As of today, out of season, returns ~December. Earth Exhibit tracks the live conditions and flags it the moment it is on.
At the northwestern tip of Cambodia's Tonle Sap, the great lake whose flow reverses with the seasons, lies Prek Toal — the single most important breeding ground in Southeast Asia for large waterbirds.
As the monsoon flood that swells the lake each year begins to recede from around December, thousands of birds crowd into the flooded forest to nest: spot-billed pelicans, milky and painted storks, the gangling greater and lesser adjutant storks, black-headed ibis, and the rare oriental darter, their colonies filling the treetops with noise and motion.
It is a scene of staggering biomass — globally threatened species that have been wiped out across much of their range gather here in their thousands, protected within the core area of the Tonle Sap UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Visitors reach the colony by boat through floating villages and flooded forest, climbing a treetop platform to look out over nesting birds as far as the eye can see.
The flood pulse that drives it all — water rising from August, falling from late in the year — makes this one of the planet's great rhythmic wildlife spectacles.
Where to see it
A taste of where to see it. The full map, exact coordinates and the best timing for each spot live in the app.
| Viewing spots |
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| Prek Toal Core Bird Sanctuary, Tonle Sap |
This is the short version
This page shows a taste. The app has the full list of where to see this, the exact timing, and live conditions for 1,000+ natural phenomena worldwide, so you know the moment one is genuinely worth the trip.