★
VU

Great Hornbill

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Buceros bicornis

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Oriental Pied Hornbill
LC

Oriental Pied Hornbill

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Anthracoceros albirostris

60–70% · Likely
🐦 No photo available
LC

Moustached Barbet

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Psilopogon incognitus

50–60% · Likely
Asian Fairy-bluebird
LC

Asian Fairy-bluebird

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Irena puella

50–60% · Likely
Large-billed Crow
LC

Large-billed Crow

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Corvus macrorhynchos

50–60% · Likely
Red Junglefowl
LC

Red Junglefowl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallus gallus

50–60% · Likely
Yellow-browed Warbler
LC

Yellow-browed Warbler

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Phylloscopus inornatus

40–50% · Likely
Ashy Woodswallow
LC

Ashy Woodswallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Artamus fuscus

40–50% · Likely
Gray-eyed Bulbul
LC

Gray-eyed Bulbul

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Iole propinqua

40–50% · Likely
Green-eared Barbet
LC

Green-eared Barbet

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Psilopogon faiostrictus

40–50% · Likely
Puff-throated Bulbul
LC

Puff-throated Bulbul

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Alophoixus pallidus

40–50% · Likely
Pearl-necked Dove
LC Endemic

Pearl-necked Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spilopelia chinensis

40–50% · Likely
Ashy Drongo
LC

Ashy Drongo

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Dicrurus leucophaeus

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Vogel’s Pit Viper
LC

Vogel’s Pit Viper

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Trimeresurus vogeli

50–60% · Likely
Common Water Monitor
LC Endemic

Common Water Monitor

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Varanus salvator

50–60% · Likely
Emma Gray's Forest Lizard
LC

Emma Gray's Forest Lizard

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Calotes emma

40–50% · Likely
Spotted Forest Skink
LC

Spotted Forest Skink

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Sphenomorphus maculatus

40–50% · Likely
Flat-tailed House Gecko
LC

Flat-tailed House Gecko

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Hemidactylus platyurus

40–50% · Possible
Water Dragon
VU

Water Dragon

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Physignathus cocincinus

30–40% · Possible
Asian Gliding Lizard
LC

Asian Gliding Lizard

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Draco maculatus

30–40% · Possible
Oriental Whipsnake
LC

Oriental Whipsnake

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Ahaetulla prasina

30–40% · Possible
Yellow-headed Temple Turtle
CR

Yellow-headed Temple Turtle

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Heosemys annandalii

30–40% · Possible
Tokay Gecko
LC

Tokay Gecko

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Gekko gecko

30–40% · Possible
Many-lined Sun-skink
LC

Many-lined Sun-skink

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Eutropis multifasciata

30–40% · Possible
Oldham's Leaf Turtle

Oldham's Leaf Turtle

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Cyclemys oldhami

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Mortensen's Frog

Mortensen's Frog

☀️ Diurnal Amphibian

Sylvirana mortenseni

30–40% · Possible
Common Indian Toad
LC

Common Indian Toad

☀️ Diurnal Amphibian

Duttaphrynus melanostictus

20–30% · Possible
Spot-legged Tree Frog
LC Endemic

Spot-legged Tree Frog

☀️ Diurnal Amphibian

Polypedates megacephalus

20–30% · Possible
Khorat big-mouthed frog
VU

Khorat big-mouthed frog

☀️ Diurnal Amphibian

Limnonectes megastomias

10–20% · With luck
Alpine Cricket Frog
LC

Alpine Cricket Frog

☀️ Diurnal Amphibian

Fejervarya limnocharis

10–20% · With luck
Mukhlesur's Narrow-mouthed Frog
LC

Mukhlesur's Narrow-mouthed Frog

☀️ Diurnal Amphibian

Microhyla mukhlesuri

10–20% · With luck
Arcuate-spotted Pygmy Frog
LC

Arcuate-spotted Pygmy Frog

☀️ Diurnal Amphibian

Microhyla heymonsi

10–20% · With luck
Asian Painted Frog
LC

Asian Painted Frog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Kaloula pulchra

10–20% · With luck
Berdmore's Chorus Frog
LC

Berdmore's Chorus Frog

Amphibian

Microhyla berdmorei

10–20% · With luck
Sapgreen stream frog

Sapgreen stream frog

☀️ Diurnal Amphibian

Sylvirana nigrovittata

10–20% · With luck
Tonkin Bug-eyed Frog
LC

Tonkin Bug-eyed Frog

Amphibian

Theloderma stellatum

10–20% · With luck
Blunt-headed Burrowing Frog
NT

Blunt-headed Burrowing Frog

Amphibian

Glyphoglossus molossus

5–10% · With luck

Animal Events

🦌

Elephant Migration

JanFebOct

Large herds of Asian elephants traverse open grasslands and salt licks, offering unparalleled viewing opportunities.

