Birding Tour Vietnam: Southern and Central Vietnam Endemics and Specialties

Birding Tour Vietnam: Southern and Central Vietnam: Endemics and Regional Specials

Extra-small-group birding tour

March 2026/2027

This extra-small, small-group birdwatching tour to central and southern Vietnam starts and ends in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. This birding tour is a guaranteed departure with just four tour participants and has a maximum of just five tour participants, making it one of the most exclusive birding tours in Vietnam, with unrivalled viewing opportunities of great birds.

Bar-bellied Pitta, one of the stunning near-endemic targets on this exciting tour.

The tour focusses on finding as many of the endemic, near-endemic, and special birds of the region and provides excellent opportunities for anyone wanting to photograph Asian birds. We will visit the well-known sites of Cat Tien National Park, the Da Lat and Di Linh Plateaus, Mang Den, and Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, as well as some less-well-publicized sites for specific target birds. By being in a very small group we will be able to utilize a series of bird blinds (bird hides), which will allow for some excellent photographic opportunities and close-up views of some of the key (and often secretive) species outlined below. A small group will also be beneficial when birding within the forest environments, enabling everyone to stand a higher chance of gaining great views of the many birds that are possible on this very exciting tour.

Some of the key species we will look for during the tour include, but are certainly not limited to, Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, Blue Pitta, Rusty-naped Pitta, Siamese Fireback, Silver Pheasant, Green Peafowl, Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, Orange-necked Partridge, Pale-headed Woodpecker, Necklaced Barbet, Red-vented Barbet, Long-tailed Broadbill, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Green Cochoa, Orange-breasted Laughingthrush, Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush, Golden-winged Laughingthrush, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Black-hooded Laughingthrush, Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler, Red-tailed Minla, Indochinese Fulvetta, Black-crowned Barwing, Short-billed Scimitar Babbler, Indochinese Green Magpie, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Dalat Bush Warbler, Vietnamese Greenfinch, Vietnamese Cutia, Grey-crowned Crocias, and plenty more. The tour also offers excellent animals, including gibbons, monkeys, and interesting reptiles.

The striking Indochinese Green Magpie can be seen on this tour.

Detailed Itinerary (16 days/15 nights)

Day 1. Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

After your arrival in Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport, you will be met by our hotel representatives and transferred the short distance to our hotel. Your time today is at your leisure. We will have a group welcome meal at our hotel in the evening.

Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City

Day 2. Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Cat Tien National Park

We will depart our hotel early and get some breakfast along the way. We will spend the morning and early afternoon in some bird blinds (bird hides) halfway between Ho Chi Minh City and Cat Tien National Park, where we will hope to find Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, Orange-necked Partridge, Indochinese Green Magpie, and Siamese Fireback, as well as a range of babblers and bulbuls. Although this is the first birding we do of the whole tour, it’s likely to rate as one of the best mornings on the tour, with many highlight species possible.

We will look for Blue-rumped Pitta during the tour.

In the afternoon we will complete our journey to Cat Tien National Park, one of the best-protected lowland forest reserves in Vietnam and all of Indochina. We will arrive for our three-night stay in the late afternoon.

Overnight: Cat Tien National Park

Days 3 – 4. Birding at Cat Tien National Park

Cat Tien was the first national park to be established in southern Vietnam. The park has an impressive bird list, with more than 300 species recorded, including several globally threatened species and Indochinese endemics, such as Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, Orange-necked Partridge (with luck), Siamese Fireback, Green Peafowl, Pale-headed Woodpecker, Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, and Grey-faced Tit-Babbler.

Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant is a target while birding at Cat Tien National Park.

There are literally hundreds of species to look for in the national park and other birds we will hope for during our stay include Ashy-headed Green Pigeon, Orange-breasted Trogon, Banded Broadbill, Black-and-red Broadbill, Dusky Broadbill, Violet Cuckoo, Great Hornbill, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Banded Kingfisher, White-crested Laughingthrush, White-bellied Woodpecker, Black-and-buff Woodpecker, Great Eared Nightjar, Large-tailed Nightjar, and Blyth’s Frogmouth. In addition to birds, Cat Tien’s forests are an important refuge for Black-shanked Douc Langur, one of the least-known primates in Asia, and Red-cheeked (Yellow-cheeked) Gibbon and we will look for both of these during the tour. The sound of the whooping and screaming gibbons is the sound of the early morning here and is super impressive.

