This is a modest list of a few sites which passing birders may find of interest. I have dared put it on the web only because of the paucity of information on birding in Laos and the almost total lack of trip reports. Hopefully other birders will add to this, as Laos is an incredibly charming country to visit.
For those for whom seeing the maximum number of species possible and twitching the specialities of the region is a priority, it would be much easier and cheaper to go to Vietnam, where they have a national parks infrastructure with accommodation and restaurants in good habitat. However, for those who have a bit of time to spare and are more travelling orientated, then Laos is one of the most pleasant places on the planet. It would be better to regard the birds you see there as a bonus and then you won’t get too frustrated. Patience is certainly a virtue when birding there.
Even casual birders remark on the, at times, almost total lack of birds in Laos. This is due to the very high hunting pressure, as people often don’t have any other means of survival, so they live from the forest and the land.
However, there are some sites where there are a decent number of birds, but birders should be prepared to be very patient.
For those who want to get more off the beaten track, The Lonely Planet Guide describes some good circuits and these would be best done on a motorbike. These are cheap to hire and give you the flexibility to stop wherever you want.
Note that in my journey I didn’t have the luxury of a bird song callback system, which limited the amount of birds I saw.
I have laid out the sites from north to south.
Links:
For Nam Ha Protected Area (near Luan Nam Tha) and Dirk van Gansberghe’s lists (refer to these for some of the areas below and others):
This town is situated at a high altitude, right in the far north of the country. The much higher mountain of Phou Fa is close to town and is easily accessed on foot via a road and steps (see van Gansberghe for details).
Upstream of Hatxa.The Nam Ou river holds an important population of Lesser Fish Eagle. Refer to the OBC Journal, Forktail, no 23 for more information on this area and its birds.
In the north-west of the country and next to the Nam Ha National Protected Area. Good cheap hotels (5 US) and bike rental (1.5 US per day). Many treks available.
I tried to find people who knew something about birding, but to no avail. The trekking agencies don't have any bird guides, so the only way to get into the NPA is to pay for a trekking guide to take you in to the best areas, if you can afford it.
I didn't have a group and couldn't afford a guide alone, so I rented a mountain bike and birded the valley around the town.
The Boat Landing Guesthouse website gives the impression that they organize birding trips, but they had no one who knew anything about birds, although they had some very readable leaflets about research on birds in the area. However, if you go past the guesthouse and continue about 500 metres over a bridge to a village, the road splits. If you take the left fork, the road goes past a sacred forest with lots of religious paraphernalia inside. It wouldn't be a good idea to enter here, but further down, towards the next village there is a footpath into this forest and in there the old trees are very beautiful. There was a lot of singing/calling from the canopy, but significantly, very little activity in the middle and lower levels and ground. I saw Grey-chinned Minivet, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher and Black-crested, Red-whiskered and Sooty-headed Bulbuls, Common Iora and Ashy Drongo, plus lots of other small birds against the light up in the canopy.
On the opposite side of the road is an extensive area of rice fields, which were fallow in February and here I had 3 male Pied Harriers and an immature Eastern Marsh Harrier, plus Kestrel, Peregrine (very similar to ernesti, but with a clear, bold moustache), Plain Prinia, Paddyfield Pipit, Siberian Stonechat, both Grey-backed and Long-tailed (longicaudatus) Shrikes, Dusky Warbler, Scaly-breasted and White-rumped Munias, Oriental Magpie Robin and Pied Bushchat.
If you continue on this road, through two villages, you come to the tar-sealed route 3 (You also get to this road from the right hand fork from the first village). Along this road and on the slopes opposite was very good for raptors and I had Crested Goshawk displaying, Crested Serpent Eagle and an unidentified Buzzard, plus Brown-breasted Bulbul and Striated Swallow. It is wise to proceed with caution when birding on the side roads off route 3, as the local people may not understand what you are doing. Remember that you are not far away from the Golden Triangle!!
