Photos with this report (click to enlarge) | |||
 Bar-bellied Pitta |
 Orange-necked Partridge |
 Indochinese Green Magpie |
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 Golden-winged Laughingthrush |
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Overview
This exciting Vietnam birding tour covered the southern and central part of the country and resulted in loads of great birds and some excellent photographic opportunities. The tour started in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on the 14th of March 2023 and ended back there on the 28th of March 2023. We visited some of the top birding destinations in Vietnam, such as Cat Tien National Park, Da Lat, Nui San Pass, Mang Den, and Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve. The full itinerary including a map can be found here.
We recorded 277 bird species (14 heard only) during the tour, the trip list follows the report. The tour highlights included a long list of endemic, near-endemic, and special birds. Some of the non-passerine highlights included Orange-necked Partridge, Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, Green Peafowl, Siamese Fireback, Great Eared Nightjar, Collared Owlet, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Banded Kingfisher, Red-vented Barbet, Indochinese Barbet, Necklaced Barbet, Black-and-buff Woodpecker, White-bellied Woodpecker, and Collared Falconet.
Some of the passerine highlights enjoyed on the tour included Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, Rusty-naped Pitta, Blue Pitta, Black-and-red Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, Long-tailed Broadbill, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Indochinese Green Magpie, Grey-crowned Crocias, Vietnamese Cutia, White-browed (Dalat) Shrike-babbler, Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler, Large Scimitar Babbler, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler, Scaly-crowned (Indochinese) Babbler, Golden-winged Laughingthrush, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Black-headed Sibia, Black-headed Parrotbill, (Annam) Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Indochinese Fulvetta, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Green-backed (Langbian) Tit, Black-throated (Grey-crowned) Bushtit, Lesser (Langbian) Shortwing, Mrs. Gould’s (Annam) Sunbird, Black-throated (Langbian) Sunbird, Vietnamese Greenfinch, and Red (Dalat) Crossbill.
Detailed Report
Day 1, 14th March 2023. Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
The group arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, and we met our excellent local guide, Phuc, for a welcome dinner in the evening and discussed the plans for the next few weeks of exciting birding in southern and central Vietnam.
Day 2, 15th March 2023. Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Cat Tien National Park
An early departure from Ho Chi Minh City saw us reach Tan Phu Forest Enterprise, where we made our way to a bird blind (bird hide) for the morning. We didn’t have to wait long for bird activity to get going, the clear highlight was a pair of Bar-bellied Pittas that gave a great showing eventually, and the wonderful supporting cast included Siamese Fireback, Laced Woodpecker, Grey-headed (Black-naped) Woodpecker, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Scaly-crowned (Indochinese) Babbler, Abbott’s Babbler, Puff-throated Babbler, Indochinese Blue Flycatcher, Siberian Blue Robin, and Ochraceous Bulbul.
After lunch we visited another blind/hide with a different set of birds. We were again richly rewarded, with great views of the tough Orange-necked Partridge and a pair of Blue-rumped Pittas. The area was very busy, and we enjoyed prolonged views of White-throated Rock Thrush, Buff-breasted Babbler, Puff-throated Babbler, Stripe-throated Bulbul, Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Greater Coucal, and several of the species also seen in the morning. After our afternoon birding session, we completed our journey to Cat Tien National Park. We arrived just as the sun was setting and checked into our accommodation within the national park.
A pair of Blue-rumped Pittas gave prolonged views.
Day 3, 16th March 2023. Birding Cat Tien National Park
We had a wonderful day birding in Cat Tien National Park. After spending the previous day sat in blinds for most of the day, today we walked around and found loads of great birds. As we ate breakfast, we heard Asian Barred Owlet and Great Eared Nightjar and as the sun rose, we picked up Black-crowned Night Heron, Asian Palm Swift, Oriental Magpie-Robin, and Racket-tailed Treepie. A real highlight here was hearing and seeing Red-cheeked (Yellow-cheeked) Gibbons, such an impressive sound and sight!
Starting out along a park road we quickly found Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Green-billed Malkoha, Oriental Dollarbird, Green-eared Barbet, Blue-eared Barbet, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, and Silver-backed Needletail. The birds were coming thick and fast with species moving along the river or deeper into the forest and scrub. Both Common Hill Myna and Golden-crested Myna and both Black-naped Oriole and Black-hooded Oriole were vocal and showed as they moved about, with Red-breasted Parakeet, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Common Flameback, Laced Woodpecker, and White-bellied Woodpecker also present. A group of six Black-and-red Broadbills provided a highlight when they eventually showed well, as did a male Banded Kingfisher and the attractive Blue-bearded Bee-eater.