Our time here will offer some great birds and wildlife. The accommodation and food here is basic, but the bird/wildlife sightings make it worthwhile and an essential stop on any birding tour of Vietnam, the national park is that special. The temperatures here climb steeply during the day and so we will have early morning and late afternoon birding sessions, with the middle part of the day spent sitting out the heat.

Overnight (two nights): Cat Tien National Park

Day 5. Cat Tien National Park to Da Lat

We will have a final early morning birding session at Cat Tien National Park before we head north to the Da Lat Plateau during the middle of the day. We will have lunch along the way and will get on with some afternoon birding near Da Lat city after our arrival, where we will look for Red-vented Barbet, Long-tailed Broadbill, and other interesting targets.

Overnight: Da Lat

Days 6 – 7. Birding at Da Lat Plateau

We have two full days to explore the excellent birding sites around Da Lat, and we will focus on Ta Nung Valley, Ho Tuyen Lam (Tuyen Lam Lake), and Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park. We will spend one day utilizing bird blinds (bird hides) for a range of special birds and will birdwatch along forest trails and remote roadsides to mop up our many target birds.

Ta Nung Valley is a small remnant evergreen forest patch, where we will look for the rare and endemic Grey-crowned Crocias, along with White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Blue-winged Minla (a distinct local subspecies known as “Plain Minla”), Rufous-backed Sibia, Black-headed Sibia, Vietnamese Greenfinch, and Black-throated Sunbird (also a very distinct subspecies, known as “Langbian Sunbird”), all of which can be found here.

Grey-crowned Crocias is not known from many sites, it is an Endangered (BirdLife International) Vietnamese endemic, found in in the montane zone of central Annam, Vietnam.

Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park is one of the five largest national parks in Vietnam. Vietnamese endemics found here include Black-crowned Fulvetta, Dalat Bush Warbler, and Collared Laughingthrush. Other target birds in this national park include Rusty-naped Pitta, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, White-spectacled Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Mrs. Gould’s (Annam) Sunbird, Spotted Forktail, Black-throated (Grey-crowned) Bushtit, Hume’s Treecreeper, Grey-bellied Tesia, Dark-sided Thrush, Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler, and a very distinctive endemic subspecies of Red (Dalat) Crossbill.

Collared Laughingthrush is a beautiful yet rare Vietnamese endemic.

Ho Tuyen Lam (Tuyen Lam Lake) is a man-made lake just outside the town. Vietnamese endemics found here include Vietnamese Cutia, Grey-crowned Crocias, and Vietnamese Greenfinch. Other target birds from this area could include Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Black-headed Sibia, Black-headed Parrotbill, Burmese Shrike, Black-collared Starling, Vinous-breasted Myna, and Slender-billed Oriole, as well as many others.

Overnight (two nights): Da Lat

Day 8. Da Lat Plateau to Di Linh (Birding at Nui San Pass)

We will have a final morning of birding around the Da Lat area. Later we will drive to Nui San Pass (Deo Suoi Lanh near Di Linh town), a forested pass along the road from Di Linh to Phan Thiet. Here we will look for one of the most beautiful birds in the region, Indochinese Green Magpie, along with near-endemic Black-headed Parrotbill. Other possibilities include Silver-breasted Broadbill, Black-hooded Laughingthrush, Red-vented Barbet, Orange-headed Thrush, Black-chinned Yuhina, and Hainan Blue Flycatcher.

Overnight: Di Linh

Day 9. Di Linh (Birding at Nui San Pass)

We will have a morning birding at Nui San Pass area to look for Blue Pitta, and other targets such as Indochinese Green Magpie, Black-headed Parrotbill, Black-hooded Laughingthrush, Red-vented Barbet, Bar-backed Partridge, Collared Babbler, Yellow-vented Green Pigeon, Silver Pheasant, Maroon Oriole, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, Long-tailed Broadbill, Orange-headed Thrush, Orange-breasted Trogon, and Red-headed Trogon.

In the afternoon we will travel back to Ho Chi Minh City to be well placed for our early morning flight the following day.

Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City.

Blue Pitta is a stunning bird, and we hope to see it during the tour.

Day 10. Morning flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Pleiku then travel to and birding at Mang Den

We will fly from Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Pleiku airport, Kon Tum Province in Central Vietnam. After arrival at Pleiku we will drive to Mang Den, our first birding stop in Central Vietnam.

We plan on spending the afternoon in a bird blind (bird hide) looking for one of our top targets in the region, the increasingly rare, recently discovered, and endemic Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush. We will also have a back-up opportunity the following day if needed and there are lots of other excellent birds on offer in this area.

