Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary

Description

Daily Tour Full day to overnight

PREK TOAL BIRD SANCTUARY

Greater Adjutant - with other flocks of waterbirds

Prek Toal bird sanctuary is the largest waterbird colony in South-East Asia. Located at the edge of Tonle Sap Great Lake, this stunning Ramsar site is part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is covered mostly by freshwater swamp forest and is home to the rare waterbirds, in the dry season. Birding Tour to Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary and Floating Village: one of the best places for birdwatching from Siem Reap.

Experience the boat trip across the Tonle Sap Great Lake and through the shrub of flooded forest, inside the protected area.
Get to see how Cambodian locals live at a real floating village – Prek Toal.
Enjoy a delicious Cambodian lunch, prepared at the community’s floating restaurant – Saray.
Learn more about the birds, conservation projects, and local culture.

Prek Toal Birds

Prek Toal birding tour takes you on boat trip across the Tonle Sap lake to see the various key birds especially the Spot-billed Pelican, Milky Stork, Painted Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black-headed Ibis, Oriental Darter, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, as well as three kinds of Cormorant. Over 150 bird species have been recorded in this protected reserve.

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Checklist of Prek Toal Waterbird Colony (PT)

No	Common Name	Scientific Name	S. Status	C. Status
Whistling-ducks, Ducks & Pygmy-geese (Anatidae)
1	Lesser Whistling-duck	Dendrocygna javanica	R
2	Cotton Pygmy-goose	Nettapus coromandelianus	R
3	Indian Spot-billed Duck	Anas poecilorhyncha	R
4	Comb Duck	Sarkidiornis delanotos	R
5	Garaney	Anas querquedula	W
Grebes (Podicipepidae) & Flamingos (phoenicopteridae)
6	Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis	R
Storks (Ciconiidae)
7	Milky Stork	Mycteria cinerea	R	ED
8	Painted Stork	Mycteria leucocephala	R	NT
9	Asian Openbill	Anastomus oscitans	R
10	Black-necked Stork	Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus	R	NT
11	Lesser Adjutant	Leptoptilos javanicus	R	VU
12	Greater Adjutant	Leptoptilos dubius	R	ED
Ibises & Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae)
14	Black-headed Ibis	Threskiornis melanocephalus	R	NT
15	Glossy Ibis	Plegadis falcinellus	R
Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae) & Darters (Anhingidae)
16	Little Cormorant	Phalacrocorax niger	R
17	Indian Cormorant	Phalacrocorax fucicollis	R
18	Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo	R
19	Oriental Darter	Anhinga melanogaster	R	NT
21	Yellow Bittern	Ixobrychus sinensis	R
22	Cinnamon Bittern	Ixobrychus cinnamomeus	R
23	Black Bittern	Dupetor flavicollis	BV
24	Black-crowned Night-heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	R
25	Little Heron	Butorides striata	W
26	Chinese Pond-heron	Ardeola bacchus	W
27	Javan Pond-heron	Ardeola speciosa	R
28	Eastern Cattle Egret	Bubulcus coromandus	R
