Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary

Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Mondulkiri province, in the eastern plains. With Bamboo forest, dry dipterocarp forest, evergreen and semi-evergreen forest, this protected area is one of the most important reserves for wild birds and mammals. It is home to several species of apes and monkeys, such as the Black-shanked Douc, the Pig-tailed and Long-tailed Macaque, and the Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon. And it is also a land of woodpeckers, which include: the Great Slaty Woodpecker (the world’s largest woodpecker), the  White-bellied, Laced, Heart-spotted and Black-and-buff Woodpeckers. Also found here are: Golden-crested Myna, Red-vented Barbet, Pin-tailed Green-pigeon and Hornbills.

Keo Seima Birds

Target birds at Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary and Dakdam Highland: Germain’s Peacock Pheasant, Green Peafowl, Orange-necked Partridge, Green-legged Partridges, Red-vented Barbet, Grey-faced Tit-babbler, Golden-crested Myna, Siamese Fireback, Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Great Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill and the Red-headed Trogon. See Keo Seima Bird Sanctuary full bird checklist here

Green Peafowl by Mogn Pech

Great Hornbill

Crimson Sunbird

Black-shanked Douc Langur

Black-shanked Douc Langur

Great Hornbill, Near Threatened, Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary

Elephant

Blue-winged Leafbird

Green Peafowl - by Mogn Pech

White-cheeked Laughing Thrush

Silver-eared Mesa

Annam Barbet at Dakdam Highland

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A typical birding trip to KSWS is usually done as an add-on to other sites, such as Kratie, Tmatbeoy, or Kampong Thom. A special 2-day trekking tour (with an overnight stay), from Senmorom to Gibbon Valley at Oreang, is also possible for visitors. We normally spend three nights (but a minimum of two nights) at a simple hotel Mondulkiri town. This is about 40 minutes away to the main birding site in Seima. Following is the sample itinerary for  4-day 3-night trip from Kratie.

Day 1: PM transfering from Kratie to Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary

(Only for the trip begins from Kratie) After finishing tours in Kratie, we will drive toward Keo Seima Forest (45km before Senmonorom). Subject to scheduling, we should have time to go birding, late afternoon, around Seima. This site is home to several species of Barbets, Green Pigeons and much more. There will be one more stop scheduled on this day and that is to see the rare Green Peafowl. We will be staying overnight at Mondulkiri, in a comfortable hotel.

Day 2: Full day birding to Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary

Day 2 continues with birding at Seima Forest and then lunch at the Oromis Resort. This area is known for its strip of riparian forest. We will then head to some higher elevation spots, checking for the Crimson Sunbird, Black-throated Sunbird, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Banded Broadbill, Bar-bellied Pitta, Red-vented and Indochinese Barbet, Phylloscopus warblers, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Black Eagle and maybe also the Scaly-breasted Partridge. Seima is home to a number of monkey and ape species. It has the largest population of Black-shanked Douc in the world. It also has large numbers of the Northern Pig-tailed and Long-tailed Macaque, as well as the Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon. Most of these ape and monkey species are regularly seen on our tours.

Day 3: Dakdam Highland at Annam mountain range

Dak Dam is hill evergreen forest located just an hour from Mondulkiri, the hills along the Vietnamese border reach over 800m asl. Remaining forest patches here hold an interesting collection of birds unlike any other site in Cambodia. Black eagle, Pale-capped pigeon, Indochinese Barbet, Blue-winged Siva, Silver-eared Mesia, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Rufous-capped Babbler, Black-chinned Yuhina, Black-crowned Parrotbill, and Black-browed Fulvetta are some of the records from this site.

Day 4: Keo Seima Sanctuary and/or the Chaktomuk Marshland – the Cambodian Tailorbird

(If your trip ends in Phnom Penh only) We will spend our last morning birding to Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary and then set off around 9am in the direction of Phnom Penh. We will make one stop along the way at the Chaktomuk Marshland to locate a newly discovered species, the Cambodian Tailorbird (Orthotomus chaktomuk). This area of grassland is also home to species such as Plain-backed Sparrow, as well as waterbirds such as Oriental Darter and Painted Stork. Our tour will finish in Phnom Penh, at your hotel or at the airport. For those wishing to return with us to Siem Reap, that can be easily arranged.