A mixed flock moved through the area we were watching and it hung around for a while, allowing us to catch up with most birds well. The flock contained the near-endemic Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, as well as Scarlet Minivet, Swinhoe’s Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Bronzed Drongo, Ashy Drongo, Grey-eyed Bulbul, Black-crested Bulbul, Great Iora, Two-barred Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Blue-winged Leafbird, Golden-fronted Leafbird, and Asian Fairy-bluebird. We spent the middle of the day sitting out the heat of the day, but just before that we found another flock of four Black-and-red Broadbills, a great way to end the morning birding session.
We spent the afternoon driving through an area of grassland savannah habitat and found several new species, the best of which was probably Green Peafowl, an absolutely stunning bird, though they were quite shy. We also found plenty of other birds to keep us occupied while searching for the peafowl, including Chinese Francolin, Red Junglefowl, Red Collared Dove, Indochinese Roller, Vinous-breasted Starling, Indian Cuckoo, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Brown Shrike, Pied Bush Chat, and Great Eared Nightjar.
Day 4, 17th March 2023. Birding Cat Tien National Park
We spent the morning birding near the national park headquarters and found lots of birds again. A fruiting tree pulled in Black-crested Bulbul, Black-headed Bulbul, Grey-eyed Bulbul, Black-hooded Oriole, Oriental Pied Hornbill, and Golden-crested Myna. A small group of Eurasian Hoopoes were flying around, as were White-bellied Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Laced Woodpecker, Common Flameback, and Black-and-buff Woodpecker. Other birds noted around the park headquarters included Taiga Flycatcher, Scarlet Minivet, Large Woodshrike, Great Iora, Olive-backed Sunbird, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Bronzed Drongo, Ashy Drongo, Violet Cuckoo, and Chestnut-winged Cuckoo.
We settled into a bird blind (bird hide) for a couple of hours and found several species, including our top target, the near-endemic Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant. A pair of birds walked in to view and fed for a while, the spectacular male even displaying to the female. A few other birds showed well too, like Green-legged Partridge, Greater Coucal, Puff-throated Babbler, White-rumped Shama, Oriental Magpie-Robin, and Siberian Blue Robin.
In the afternoon we took a walk in some nearby forest. It had been a very hot day, but as the temperature dropped slightly, we found several interesting birds, such as Lesser Yellownape, Black-and-buff Woodpecker, Collared Falconet, Red-breasted Parakeet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Little Spiderhunter, and Ruby-cheeked Sunbird. At dusk we saw both Great Eared Nightjar and Large-tailed Nightjar.
Day 5, 18th March 2023. Cat Tien National Park to Da Lat
For our final birding session in Cat Tien National Park, we headed out east of the headquarters to explore a different area. As soon as we got out of the vehicle we were greeted by the sight of the shy Black-shanked Douc Langur swinging through the trees. A fruiting tree here was attracting Ashy-headed Green Pigeon, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Asian Fairy-bluebird, and several bulbul species. Both Siamese Fireback and Red Junglefowl were feeding on the edge of the track and, after a bit of cat-and-mouse, we got some fairly good views of a pair of Banded Broadbills, but the Orange-breasted Trogon that was calling remained deep in the forest and the Oriental Pied Hornbills didn’t hang around long enough for everyone to see perched.
As we made our way further along the track, a few woodpeckers made an appearance, and included the impressive White-bellied Woodpecker, along with Pale-headed Woodpecker, Common Flameback, Laced Woodpecker, Lesser Yellownape, and the miniscule White-browed Piculet. During the morning we also picked up a couple of mixed flocks and within them found Black-and-red Broadbill, Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Yellow-browed Warbler, Arctic Warbler, Great Iora, Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Crimson Sunbird, Van Hasselt’s Sunbird, Little Spiderhunter, and Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, amongst others.
In the afternoon we left Cat Tien National Park behind us and drove east to the mountains of Da Lat, once the mountain playground of the French as an escape from the heat of the lowlands. We arrived in the late afternoon and checked into our new accommodation for the next three nights.
Day 6, 19th March 2023. Birding Da Lat Plateau
We spent most of the day in two bird blinds (bird hides) and racked up a long list of high-quality birds. As soon as we entered the first blind the action got going. The near-endemic White-cheeked Laughingthrush was straight in, along with the local subspecies of Black-headed (White-spectacled) Sibia. It was difficult to know where to look first with raucous laughingthrushes bouncing all around, and with Mountain Fulvettas and Grey-throated Babblers also present in numbers. As we settled in and got familiar with these species, we started seeing other birds too, such as Large Niltava, White-tailed Robin, Siberian Blue Robin, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Grey-bellied Tesia, and Lesser (Langbian) Shortwing. There was a bit of extra excitement when a chunky Rusty-naped Pitta came bounding in to view and fed for a while!