Overnight: Mang Den

We will search for the declining Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush while at Mang Den.

Day 11. Birding at Mang Den

We will spend the morning and afternoon birding sessions near Mang Den, where we will continue our search for Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush, if required. Other specials of Mang Den, of which there are many, include Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Black-hooded Laughingthrush, Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, White-winged Magpie, Rufous-faced Warbler, and Grey-headed Parrotbill.

Overnight: Mang Den

Day 12. Mang Den to Tu Mo Rong

There will be time for some early morning birding at Mang Den looking for more of the above species. In the afternoon we head further north to the rural village of Tu Mo Rong, where we will arrive in the late afternoon at our very basic accommodation for two nights.

Overnight: Tu Mo Rong

Day 13. Birding at Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve

We will spend the majority of the day birding at Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve. This is a really special area, where two species (Golden-winged Laughingthrush and Black-crowned Barwing) were described to science as recently as the 1990s! These new species were originally found by BirdLife International expeditions to the remote Mount Ngoc Linh (2,598 meters / 8,520 feet), which is the highest peak of the Central Highlands. We will of course be looking for these two key species, but plenty of other species are possible, such as Indochinese Fulvetta, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Green Shrike-babbler, Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler, Red-tailed Minla, Green Cochoa, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, and Rusty-capped Fulvetta.

One of our targets at Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve is Golden-winged Laughingthrush.

We will be looking for the localized Black-crowned Barwing during our Vietnam bird tour.

Here we might find an interesting mixed flock or two which could hold interesting species like Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Grey-cheeked Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Pygmy Flycatcher, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Mountain Bulbul, White-browed (formerly Blyth’s) Shrike-babbler, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Silver-eared Mesia, and Vietnamese Cutia.

During our time in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, we will bird forest trails, remote mountain roadsides, and make use of two bird blinds (bird hides) which may offer excellent photo opportunities of some of the most desired species.

Overnight: Tu Mo Rong

Day 14. Tu Mo Rong to Da Nang

Today, is a long travel day as we make our way from Tu Mo Rong in the mountains down to Da Nang, Vietnam’s third largest city, on the coast. We will make a couple of birding stops along the way and stop for breaks and lunch as needed. We might spot some interesting birds during some of these breaks, such as Wire-tailed Swallow and Striated Swallow.

Depending on our timings and how tired we are (and the weather situation), we might have time to visit the nearby Son Tra Nature Reserve, where we will look for the Critically Endangered (The International Union for Conservation of Nature – IUCN) Red-shanked Douc Langur. If we don’t have time this afternoon, we will be covering the site looking for the monkey and other birds the following morning in any case.

Overnight: Da Nang

Red-shanked Douc Langur is one special and attractive animal, and we will be looking for them at the end of the tour near the city of Da Nang.

Day 15. Bird and mammal watching on the Son Tra Peninsula, afternoon flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City

The final morning of the tour will be spent bird and mammal watching at the Son Tra Peninsula. We will look for the rather special Red-shanked Douc Langur as our main target, one highly desired primate. We might find some interesting birds while looking for the monkeys, such as White-crested Laughingthrush, Racket-tailed Treepie, Indochinese Blue Flycatcher, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Ornate Sunbird, and Crimson Sunbird.

After lunch we will fly from Da Nang back to Ho Chi Minh City for the final night of the tour. We will have a final group meal together in the evening and will try and decide on a “bird of the trip”, which we can assure you will be no easy task based on previous experiences here!

Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City

The striking Crimson (Goulpourah) Sunbird.

Day 16. Tour concludes with international departure from Ho Chi Minh City

A non-birding day. The tour concludes with your departure from Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City anytime during the day. Please note that breakfast is included today but no other meals are included. Also note that the hotel check-out time is noon, if you intend to stay beyond check-out time additional fees will be payable to the hotel and will depend on their availability situation.

Overnight: Not included

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different international guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling.

Birding Southern and Central Vietnam: Endemics and Specials Set Departure Trip Report, March 2025

25 MARCH – 09 APRIL 2025

By Andrew Walker

Bar-bellied Pitta gave excellent views while we were birding in Vietnam.