29	Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	R
30	Purple Heron	Ardea Purpurea	R
31	Great Egret	Ardea alba	R
32	Intermediate Egret	Mesophoyx intermedia	R
33	Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	R
Frigatebirds (Fregatidae) & Pelicans (Pelecanidae)
34	Spot-billed Pelican	Pelecanus philippensis	R	TN
Falcons, Ospreis, Hawks, Eagles & allies (Falconidae)
35	Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus	W
36	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	W
37	Black-shouldered Kite	Elanus caeruleus	R
38	Shikra	Accipiter badius	R
39	Brahminy Kite	Haliastur indus	R
40	Grey-headed Fish-eagle	Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus	R	NT
41	Eastern Marsh-harrier	Circus spilonotus	W
42	Oriental Honey-buzzard	Pernis ptilorhynchus	W
Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae)
43	Black-backed Swamphen	Porphyrio indicus	R
44	Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	R/W
45	Common Coot	Fulica atra	W
45	White-breased Waterhen	Amaurornis phoenicurus	R
46	White-browed Crake	Porzana cinerea	R
47	Rudy-breasted Crake	Porzana fusca	R/W
48	Black-winged Stilt	Himantopus himantopus	W
Jacanas (Jacanidae) & Painted-Snipes (Rostratulidae)
49	Pheasant-tailed Jacana	Hydrophasiamus chururgus	W
50	Bronze-winged Jacana	Metopidius indicus	R
Pratincoles (Glareolidae)
51	Oriental Pratincole	Glareola maldivarum	BV
Skimmers (Rynchopidae), Noddies and Terns (Sternidae) & Gulls (Laridae)
52	Whiskered Tern	Chlidonias hybrida	W
53	White-winged Tern	Chlidonias leucopterus	P
54	Brown-headed Gull	Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus	P
55	Black-headed Gull	Chroicocephalus ridibundus	W
Pigeons & Doves (Columbidae)
56	Rock Dove	Columba livia	R
57	Spotted Dove	Streptopelia chinensis	R
58	Red Collared-dove	Streptopelia tranquebarica	R
59	Zebra Dove	Geopelia striata	R
Cuckoos, Malkohas & Coucals (Cuculidae)
60	Himalayan Cuckoo	Cuculus saturatus	P
61	Plaintive Cuckoo	Cacomantis merulinus	R
62	Chestnut-winged Cuckoo	Clamator coromandus	R
63	Green-billed Malkoha	Rhopodytes tristis	R
64	Greater Coucal	Centropus sinensis	R
65	Lesser Coucal	Centropus bengalensis	R
Swifts & Treeswifts (Apodidae)
66	Asian Palm-swift	Cypsiurus balasiensis	R
Kingfishers (Alcedinidae, Halcyonidae, Cerylidae)
67	Stork-billed Kingfisher	Pelargopsis capensis	R
68	White-throated Kingfisher	Halcyon smynensis	R
69	Black-capped Kingfisher	Ceyx erithaca	W
70	Common Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis	W
71	Pied Kingfisher	Ceryle rudis	R
Trogons (Trogonidae) & Rollers (Coraciidae)
72	Indian Roller	Coracias benghalensis	W
Bee-eaters (Meropidae)
73	Blue-tailed Bee-eater	Merops philippinus	R
Wrynecks (Jygninae), Piculets & Woodpeckers (Picidae)
74	Rufous Woodpecker	Micropternus brachyurus	R
Whistlers (Pachycephalidae) & Orioles (Oriolidae)
75	Black-naped Oriole	Oriolus chinensis	W
Woodshrikes & Flycatcher-Shrikes (generae incertae sedis)
76	Ashy Woodswallow	Artamus fuscus	R
Ioras (Aegithinidae) & Fantails (Rhipiduridae)
77	Common Iora	Aegithina tiphia	R
78	Pied Fantail	Rhipidura javanica	R