Our time in the first blind flew by and we reluctantly left for a different one a short distance away. This one took some maneuvering to get into up a steep slope, but once settled we were again treated to more great views of tough birds, such as Streaked (Annam) Wren-Babbler, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Lesser (Langbian) Shortwing, and others. A Large Hawk-Cuckoo even put in a brief appearance, as did Grey-cheeked Warbler and Rufous-capped Babbler.
Rusty-naped Pitta came out of the dark forest and delighted us with a good view.
After lunch we went back into the first blind/hide and spent some more time there. It was interesting seeing the difference from the morning session, the fulvettas and babblers were still present, but there were no laughingthrushes at all. Two new species came in very quickly and showed well, firstly Dark-sided Thrush, and secondly, Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler, two usually very secretive birds. We also enjoyed a pair of Rusty-naped Pittas visiting the blind.
After our time in the blind/hide, we decided to take a walk along a track near the road, where we found even more new species, some of the highlights here included Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Necklaced Barbet, Large Cuckooshrike, Mountain Bulbul, Flavescent Bulbul, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Green-backed (Langbian) Tit, Siberian Thrush, Mountain Tailorbird, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, and Red (Dalat) Crossbill. It had been a long day, but the birds we saw certainly made it worthwhile.
Day 7, 20th March 2023. Birding Da Lat Plateau
We spent the early part of the morning birding the Ta Nung Valley, where we kicked things off with sightings of Flavescent Bulbul, Hill Prinia, and Burmese Shrike. As we started walking, we found a small flock of Vietnamese Greenfinches, White-throated Rock Thrush (a male this time) and Eurasian (White-faced) Jay. A fruiting tree was busy with birds, including Indochinese Barbet, Blue-eared Barbet, Black Bulbul, Ashy (Brown-backed) Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, and Asian Fairy-bluebird. An area of thicker vegetation gave us our main target for the morning, the rare endemic Grey-crowned Crocias, which showed well.
A group of flowering trees held Streaked Spiderhunter, Mrs. Gould’s (Annam) Sunbird, Black-throated (Langbian) Sunbird, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, and Hainan Blue Flycatcher.
The rare endemic and Endangered (BirdLife International) Grey-crowned Crocias gave some good views feeding on the edge of the canopy early in the morning.
Later in the morning we visited the Datanla Waterfall area, where we found more new species, such as Banded Bay Cuckoo, Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo, Long-tailed Minivet, Indochinese Cuckooshrike, White-browed Shrike-babbler (this subspecies until very recently a full species called Dalat Shrike-babbler), Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Indian White-eye, Blue-winged (Plain) Minla, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Little Pied Flycatcher, and Red (Dalat) Crossbill.
During the afternoon we visited a forested area near a lake not far out of town. The birding was tough as it had clouded over with some rumbling thunder, and the light levels were very low. We walked a track and managed to find a few good species, such as Red-vented Barbet, Long-tailed Broadbill, and Indochinese Green Magpie, unfortunately the latter two species didn’t stick around for everyone to see well, so we would have to hope for better views later in the tour. Vietnamese Cutia and Black-hooded Laughingthrush were heard only, again we’d have to hope for views later in the tour. Mugimaki Flycatcher, White-browed (Dalat) Shrike-babbler, Black Bulbul, Green-backed (Langbian) Tit, and Chestnut-vented Nuthatch all showed well.
Day 8, 21st March 2023. Da Lat Plateau to Di Linh (birding Nui Sun Pass)
Our final birding session in Da Lat saw us up in the mountains, birding from roads aiming to pick up mixed flocks. This tactic proved very successful, and we found our main target, Vietnamese Cutia in two such flocks. This wasn’t the only highlight though, as we also found Black-headed Parrotbill, Black-throated (Grey-crowned) Bushtit, Maroon Oriole, and Collared Owlet using this method. Additional species seen in the mixed flocks included Large Cuckooshrike, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Red (Dalat) Crossbill, White-browed (Dalat) Shrike-babbler, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Green-backed (Langbian) Tit, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Little Pied Flycatcher, Grey-chinned Minivet, and Long-tailed Minivet. We had a very low flyover by a Grey-faced Buzzard and also noted both Siberian House Martin and Asian House Martin overhead.
After a final lunch in Da Lat, we left the city and transferred towards Di Linh, our base for the next two nights. Along the way however, we stopped for some birding from a bird blind (bird hide) where we found some incredible birds. Top of the list of jaw-dropping birds was the pair of Indochinese Green Magpies that came in and showed extremely well (see photo in summary section of this report), what a special bird. Other highlights included Silver-breasted Broadbill, Black-headed Parrotbill, Black-chinned Yuhina, White-bellied Erpornis, Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, Orange-headed Thrush (two subspecies), White-throated Rock Thrush, Alström’s Warbler, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, Blue-and-white Flycatcher, and Mugimaki Flycatcher. This was a great blind session with constant activity keeping us on our toes throughout.
