Nature

Rainbow Lodge is immersed in nature, and backs directly onto Tatai Wildlife Sanctuary. We allow nature to run its course as much as we can, while still maintaining health and safety for our guests and staff. As a result, we have seen many species of birds, reptiles, insects, etc. at Rainbow Lodge. We see mammals, too, but they tend to be a little more elusive. Furthermore, Gee Chartier discovered two recently described species of insect at Rainbow Lodge.

Significant sightings

We have had a number of significant sightings at or near Rainbow Lodge. For example:

• The first sighting of the Eared Pitta (Hydrornis phayrei) in Cambodia.
• The first evidence (an adult with a fledging) that the Hooded Pitta (Pitta sordida) breeds in Cambodia. In addition, we have since seen this species nesting at Rainbow Lodge.
• Multiple sightings of the Bamboo Woodpecker (Gecinulus viridis). The only previous record of this species in Cambodia was from Phnom Aural.
• Multiple sightings of the Pin-tailed Parrotfinch (Erythrura prasina). This Parrotfinch is a stunning but rarely-seen bird that feeds on bamboo seeds.
• The first sighting of the Brown-breasted Flycatcher (Muscicapa muttui) in Cambodia.
• More sightings of the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia) than anywhere else in Cambodia.
• Two new species of planthopper described: Sogana chartieri Constant, 2019, Zanna chartieri Constant, 2024.
• Several more species of insects and spiders that are likely to be new to science but have not yet been described.

Gallery

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All photos in the gallery are by Gerard Chartier, and licensed under CC BY 4.0.

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Additional Resources

If you want to see more about the species that have been recorded at or near Rainbow Lodge, here is a search of iNaturalist. Note that this is far from complete, as we have many observations that have yet to be recorded in iNaturalist. It would be great if you could contribute to the knowledge of Cambodian biodiversity by adding your own nature observations to iNaturalist!

You can also see more about the fauna and flora of the area on Gee Chartier’s nature site.