Drongos (Dicruridae)
79	Black Drongo	Dicrurus macrocercus	W
Crows, Jays, Magpies & Treepies (Corvidae)
80	Southern Jungle Crow	Corvus macrorhynchos	R
81	Racket-tailed Treepie	Crypsirina temia	R
Shrikes (Laniidae)
82	Brown Shrike	Lanius cristatus	W
Sunbirds & Spiderhunters (Nectariidae)
83	Van Hasselt's Sunbird	Leptocoma brasiliana	R
84	Olive-backed Sunbird	Cinnyris jugularis	R
Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae)
85	Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker	Dicaeum cruentatum	R
Weavers (Ploceidae)
86	Streaked Weaver	Ploceus manyar	R
87	Baya Weaver	Ploceus philippinus	R
88	Asian Golden Weaver	Ploceus hypoxanthus	R	NT
Avadavat, Munias & Parrotfinches (Estrildidae)
89	Scaly-breasted Munia	Lonchura punctulata	R
Sparrows (Passeridae)
90	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	R
91	Eurasian Treesparrow	Passer nontanus	R
92	Plain-backed Sparrow	Passer flaveolus	R
Pipits & Wagtails (Motacillidae)
93	Paddyfield Pipit	Anthus rufulus	R
94	Red-throated Pipit	Anthus cervinus	W
95	Eastern Yellow Wagtail	Motacilla tschutschensis	W
96	White Wagtail	Motacilla alba	W
Mynas & Starlings (Sturnidae)
97	White-vented Myna	Acridotheres grandis	R
98	Common Myna	Acridotheres tristis	R
99	Black-collared Starling	Gracupica nigricollis	R
100	White-shouldered Starling	Sturnus sinensis	W
Rock-thrushes, Chats, Forktails & Whistling-thrushes (Muscicapidae: Saxicolinae)
101	Eastern Stonechat	Saxicola maurus	W
102	Pied Bushchat	Saxicola caprata	R
Flycatchers & allies (Muscicapidae: Muscicapinae)
103	Taiga Flycatcher	Ficedula albicilla	W
104	Asian Brown Flycatcher	Muscicapa dauurica	W
105	Oriental Magpie-robin	Copsychus saularis	R
Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae)
106	Stripe-throated Bulbul	Pycnonotus finlayson	R
107	Yellow-vented Bulbul	Pycnonotus goiavier	R
108	Streak-eared Bulbul	Pycnonotus blanfordi	R
Martins & Swallows (Hirundinidae)
109	Common Sand-martin	Riparian riparia	W
110	Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	W
111	Red-rumped Swallow	Cecropis daurica	W
Seicercus & Phylloscopus warblers (Phylloscopidae)
112	Arctic Warbler	Phylloscopus borealis	W
113	Pale-legged Leaf-warbler	Phylloscopus tenellipes	W
114	Yellow-browed Warbler	Phylloscopus inornatus	W
115	Dusky Warbler	Phylloscopus fuscatus	W
Parrotbills, White-eyes, Babblers, Laughingthrushes & allies (Timaliidae)
116	Pin-striped Tit-warbler	Macronus gularis	R
Acrocephalus warblers (Acrocephalidae)
117	Black-browed Reed-warbler	Acrocephalus bistrigiceps	W
118	Oriental Reed-warbler	Acrocephalus orinetalis	W
Grasshopper-warblers & Grassbirds (Megaluridae)
119	Rusty-rumped Warbler	Locustella certhiola	W
120	Lanceolated Warbler	Locustella lanceolata	W
121	Striated Grassbird	Megalurus palustris	R
Cisticolas, Tailorbirds & Prinias (Cisticolidae)
122	Zitting Cisticola	Cisticola juncidis	R
123	Bright-headed Cisticola	Cisticola exilis	R
124	Dark-necked Tailorbird	Orthortomus atrogularis	R
125	Common Tailorbird	Orthortomus sutorius	R
126	Yellow-bellied Prinia	Prinia flaviventris	R
127	Plain Prinia	Prinia inornata	R