The southern approach to Luang Nam Tha passes through wet rice paddies and here I saw Yellow and White Wagtails, Snipe sp and Japanese Buzzard.
A pleasant, short ride out of town to the Namdea Waterfall produced Brown-cheeked Fulvetta at the waterfall. Asian Palm Swift and Yellow-browed Warbler were common in the area.
Not far to the north I did an overnight homestay in the village of Chaleonsuk (quite good, interesting local food). This included a walk up to the forest, but there were no paths into the forest and the guide was not too keen to go far in. However, above and around the village I saw Crimson Sunbird, Greenish Warbler, Rufous-fronted Babbler, Dark-necked Tailorbird, White-bellied Yuhina, Streaked Spiderhunter, Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike, a Forktail sp, Pond Heron sp, Japanese White-eye, Oriental Magpie Robin and a large raptor sp.
Luang Prabang - 26th January
The local tourist info in Luang Prabang wasn’t much help, but again the trekking companies might be able to give you some info on nearby sites.
A suggestion: The nearby Kuang Si waterfall (ca 25 kms on a new sealed road) is situated in a patch of old forest. This could be good if you stayed at one of the homestays there (One can be booked at the Vanvisa Guesthouse in Luang Prabang) and could get into the site early in the morning before the tourist hordes.
I saw: Pale-blue Flycatcher, Crimson Sunbird, White-tailed Flycatcher and Blue-throated Barbet in about an hour.
Vang Vieng - 4th/5th Feb.
This very popular backpacker’s centre is situated 153 kms north of Vientiane.
I had the good luck to stay at the Vang Veng Resort, where the very pleasant bungalows are good value at 5 US! It is situated next to the river about 1 km outside town, in pleasant grounds. In the early morning I crossed over the footbridge to the caves, and on the limestone cliffs and boulders Limestone Wren Babbler was easy to hear and eventually gave good views. I think there were at least 3 pairs around the caves. The area around the caves, especially to the left, is also quite good in the early morning.
I hired a bike and went out on the long circuit past the Maylyn Guest House, among the huge karst structures. It’s a very pleasant ride and quite good for birding too. I was fortunate to see a young male Violet Cuckoo which was beginning its moult into adult plumage and heard more Limestone Wren Babblers around the first cave.
Other birds seen in and around Vang Vieng were: Greenish Warbler, Japanese White-eye, Dusky Warbler (common), Yellow-browed Warbler, Striated Swallow, Swiftlet sp, Common Kingfisher, Dusky Crag Martin, Dark-necked Tailorbird, Ashy Drongo, Common Iora, White-tailed Flycatcher, Striped-Tit Babbler (nest building), Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Common kestrel, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Taiga and Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Blue Rock Thrush, Brown Bush Warbler, Scaly-breasted Munia, Asian Palm Swift, Greater Coucal, Sooty-headed, Red-whiskered, Black-crested, Puff-throated and Black (both black and white headed) Bulbuls, Brown Shrike, Paddyfield Pipit, Olive-backed Pipit, White Wagtail, Siberian Stonechat.
Vientiane
There are some NPAs not too far from Vientiane. See Dirk van Gansberghe (link) for details. Of note would be the Mekong River about 1 to 2 hours upstream from Vientiane, where during the dry season you can walk down into the drier parts of the riverbed, where Jerdon’s Bushchat can be found. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough time for this.
Ban Khoun Khan - 11th/12th Feb
This is a small village and the starting point for visits to Kong Lo and the famous cave. It is on the main road east from Vientiane, 2-3 hours towards Lak Sao and Vietnam.
There is a waterfall in the forest here and the trail goes past some magnificent old trees. The tourist office will tell you that you need to take a guide and to a certain extent they are right, because once you have crossed the stream, the trail becomes difficult to follow. Don't go alone all the way to the waterfall, as people have become lost for days in there. However, it is still a pleasant walk until the stream and some good birds can be seen up to there.