Day 9, 22nd March 2023. Di Linh (birding Nui Sun Pass)
We visited a bird blind (bird hide) in the morning with one target in mind, Blue Pitta. After a while we glimpsed a female and male skirting around the back of our viewing area a couple of times, but they didn’t show well, or for everyone, it was rather frustrating. We decided to stick it out a bit longer and were handsomely rewarded when the pristine male, which had been rather shy up until this point, hopped right out in the open giving close and open views for what seemed like an age! What an incredible bird, our fourth and final pitta species seen on the tour.
This male Blue Pitta teased us by giving fleeting glimpses for a couple of hours before eventually popping right out into the open giving us those much-hoped-for views.
As much as the pitta was the clear highlight of the morning, we also had Large Scimitar Babbler, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, and White-browed Scimitar Babbler visit the blind, three usually secretive species that showed well feeding and bathing. An Orange-breasted Trogon made a couple of brief appearances too, and the rest of the supporting cast included Orange-headed Thrush, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, and White-throated Rock Thrush.
In the afternoon we called in to some rice paddies, finding Chinese Pond Heron (a couple in breeding plumage), Little Egret, Coppersmith Barbet, Black-collared Starling, Great Myna, Vinous-breasted Starling, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Ashy Woodswallow, and Black-winged Kite. After this stop we went back to the forest, where some roadside birding gave us great views of a couple of Long-tailed Broadbills – a crazy looking bird! We also saw Barred Cuckoo-Dove, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Yellow-vented Green Pigeon, Indochinese Barbet, and Black-chinned Yuhina.
Day 10, 23rd March 2023. Di Linh to Ho Chi Minh City, flight to Pleiku, and on to Mang Den
A travel day as we made our way into central Vietnam. We left Di Linh after breakfast, took the long drive back to Ho Chi Minh City, where we boarded a short flight to Pleiku. From Pleiku we drove to Mang Den, arriving at our base for the next couple of nights in the early evening.
Day 11, 24th March 2023. Birding Mang Den
We spent the morning birding session along forested roads in the Mang Den area, although there was a depressing amount of deforestation to deal with. We did however find a few new birds or improved views of several species we’d seen before. Some of the better birds of the morning included Rufous-faced Warbler, Pale Blue Flycatcher, Black-chinned Yuhina, Short-billed Minivet, Grey-chinned Minivet, Black-throated (Grey-crowned) Bushtit, Crested Goshawk, Crested Serpent Eagle, and Black Bulbul (both black-headed and white-headed subspecies). A White-winged Magpie teased us with a very brief view but wouldn’t give us anything more! One of the most interesting non-avian finds involved a sighting of the rare Sokolov’s Glass Lizard, a strange thing that looked a bit like a skink and a bit like a snake, it even hung around long enough for us to get some photos to clinch the identification, this species has a tiny known global range!
We’d planned to go to a bird blind (bird hide) for the afternoon, however on arrival at our location it was clear a thunderstorm was approaching and a short while later it hit us. We sat it out in our vehicle for a while, but it was obvious it wasn’t improving so we decided to drop down off the mountain and call it a day. A small section of rice paddies held Little Egret, Eastern Cattle Egret, and Chinese Pond Heron, as well as both Long-tailed Shrike and Brown Shrike. After our dinner and checklist session a few of the group had a Grey Nightjar fly over the hotel.
Day 12, 25th March 2023. Birding Mang Den and travel to Tu Mo Rong
After the rain of the previous afternoon, we were relieved to wake to a dry morning. We headed straight back up the mountain to our spot from the previous day and built a quick bird blind (bird hide) in a promising-looking area of forest. We were expecting a bit of a wait and were ready for the long haul, so when a pair of Chestnut-eared Laughingthrushes, our main target bird, hopped into view after only two minutes we were all rather elated! As we’d gone to the effort of building a blind/hide, we decided to give it another 30 minutes or so to see what would happen. We had a few more sightings of the laughingthrushes, in fact there were three birds, and a pair of Mountain Fulvettas came in too.
The main reason for our visit to Mang Den was to see Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush. This Vietnam near-endemic is listed as Vulnerable (BirdLife International) because it is known from one site, is likely to have a very small global range, and is susceptible to a range of threats, such as rampant deforestation and the illegal cage bird trade. Worrying times for this species!