Overview

This exciting Vietnam bird tour covered the southern and central regions of the country and resulted in many great birds, some excellent photographic opportunities, and was a great deal of fun. The tour started in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on the 25^th of March 2025 and ended back there on the 9^th of April 2025. We visited some of the best birding sites in Vietnam, such as Ma Da Forest, Cat Tien National Park, Da Lat plateau, Deo Nui San pass, Mang Den forests, Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, the picturesque Son Tra Nature Reserve near Da Nang, and Hoi An beach.

Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant was a much hoped for target that indeed showed very well.

We recorded 320 bird species (11 heard only), including many endemic and near-endemic species, the trip list follows the report (you can also click here for the eBird trip report). Some non-passerine tour highlights seen included Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, Green Peafowl, Silver Pheasant, Lesser Adjutant, White-faced Plover, Oriental Plover, Great Eared Nightjar, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Banded Kingfisher, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Orange-breasted Trogon, Pale-headed Woodpecker, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Indochinese Barbet, Necklaced Barbet, and Collared Falconet. We also apparently found Vietnam’s first confirmed (documented) record of Siberian Sand Plover (see Day 15 account)!

Vietnamese Cutia was a highlight and we enjoyed watching a family group of four birds.

Some of the passerine highlights seen on the tour included Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, Blue Pitta, Long-tailed Broadbill, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Black-and-red Broadbill, Dusky Broadbill, Vietnamese Cutia, Grey-crowned Crocias, White-browed (Dalat) Shrike-babbler, Scaly-crowned (Indochinese) Babbler, Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Black-hooded Laughingthrush, Golden-winged Laughingthrush, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Black-crowned Barwing, Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler, Black-headed Parrotbill, (Black-crested) Sultan Tit, Black-throated (Grey-crowned) Bushtit, Spotted Forktail, Dalat Bush Warbler, Annam Prinia, Mrs. Gould’s (Annam) Sunbird, Black-throated (Langbian) Sunbird, Vietnamese Greenfinch, and Red (Dalat) Crossbill.

Silver-breasted Broadbills gave unparalleled and extremely close views during the tour.

Detailed Report

Day 1, 25^th March 2025. Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Most of the group assembled at our comfortable hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. We met for a welcome dinner in the evening and discussed, with much excitement, the plans for the next two weeks of birding in Vietnam.

Day 2, 26^th March 2025. Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Cat Tien National Park

We met up with our excellent local guide and departed Ho Chi Minh City with a packed breakfast, with the plan of spending the morning and early afternoon birding at Ma Da Forest, which is well situated halfway between Ho Chi Minh City and Cat Tien National Park.

After leaving the city we stopped in a café, where we carried out some incidental birding over breakfast and a drink (which essentially turned into birding with an incidental breakfast!). This stop proved great fun and we saw White-browed Crake, Slaty-breasted Rail, Cinnamon Bittern, Oriental Darter, Little Cormorant, Greater Coucal, Asian Koel, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Malaysian Pied Fantail, Oriental Reed Warbler, Black-browed Reed Warbler, Eastern Red-rumped (Daurian) Swallow, Pied Bush Chat,and Plain-backed Sparrow.

We then went to a bird blind (bird hide) in Ma Da Forest, where we waited in anticipation to see what came into view. We didn’t need to wait too long, with several great birds in very quickly. The highlights were a pair of Blue-rumped Pittas and a pair of Banded Kingfishers (the former present for around five minutes and the latter present for around two hours!).

A pair of Banded Kingfisher gave prolonged views (this is the male).

Other birds seen at the blind in the morning included Common Flameback, Laced Woodpecker, Ashy (Chinese White-faced) Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Ochraceous Bulbul, Grey-eyed Bulbul, Buff-breasted Babbler, Puff-throated Babbler, Indochinese Blue Flycatcher, Siberian Blue Robin, and White-throated Rock Thrush.

Shortly before lunch our two latecomers caught up with us, after some rather unfortunate flight delays, and we were all glad to get the full group together. After lunch, we visited a different hide in Ma Da Forest, where we found more good birds. Both Common Flameback and Laced Woodpecker showed extremely well, again. Silver-breasted Broadbills increased in number throughout our watch period, giving incredible views (see photo in trip report summary), and Racket-tailed Treepie, White-bellied Erpornis, Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, White-crested Laughingthrush, Scaly-crowned (Indochinese) Babbler, Abbott’s Babbler, Buff-breasted Babbler, Little Spiderhunter, Black-crested Bulbul, Stripe-throated Bulbul, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Orange-headed (Buff-throated) Thrush, and White-rumped Shama all showed well and at close range. Banded Broadbill, Blue-eared Barbet, Green-eared Barbet, Eastern Jungle Crow, and Blyth’s Paradise Flycatcher were heard or glimpsed distantly.