Asian Elephant
EN Endemic

Asian Elephant

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Elephas maximus

60–70% · Likely
🐦

Hornbill Courtship Displays

MarAprMayAug

Great Hornbills perform dramatic aerial displays and nest in emergent trees, drawing birdwatchers at dawn.

Great Hornbill
VU

Great Hornbill

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Buceros bicornis

40–50% · Likely
🦌

Gibbon Morning Choruses

JunJul

Lar Gibbons vocalize in dawn choruses from high canopy, creating iconic jungle soundtracks heard across valleys.

Lar Gibbon
EN

Lar Gibbon

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Hylobates lar

60–70% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Species Total
60–70
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
50–60
50–60
Asian Elephant
70–80
60–70
60–70
50–60
30–40
40–50
40–50
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
Great Hornbill
40–50
40–50
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
50–60
20–30
30–40
40–50
50–60
Northern Pig-tailed Macaque
80–90
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
80–90
50–60
70–80
70–80
80–90
Sambar
80–90
70–80
70–80
70–80
60–70
60–70
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
80–90
Oriental Pied Hornbill
70–80
70–80
60–70
50–60
70–80
70–80
50–60
70–80
50–60
40–50
50–60
60–70
Indian Muntjac
60–70
70–80
70–80
70–80
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
Lar Gibbon
60–70
60–70
60–70
70–80
50–60
50–60
70–80
50–60
40–50
60–70
50–60
60–70
Malayan Porcupine
60–70
50–60
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
20–30
40–50
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
Vogel’s Pit Viper
30–40
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
50–60
70–80
70–80
60–70
60–70
60–70
30–40
Common Water Monitor
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
60–70
50–60
40–50
30–40
40–50
40–50
50–60
Moustached Barbet
50–60
60–70
50–60
40–50
50–60
40–50
30–40
40–50
10–20
30–40
30–40
50–60
Black Giant Squirrel
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
30–40
20–30
50–60
50–60
30–40
40–50
50–60
50–60
Asian Fairy-bluebird
40–50
60–70
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
40–50
60–70
20–30
20–30
30–40
30–40
Large-billed Crow
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
30–40
20–30
30–40
30–40
40–50
30–40
40–50
50–60
Red Junglefowl
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
60–70
60–70
20–30
30–40
20–30
30–40
30–40
30–40
Animal Events
🦌 Elephant Migration
🐦 Hornbill Courtship Displays
🦌 Gibbon Morning Choruses

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ World-class
🐦 Moustached Barbet Echoes Khao Yai

Where Wildlife Score

How good is this park for seeing wildlife?
🦜

Biodiversity

Excellent

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg
4.7 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds
661
🐒 Mammals
177
🦎 Reptiles
176
🐸 Amphibians
56
1070 Total Species
850 Global average across 296 parks
89 Threatened 5 Endemic
🔭

Sighting

Excellent

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg
4.8 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
62% Global avg
61%
📊
Coverage (265 species at ≥5% of 1070 in the inventory)
24% Global avg
25%
🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (7 mammal, 3 bird, 2 reptile)
46% Global avg
76%
🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
134 Global avg
161
🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
15 Global avg
23
⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
27 Global avg
32

Quick answers

What animals can you see in Khao Yai National Park?

The most likely sightings are Northern Pig-tailed Macaque (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers), Sambar (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers), Oriental Pied Hornbill (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Indian Muntjac (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Lar Gibbon (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers) — among 1070 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.

When is the best time to visit Khao Yai National Park for wildlife?

February has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.

Can you see Asian Elephant in Khao Yai National Park?

Yes — about 61% of wildlife watchers report a Asian Elephant sighting in Khao Yai National Park, based on 197 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Great Hornbill in Khao Yai National Park?

Yes — about 46% of wildlife watchers report a Great Hornbill sighting in Khao Yai National Park, based on 889 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Northern Pig-tailed Macaque in Khao Yai National Park?

Yes — about 78% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Pig-tailed Macaque sighting in Khao Yai National Park, based on 389 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

⚖️

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