Binoculars in the Backcountry: Vultures and a Duck

We moved on, continuing northeast to the most uninhabited region of Cambodia, just a stone throw from the Laos border. Here we would continue to visit the dry deciduous dipterocarp forest, but this one has some remnant tracts of primary growth. It was spectacular. We were at the Okoki River inside the Chhep Wildlife Sanctuary, where pools in a line of the mixed evergreen forest following a water course providing habitat for globally threatened White-winged Duck. This duck is a beast, one of the largest duck species in the world. When you see it and hear it honking you think it's a large goose - until you see the obvious duck bill. They are extremely wary, so the Okoki site is a must visit location for the hides constructed near prime feeding pools. It is a nocturnal feeder, so seeing the bird required rising early and trekking through the forest to the hide in the dark. We've done this many times for grouse and prairie-chickens, but going out in the early morning for a duck seemed a bit strange. We entered the hide and sure enough, there was a single duck out on the pond. Very cool. We stayed for an hour or so as the light grew until the duck decided it was time to move to a more sheltered location along the river in the deep forest.

We stayed at the Okoki camp for two nights allowing extra time for duck chances if needed, and also to thoroughly bird the forest. There are 17 species of woodpeckers alone in this forest, as well as kingfishers, broadbills, pittas, and numerous other species. We camped there with support from the local village who provided the tents and did the cooking. It was spectacular.

Banded Kingfisher female

Camp

Our humble abode

Shower and toiled facilites

Walking through the forest

A view through the hide portal to the duck pond

Local fish from the river for grilling on the camp fire

We moved from Okoki just 13 miles as the vulture flies, but it took over an hour to drive around the forest on existing roads. Our next stop was Beong Toal, the "Vulture Restaurant." The Vulture Restaurant is a feeding program set up by the government of Cambodia and conservation NGOs to help sustain the 3 critically endangered species of vulture: Red-headed, White-rumped and Slender-billed Vultures. The world’s population of these vultures has suffered from Diclofenac (an NSAID given to treat cattle) poisoning which has caused a drastic decline in their numbers. In Cambodia cattle are not given this drug; however the lack of food is a problem for the vultures. The drug is unfortunately still in wide use in India.

We stayed in another tent camp, again supported by the local village. An early morning jaunt to the specially constructed viewing hide allowed us to watch the vultures feed on a recently provided cow carcass. As we arrived there were a pair of Golden Jackal prowling the site. The vultures continued to arrive as the light grew resulting in about 35 individuals for our viewing enjoyment. It was a fantastic morning.