By Glen T. Hvenegaard
Bird watching is a popular activity at Doi Inthanon National Park in Thailand (photo: Glen Hvenegaard)
The brilliant Green-tailed Sunbird emerged from behind the rhododendron, offering a group of excited British birders a satisfying look. This race of sunbird is endemic to Doi Inthanon National Park and a key tourist attraction for some visitors. After four days of bird watching in the area, these birders had spotted a total of 165 species, leading one veteran to describe the park as one of his "favorites places" in the whole world. This sentiment is widely shared. In 1993, more than 900,000 people visited Doi Inthanon in northern Thailand, triple the number of a decade earlier. Most tourists come to enjoy the scenery, relax with friends, or make a pilgrimage to the summit of Mount Doi Inthanon, which is the highest peak in the country. Others, such as these birders, come specifically to experience the stunning biodiversity in the park. Growing numbers of Thais have also taken up birding, or "du nok" as it is called in Thai.