Satisfied with our laughingthrushes we covered some of the same ground as the previous morning and found a few mixed flocks and several new trip birds such as Clicking Shrike-babbler, Golden Babbler, and Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler. In addition, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Maroon Oriole, Short-billed Minivet, Black-chinned Yuhina, White-bellied Erpornis, and Kloss’s Leaf Warbler all put in appearances too.
In the afternoon we travelled to our base for the next two nights at Tu Mo Rong near Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, and prepared for what we hoped would be an exciting day of Vietnamese birding.
Day 13, 26th March 2023. Birding Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve
We had an enjoyable morning at Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, seeing some very special birds. On arrival at the nature reserve we hiked up into the mountains through some beautiful forest for an hour or so, until we reached our bird blind (bird hide). We waited patiently for our two main target birds to come in, and it was an enjoyable wait with several new species seen, including Indochinese Fulvetta, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler, Black-headed (Brownish-backed) Sibia, Large Niltava, Fujian Niltava, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, and Snowy-browed Flycatcher. Our first major target bird came in quite quickly, and what an absolute belter – Red-tailed Laughingthrush. A single individual came in and spent quite a while on show for us, just incredible.
We found the rarely seen hoae subspecies of Vietnamese Cutia in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve.
We had to wait a bit longer for our main target, but eventually in it came, the rare endemic Golden-winged Laughingthrush, an Endangered (BirdLife International) species found only at three sites in the whole world (see photo in trip summary above). This species was only described in 1999 and is threatened by habitat loss and illegal trapping, so we were extremely happy to see it.
After our session in the blind/hide, we took the walk back down off the mountain, and while doing so found a few interesting birds, such as Black-crowned Barwing, Vietnamese Cutia, White-browed (formerly, until recently, Blyth’s) Shrike-babbler, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Grey-cheeked Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, and Green-tailed Sunbird. In the mid-afternoon we headed back to our accommodation and took some rest.
Day 14, 27th March 2023. Tu Mo Rong to Da Nang and mammal watching on the Son Tra Peninsula
Essentially a travel day as we made the long drive from Tu Mo Rong to Da Nang through some special landscapes. A few stops along the way gave us some new birds for the tour, such as Yellow-cheeked Tit, Pygmy Flycatcher, White-throated Needletail, Blue Rock Thrush, White-rumped Munia, White (Siberian) Wagtail, Wire-tailed Swallow, and Striated Swallow.
After checking into our hotel for the final night of the tour we visited the Son Tra Nature Reserve, where, despite the low cloud, wind, and drizzle, we found our target, the simply incredible Red-shanked Douc Langur. As far as monkeys go, this one is very special, not only is it beautiful, but it is also Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List).
We saw two family groups of the unique Red-shanked Douc Langur in Son Tra Nature Reserve, a really nice way to end our tour through central and southern Vietnam. Full mammal and reptile species lists for the tour are given at the end of the report.
Day 15, 28th March 2023. Bird and mammal watching on Son Tra Peninsula, flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, where tour concluded
We had a final morning birding and mammal watching at Son Tra Peninsula before we flew back to Ho Chin Minh City, where this exciting Vietnam birding tour concluded. We again enjoyed excellent views of a family group of Red-shanked Douc Langurs. Our final new bird of the tour was a Peregrine Falcon that was mobbing a Crested Honey Buzzard, an exciting observation. We also saw White-crested Laughingthrush, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Racket-tailed Treepie, Olive-backed Sunbird, and Crimson Sunbird.
After breakfast we discussed the coveted “bird of the trip”, and it was no easy task with high-quality birds day after day on this tour. However, one bird stood out from the crowd, just, and that was the displaying Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, a great choice. Other notable mentions went to all of the pittas, broadbills, kingfishers, and laughingthrushes we had seen.
We took our flights from Da Nang back to Ho Chi Minh City and the tour concluded. A huge thank you to our local guide, Phuc, for helping to make this a wonderful tour, and to our drivers for safe travels. Thank you to everyone for making this such an enjoyable Vietnamese birding tour.
Bird List – Following IOC (13.1)
Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, all other species were seen. The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International: EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable.
Common Name Scientific Name
Pheasants & Allies (Phasianidae)
Orange-necked Partridge Arborophila davidi
Siamese Fireback Lophura diardi
Green Peafowl - EN Pavo muticus
Green-legged Partridge Tropicoperdix chloropus
Germain's Peacock-Pheasant Polyplectron germaini
Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus
Chinese Francolin Francolinus pintadeanus
Nightjars (Caprimulgidae)
Great Eared Nightjar Lyncornis macrotis
Grey Nightjar (H) Caprimulgus jotaka
Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus
Swifts (Apodidae)
Himalayan Swiftlet Aerodramus brevirostris
Germain's Swiftlet Aerodramus germani
White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus
Silver-backed Needletail Hirundapus cochinchinensis
Brown-backed Needletail Hirundapus giganteus
Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis
Pacific Swift Apus pacificus
House Swift Apus nipalensis
Cuckoos (Cuculidae)
Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis
Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis
Green-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus tristis
Chestnut-winged Cuckoo Clamator coromandus
Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus
Violet Cuckoo Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus
Banded Bay Cuckoo Cacomantis sonneratii
Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinus
Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris
Large Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides
Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus
Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae)
Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon) Columba livia dom.
Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica
Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis
Barred Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia unchall
Common Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica
Zebra Dove Geopelia striata
Ashy-headed Green Pigeon Treron phayrei
Thick-billed Green Pigeon Treron curvirostra
Pin-tailed Green Pigeon Treron apicauda
Yellow-vented Green Pigeon Treron seimundi
Green Imperial Pigeon Ducula aenea
Mountain Imperial Pigeon Ducula badia
Plovers (Charadriidae)
Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae)
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae)
Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger
Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae)
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus
Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus
Great Egret Ardea alba
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae)
Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus
Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus
Jerdon's Baza Aviceda jerdoni
Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela
Black Eagle Ictinaetus malaiensis
Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus
Shikra Accipiter badius
Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus
Owls (Strigidae)
Collared Owlet Taenioptynx brodiei
Asian Barred Owlet (H) Glaucidium cuculoides
Collared Scops Owl (H) Otus lettia
Trogons (Trogonidae)
Orange-breasted Trogon Harpactes oreskios
Red-headed Trogon (H) Harpactes erythrocephalus
Hoopoes (Upupidae)
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
Hornbills (Bucerotidae)
Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris
Rollers (Coraciidae)
Indochinese Roller Coracias affinis
Oriental Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis
Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)
Banded Kingfisher Lacedo pulchella
White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
Bee-eaters (Meropidae)
Blue-bearded Bee-eater Nyctyornis athertoni
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaulti
Asian Barbets (Megalaimidae)
Red-vented Barbet Psilopogon lagrandieri
Lineated Barbet Psilopogon lineatus
Green-eared Barbet Psilopogon faiostrictus
Necklaced Barbet Psilopogon auricularis
Indochinese Barbet Psilopogon annamensis
Blue-eared Barbet Psilopogon duvaucelii
Coppersmith Barbet Psilopogon haemacephalus
Woodpeckers (Picidae)
White-browed Piculet Sasia ochracea
Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Yungipicus canicapillus
Stripe-breasted Woodpecker (H) Dendrocopos atratus
White-bellied Woodpecker Dryocopus javensis
Lesser Yellownape Picus chlorolophus
Laced Woodpecker Picus vittatus
Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus
Common Flameback Dinopium javanense
Greater Flameback (H) Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus
Pale-headed Woodpecker (H) Gecinulus grantia
Bay Woodpecker (H) Blythipicus pyrrhotis
Black-and-buff Woodpecker Meiglyptes jugularis
Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae)
Collared Falconet Microhierax caerulescens
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
Old World Parrots (Psittaculidae)
Red-breasted Parakeet Psittacula alexandri
Vernal Hanging Parrot Loriculus vernalis
Typical Broadbills (Eurylaimidae)
Long-tailed Broadbill Psarisomus dalhousiae
Silver-breasted Broadbill Serilophus lunatus
Black-and-red Broadbill Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos
Banded Broadbill Eurylaimus javanicus
Pittas (Pittidae)
Rusty-naped Pitta Hydrornis oatesi
Blue-rumped Pitta Hydrornis soror
Blue Pitta Hydrornis cyaneus
Bar-bellied Pitta Hydrornis elliotii
Vangas & Allies (Vangidae)
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus picatus
Large Woodshrike Tephrodornis virgatus
Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies (Artamidae)
Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus
Ioras (Aegithinidae)
Common Iora Aegithina tiphia
Great Iora Aegithina lafresnayei
Cuckooshrikes (Campephagidae)
Grey-chinned Minivet Pericrocotus solaris
Short-billed Minivet Pericrocotus brevirostris
Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus
Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus speciosus
Swinhoe's Minivet Pericrocotus cantonensis
Large Cuckooshrike Coracina macei
Indochinese Cuckooshrike Lalage polioptera
Shrikes (Laniidae)
Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus
Burmese Shrike Lanius collurioides
Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers (Vireonidae)
White-browed (Dalat) Shrike-babbler Pteruthius aeralatus annamensis
White-browed (Blyth’s) Shrike-babbler Pteruthius aeralatus aeralatus
Clicking Shrike-babbler Pteruthius intermedius
White-bellied Erpornis Erpornis zantholeuca
Figbirds, Old World Orioles, Piopios (Oriolidae)
Maroon Oriole Oriolus traillii
Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus
Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis
Drongos (Dicruridae)
Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus remifer
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus
Hair-crested Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus
Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus
Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
Fantails (Rhipiduridae)
White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis
Monarchs (Monarchidae)
Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea
Crows, Jays (Corvidae)
Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius
White-winged Magpie Urocissa whiteheadi
Indochinese Green Magpie Cissa hypoleuca
Racket-tailed Treepie Crypsirina temia
Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
Fairy Flycatchers (Stenostiridae)
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
Tits, Chickadees (Paridae)
Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus
Yellow-cheeked Tit Machlolophus spilonotus
Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae)
Ochraceous Bulbul Alophoixus ochraceus
Grey-eyed Bulbul Iole propinqua
Ashy Bulbul Hemixos flavala
Mountain Bulbul Ixos mcclellandii
Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus
Black-headed Bulbul Brachypodius melanocephalos
Black-crested Bulbul Rubigula flaviventris
Streak-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus conradi
Stripe-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus finlaysoni
Flavescent Bulbul Pycnonotus flavescens
Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus
Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster
Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae)
Dusky Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne concolor
Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Siberian House Martin Delichon lagopodum
Asian House Martin Delichon dasypus
Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica
Striated Swallow Cecropis striolata
Cupwings (Pnoepygidae)
Pygmy Cupwing (H) Pnoepyga pusilla
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies (Cettiidae)
Rufous-faced Warbler Abroscopus albogularis
Mountain Tailorbird Phyllergates cucullatus
Grey-bellied Tesia Tesia cyaniventer
Bushtits (Aegithalidae)
Black-throated Bushtit Aegithalos concinnus
Leaf Warblers (Phylloscopidae)
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
White-spectacled Warbler (H) Phylloscopus intermedius
Grey-cheeked Warbler Phylloscopus poliogenys
Alström's Warbler Phylloscopus soror
Two-barred Warbler Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes
Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis
Chestnut-crowned Warbler Phylloscopus castaniceps
Blyth's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus reguloides
Kloss's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus ogilviegranti
Grassbirds & Allies (Locustellidae)
Dalat Bush Warbler (H) Locustella idonea
Cisticolas & Allies (Cisticolidae)
Hill Prinia Prinia superciliaris
Yellow-bellied Prinia (H) Prinia flaviventris
Plain Prinia Prinia inornata
Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius
Dark-necked Tailorbird Orthotomus atrogularis
Parrotbills & Allies (Paradoxornithidae)
Golden-breasted Fulvetta Lioparus chrysotis
Indochinese Fulvetta Fulvetta danisi
Black-headed Parrotbill - VU Psittiparus margaritae
White-eyes (Zosteropidae)
Black-chinned Yuhina Yuhina nigrimenta
Indian White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus
Babblers, Scimitar Babblers (Timaliidae)
Chestnut-capped Babbler Timalia pileata
Grey-faced Tit-Babbler Mixornis kelleyi
Pin-striped Tit-Babbler Mixornis gularis
Golden Babbler Cyanoderma chrysaeum
Rufous-capped Babbler Cyanoderma ruficeps
Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus phayrei
Red-billed Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps
White-browed Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus schisticeps
Large Scimitar Babbler Erythrogenys hypoleucos
Grey-throated Babbler Stachyris nigriceps
Ground Babblers (Pellorneidae)
Scaly-crowned Babbler Malacopteron cinereum
Rufous-winged Fulvetta Schoeniparus castaneceps
Rusty-capped Fulvetta Schoeniparus dubius
Puff-throated Babbler Pellorneum ruficeps
Buff-breasted Babbler Pellorneum tickelli
Abbott's Babbler Malacocincla abbotti
Streaked Wren-Babbler Gypsophila brevicaudata
Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler Napothera danjoui
Alcippe Fulvettas (Alcippeidae)
Mountain Fulvetta Alcippe peracensis
Laughingthrushes & Allies (Leiothrichidae)
Vietnamese Cutia Cutia legalleni
Grey-crowned Crocias - EN Laniellus langbianis
Red-tailed Laughingthrush Trochalopteron milnei
Golden-winged Laughingthrush - EN Trochalopteron ngoclinhense
Black-headed Sibia Heterophasia desgodinsi
Blue-winged Minla Actinodura cyanouroptera
Black-crowned Barwing Actinodura sodangorum
Silver-eared Mesia - EN (H) Leiothrix argentauris
White-crested Laughingthrush Garrulax leucolophus
Black-hooded Laughingthrush (H) Garrulax milleti
Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush - VU Ianthocincla konkakinhensis
White-cheeked Laughingthrush Pterorhinus vassali
Fairy-bluebirds (Irenidae)
Asian Fairy-bluebird Irena puella
Nuthatches (Sittidae)
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis
Yellow-billed Nuthatch Sitta solangiae
Chestnut-vented Nuthatch Sitta nagaensis
Starlings, Rhabdornises (Sturnidae)
Golden-crested Myna Ampeliceps coronatus
Common Hill Myna Gracula religiosa
Great Myna Acridotheres grandis
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
Vinous-breasted Myna Acridotheres leucocephalus
Black-collared Starling Gracupica nigricollis
Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnia malabarica
Thrushes (Turdidae)
Dark-sided Thrush Zoothera marginata
Siberian Thrush Geokichla sibirica
Orange-headed Thrush Geokichla citrina
Eyebrowed Thrush Turdus obscurus
Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae)
Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis
White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus
Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica
Rufous-browed Flycatcher Anthipes solitaris
Hainan Blue Flycatcher Cyornis hainanus
Pale Blue Flycatcher Cyornis unicolor
Indochinese Blue Flycatcher Cyornis sumatrensis
Fujian Niltava Niltava davidi
Large Niltava Niltava grandis
Blue-and-white Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana
Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassinus
Lesser Shortwing Brachypteryx leucophris
Siberian Blue Robin Larvivora cyane
White-tailed Robin Myiomela leucura
Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki
Pygmy Flycatcher Ficedula hodgsoni
Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher Ficedula strophiata
Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni
Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra
Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla
Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
White-throated Rock Thrush Monticola gularis
Amur Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri
Pied Bush Chat Saxicola caprata
Grey Bush Chat Saxicola ferreus
Leafbirds (Chloropseidae)
Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis moluccensis
Golden-fronted Leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons
Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae)
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker Dicaeum ignipectus
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum
Sunbirds (Nectariniidae)
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Chalcoparia singalensis
Van Hasselt's Sunbird Leptocoma brasiliana
Olive-backed Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis
Mrs. Gould's Sunbird Aethopyga gouldiae
Green-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga nipalensis
Black-throated Sunbird Aethopyga saturata
Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja
Purple-naped Sunbird Kurochkinegramma hypogrammicum
Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra
Streaked Spiderhunter Arachnothera magna
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae)
Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata
White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata
Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae)
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
White Wagtail Motacilla alba
Finches, Euphonias (Fringillidae)
Vietnamese Greenfinch Chloris monguilloti
Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
Total seen 263
Total heard only 14
Total recorded 277
Reptile List
Deceased reptiles are marked with (D) after the common name.
Common Name Scientific Name
Dragons (Agamidae)
Crowned Pricklenape Acanthosaura coronata
Spotted Flying Dragon Draco maculatus
Gekkonidae (Geckos)
Asian House Gecko Hemidactylus platyurus
Flat-tailed House Gecko Hemidactylus platyurus
Tokay Gecko Gekko gecko
Skinks (Scincidae)
Common Mabuya Eutropis multifasciata
Spotted Forest Skink Sphenomorphus maculatus
Glass and Alligator Lizards (Anguidae)
Sokolov’s Glass Lizard Dopasia sokolovi
Colubrid Snakes (Colubridae)
Green Cat Snake Boiga cyanea
Speckle-bellied Keelback Rhabdophis chrysargos
Javan (Indochinese) Rat Snake Ptyas korros
Typical Blind Snakes (Typhlopidae)
Brahminy Blindsnake (D) Indotyphlops braminus
Total 12
Mammal List
Common Name Scientific Name
Old World Monkeys (Cercopithecidae)
Northern Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca leonina
Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta
Black-shanked Douc Langur Pygathrix nigripes
Red-shanked Douc Langur Pygathrix nemaeus
Gibbons (Hylobatidae)
Red-cheeked (Yellow-cheeked) Gibbon Nomascus gabriellae
Deer (Cervidae)
Sambar Rusa unicolor
Northern Red Muntjac Muntiacus vaginalis
Chevrotains (Tragulidae)
Lesser Oriental Chevrotain Tragulus kanchil
Squirrels (Sciuridae)
Berdmore’s (Indochinese Ground) Squirrel Menetes berdmorei
Pallas’s Squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus
(Asian) Red-cheeked Squirrel Dremomys rufigenis
Cambodian Striped Squirrel Tamiops rodolphii
Maritime Striped Squirrel Tamiops maritimus
Treeshrews (Tupaiidae)
Northern Treeshrew Tupaia belangeri
Northern Smooth-tailed Treeshrew Dendrogale murina
Mustelids (Mustelidae)
Yellow-throated Marten Martes flavigula
Suids (Suidae)
Wild Boar Sus scrofa
Bovids (Bovidae)
Domestic Water Buffalo Bubalus bubalis
Total 18