The trail starts by the Buddhist temple, not too far from the tourist office and at birding pace should take about two hours to reach the very high waterfall. The forest also comes right up to the road in many places locally, so it could be good with your own transport. The nearby viewpoint at kilometre 38 could also be good for raptors, etc.
I saw Black Bulbul (white headed form), Spangled, Greater Racket-tailed and Ashy Drongos, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Grey Wagtail, Large-tailed Nightjar, Scarlet Minivet, Green-billed Malkoha, Grey-backed Shrike, Dark-necked Tailorbird, Taiga Flycatcher, Black-crested Bulbul, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Little Spiderhunter, Nepal House Martin, Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike, Lineated Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Blue-winged Leafbird, Blue Rock Thrush, Greenish and Yellow-browed Warblers.
Kong Lo 11th +13th Feb
This is about 2 hours south of Ban Khoun Khan and is the site of a 7 kilometre cave, through which a river flows (boat rides through the cave are popular). This area has huge outcrops of limestone and some forest and could be very interesting. The local village has very good homestays and some villagers speak some English and said that they had led treks into the forest. It could be a budget option for some remote birding. The large pool in front of the cave entrance and the high cliffs behind afforded splendid views of several hundred Himalayan Swiftlet and some Streaked Swallow as they fed and dipped/skimmed (both species) in the water.
Savannaket 14/15th Feb
On the Mekong, 6 hours by bus south of Vientiane. Dong Nathat Conservation Area. 13 kilometres north of Savannaket turn right to a very famous Buddhist temple. After ca 2 kms, at the beginning of the village and on the left side there is a sign which says something like 'Protected Forest Project'. Turn left here and in 500 metres you see a pair of gates on a dirt road entrance into the forest. The road goes through some very impressive old trees and it is interesting to see how the local people exploit them (it might even be worth paying a guide).
The road goes in for maybe a kilometre and then becomes a path which goes a few kilometres around a lake (Nong Khen (locally called Nong Lom)), back to the road. The road and path around the lake are easy to follow, but the numerous small offshoot paths could get you lost. Be careful!!!
I didn't see anything on the lake, but the thick vegetation does hold water birds and could be good at times. In the forest I saw: White-tailed, Little Pied, Taiga, Verditer, Grey-headed Canary and Asian Paradise Flycatchers, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Dusky Warbler, Ashy Drongo, Blyth's Leaf Warbler ( greyish-white head stripes - but I believe this has been split into several new species. I would appreciate information on this), Crimson Sunbird, Black-crested and Stripe-throated Bulbuls, Puff-throated and Abbot's Babblers, White-bellied Yuhina and Great Iora. See Evans TD, Ornithological records from Savannaket province , Lao PDR, Jan-July 1997, Forktail 17: 21-28.
There are many other possibilities further inland, where exploring on a motorbike would be good and the local trekking agency in Savannaket also has many good options.
Pakse, Bolaven Plateau 17th Feb
Pakse is situated on the Mekong River in the very relaxed south of Laos. The Bolaven Plateau is about an hour inland and has some beautiful waterfalls and scenery. There is a day-long circuit which can best be done on a budget by hiring a motorbike in Pakse (8 US per day) and all the sites of tourist interest could hold interesting birds.
I saw a limited amount of birds from a guided tour: Red-whiskered and Black-crested Bulbul, Dusky Warbler, Little Spiderhunter, Asian Palm Swift, Olive-backed Sunbird, Green-eared Barbet, Ashy Woodswallow, Barn Swallow, 3 unidentified raptors, unidentified Phylloscopus, Brown Flycatcher.
Champasak/Wat Phu 18th Feb
On the west bank of the Mekong, south of Pakse, and near to the interesting site of Wat Phu. The village is a charming, laid-back place to stay and hiring a bike is a good way to get around. Birding is limited, but the forest behind Wat Phu (if accessible) could be interesting and there is some open countryside. Of interest was a flock of 100+ Nepal House Martin feeding high above the upper part of Wat Phu.