Taxonomy and sequence follow A Field Guide to the Birds of Cambodia. This checklist is referred to the CBGA trip reports of this site between July 2017 to June 2026. S. Status (Seasonal Status) followed by Annotated Checklist (The Birds of Cambodia), F. Goes. Con. Status (Conservation Status) followed by the IUCN Red List and BirdLife International.
R = Resident
NBV= Non-breeding visitor
W = Winter visitor
P = Passge migrant
CR = Critically endangered
BV = Breeding visitor
ED = Endangered
VG = Vagrant
VU = Vulnerable
NT = Near Threatened
W,P = Winter visitor, Passage migrant

Note:

Taxonomy and sequence follow Field Guides to the Birds of Cambodia.

R = Resident

NBV = Non-breeding visitor

W = Winter visitor

EX = Extinct

P = Passage migrant

CR = Critically Endangered

BV = Breeding visitor

EN = Endangered

VG = Vagrant

VU = Vulnerable

W,P = Winter visitor, Passage migrant ?

NT = Near Threatened

Prek Toal Tour

(Option 1) Day trip from Siem Reap to Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, Tonle Sap Great Lake, Floating Village

5.30am pick up from your hotel by CBGA English-speaking bird guide, with our A/C vehicle, transfer Mechrey Pier for the boat trip to Prek Toal village.
7 am half-way on the tonle sap lake, enjoy packed breakfast on the boat.
7.30am arrive at the Prek Toal floating village,
7.45am transfer into smaller local community boats and explore the biosophere reserve.
8 am enjoy birding along the way one hour through the core reserve.
9 arrive at the observation platform, climb the tree top to enjoy the wider views of the bird colonies.
10 am return back to Prek Toal village for lunch at Saray Community Restaurant.
1 pm after lunch, visit the Water Hyacinth Handicraft Workshop located next to the restaurant.
(OPTIONAL)1.30pm we will take you on paddled boats around the floating village, observing how locals adapt their floating environment, visiting the crocodile farms, fish farms, floating school, floating gardens, etc.
2.15pm travel back to Siem Reap
4 pm arrive back at your Siem Reap hotel.

(Option 2) Day 1: Siem Reap to Prek Toal floating village

1 PM pick up from your hotel by CBGA English-speaking bird guide, with our A/C vehicle, transfer Mechrey Pier for the boat trip to Prek Toal village.

3 PM arrive at the Prek Toal floating village, check in and take a short break.

4:30 PM take a boat and explore the daily life of local people and view the sunset.

7 PM enjoy dinner prepared by the local community

8 PM back to homestay for overnight

Day 2: bird watch at the core reserve, pm back to Siem Reap

7:30 AM after breakfast, transfer into smaller local community boats and explore the biosphere reserve.

9 AM arrive at the observation platform, climb the tree top to enjoy the wider views of the bird colonies.

10 AM return back to Prek Toal village and short break then room check out

12 PM lunch at Saray Community Restaurant.

1 PM after lunch, visit the Water Hyacinth Handicraft Workshop located next to the restaurant.

1:30 PM travel back to Siem Reap

3:30 PM arrive at your Siem Reap hotel.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to explore Prek Toal bird colonies is from November when most bird species are coming. Yet some species like Milky Stork and Greater Adjutant will get there later in December, and until the end of May when the rain comes and birds are leaving.
Access to the bird colonies inside the core reserve also plays an important factor for visitors. By late February the water level is getting low which not allow us to get through to the observation platform. Fortunately, without being at the platform where it is very muddy and our boat could not access, we are still able to enjoy the area with the finding of many bird species in flocks gathering along the waterways where they come to feed.
For April to June is possible with birding too but the water level is quite low which make the access difficult to get to the best place for birding.
For July to September, most birds are gone.
From October, some birds are having their way back to Prek Toal for their breeding season.

What to Expect at Prek Toal bird sanctuary:

Our expert guide with our aircon minivan driver will pick you up from your hotel lobby at 5.30am, as early as we can so we get the most of the morning time which is best for the birds and nature. We will arrive back in Siem Reap at 4 pm but sometimes as early as 2.30pm or as late as 5 pm depends on your interest in the tour. We can either take you back to your hotel or to another destination of your choice in town.
Transfer from hotel to Mechrey pier will take about 40 minutes each way on a 26km road (some parts passing rural villages on a dirt road).
Breakfast is provided by CBGA with a croissant, two slides of cereal bread with butter and jam, some fresh fruit, and coffee or tea. Please do if you may wanna pack breakfast also from your hotel.
It is kind of wintertime for Cambodia from November to February, so when traveling on the boat it is sometimes windy and cold. You might wanna bring your jacket along or at least a long sleeve shirt during the trip which also helps.
Other things to bring: hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and insect repellent.
CBGA will provide drinking water in a big container to refill, so we request you to bring your own water bottle from home or from your hotel. It is our campaign to reduce plastic waste.

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