Xe Pian NPA, Kingfisher Ecolodge and the village of Kiet Ngong. 19th Feb
48 kms south of Pakse, on route 13, turn left on to route 18 and after 8 kms turn right, and Kiet Ngong is 2 kms ahead. The information centre is on the left and you can book homestays here and guides. It could be worth hiring a guide to go through the forest around Phu Asa (a small mountain 1.5 kms to the right of the village) and to walk up to the ruins on the top, where the views are stunning. You can go to the top by elephant too if you choose! For the more adventurous, Xe Pian has probably the best open forest birds in an NPA in Laos and treks into the area can be booked locally. However, the villagers’ English is limited (but improving).
One km through the village is the excellent Kingfisher Ecolodge, which is worth stretching your budget for (14 US per night), which is situated on the edge of one of the most important wetlands in Laos. The bungalows and restaurant look onto the wetland, where domesticated buffalo and elephant graze.
Birds seen: Purple Heron, Cattle, Intermediate, Great and Little Egrets, Grey-headed Lapwing, Pied and Eastern Marsh Harriers, Yellow Wagtail, Red-throated and Paddyfield Pipits (a mixed flock of 4-500 wagtails and pipits were put up at dusk by the maurauding harriers), Siberian Stonechat, Large-billed Crow, a flock of 30-40 Silver-backed and Brown-backed Neeedletail Swifts (superb views from above on Phu Asa. One of the Brown-backeds buzzed me 4 times, whooshing past only 2 metres away and giving good views of the white loral spots. Good contrast of the backs of both species.), Blue Rock Thrush, Spotted Dove, Coppersmith Barbet, Stripe-throated and Black-crested Bulbuls, Yellow-browed Warbler.
Four Thousand Islands, Don Khon 20/22 Feb
These islands are in the Mekong at the border with Cambodia, where the river spreads out to 15 kms wide. At the southern end, very close to the border are the two very popular islands of Don Khon and Don Det, which are reached from Nakasang. Of the two, Don Khon is the most peaceful and has some good birding. I found more species and heard more birdsong here than in other places in Laos.
The French built a light railway to transship cargo to the other side of the rapids here, and this track now serves as a very good footpath to the south of Don Khon. The last kilometre or two goes through some good forest, where there was a good variety of birds.
At the southern end is the old loading and offloading dock/pier. From here you can see the Irrawaddy Dolphins clearly with your binoculars (you can even go nearer by boat from here) and a few hours spent here could bring some interesting raptor and stork sightings, as these large birds roam across the north of Cambodia and into Laos. I saw a Woolly-necked Stork, an Osprey and several Black Kites (also on the Laotian side) on the Cambodian side.
On Don Khon I saw: Brown-throated Sunbird, Common Mynah, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Little and Cattle Egrets, Greater Coucal, Yellow-browed and Two-barred Warblers, Spotted Dove, Asian Palm Swift, Shikra, Asian Barred Owlet, Red-breasted and Blossom-headed Parakeets, Streak-eared, Stripe-throated, Black-crested and Yellow-vented Bulbuls, my first pair of woodpeckers in Laos (probably Greater Flameback), Asian Brown Flycatcher, Black and Brahminy Kites, Greenshank, Cormorant sp, Brown Shrike, Asian House Martin, Barn Swallow, Plain Flowerpecker, Little Heron, Striped Tit-babbler, Green-billed Malkoha, Lineated Barbet, Siberian Stonechat, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Red-wattled Lapwing, Black-naped Oriole, Large-billed Crow, Common Iora, Pond Heron sp, Purple Sunbird, Eurasian Tree Sparrow.
Summary
Hopefully this report will encourage more birders to enjoy the charms of this beautiful country.
Equally hopefully, future birding visitors will contribute their records and also put their suggestions, useful sites, information, etc on the web.
Interesting records should be sent to (in Laos): Will Duckworth, willduckworthdprk@yahoo.com
Troy Hansel, thansel@wcs.org
A special thank you to Will Duckworth for reviewing my records and Troy Hansel for giving me useful information.