In the late afternoon we continued our drive to Cat Tien National Park, where we were greeted by several Black-crowned Night Herons and a few calling Great Eared Nightjars flying over the river as we crossed to reach our rooms. It had been a great first day of birding on the tour and we were relieved to finally have the full group together for the rest of the tour!

Great views of Blue-rumped Pitta from our first blind provided a highlight of the first day.

Day 3, 27^th March 2025. Birding Cat Tien National Park

We started the day with an early breakfast in the national park and then made our way to our first blind of the day, where we were to spend the morning. A Laced Woodpecker was straight in to view and was also accompanied by Siberian Blue Robin, Oriental Magpie Robin, and White-rumped Shama. A Greater Coucal hoovered up plenty of food and made several long appearances during the morning. After about an hour in the blind we were blown away by a stunning male Bar-bellied Pitta that came out nicely into the open (see cover image)! He paraded around for a while and then repeated the showing sporadically, with the female of the pair also coming in for some food occasionally, though she appeared shier than him. After another hour or so we saw one of our main targets for the morning, when first a female, and then a male Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant walked in to view, such a spectacular bird (see photo in trip report summary).

After enjoying our peacock-pheasant sighting, we also noted Common Emerald Dove, Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, and Indochinese Blue Flycatcher coming to the food. A pair of Green-legged (Scaly-breasted) Partridges walked into view briefly before melting away into the undergrowth. Numerous species were heard from the blind, but were not able to be seen as we focused our attention on the birds in front of us. Some of the heard only species that we’d have to look for later included Black-and-red Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Violet Cuckoo, Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler, and Crested Serpent Eagle. While driving back to our accommodation for lunch and a siesta during the heat of the day we picked up a Collared Falconet busily eating a large-winged insect (a dragonfly or cicada).

Laced Woodpeckers were fond of the free food provided at the blinds!

Our afternoon birding session saw us visiting a different blind and witnessing yet more close views of a range of fantastic target species (we also saw an Orange-breasted Trogon along the way). Great sightings were enjoyed once in the blind of another pair of Bar-bellied Pittas, along with Green-legged (Scaly-breasted) Partridges, Red Junglefowl, Common Emerald Dove, Laced Woodpecker, Common Flameback, Black-naped Monarch, Black-crested Bulbul, Black-headed Bulbul, and many other species seen during our time in the blinds on previous sessions. The big highlight, however, was a family group of four Black-and-red Broadbills showing to a matter of feet at eye-level or below. On our drive back to our accommodation for dinner we spotted another Collared Falconet in some glorious late afternoon sunlight.

Eye-level views of Black-and-red Broadbill provided a highlight at Cat Tien National Park.

Over the course of the day we picked up numerous interesting mammals and reptiles, including Black-shanked Douc Langur, Red-cheeked (Yellow-cheeked) Gibbon, Northern Pig-tailed Macaque, Yellow-throated Marten, three species of squirrels, two species of treeshrews, Lesser Dog-faced Fruit Bat, Javan (Indochinese) Rat Snake, Vietnamese Blue Crested Lizard, Changeable Lizard, Common Water Monitor, two species of skinks, and three species of geckos.

Day 4, 28^th March 2025. Birding Cat Tien National Park

We spent the morning birding the first 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) of the nice flat road out from national park headquarters and back. First up was some birding around our rooms, where we saw a roosting Collared Scops Owl (getting mobbed by multiple species, including Ruby-cheeked Sunbird and assorted bulbuls). Near the restaurant a Blue-bearded Bee-eater showed nicely (and was the first of four individuals seen during the morning). A fruiting tree here also gave us Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Lesser (Himalayan) Yellownape, Green-eared Barbet, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Black-hooded Oriole, Large Woodshrike, and Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker. As we commenced our walk away from the national park offices we picked up a family group of noisy Red-cheeked (Yellow-cheeked) Gibbons, these gave great views as they moved through the trees. Woodpeckers were the order of the morning though, and in addition to the two aforementioned species, we also found several other great species, these being Pale-headed Woodpecker, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Grey-headed (Black-naped) Woodpecker, Laced Woodpecker, Greater Flameback, and Common Flameback.

The tough Pale-headed Woodpecker was one of eight woodpecker species seen on our morning walk in Cat Tien National Park.

As we continued our walk along the national park road, we noted several Green-billed Malkohas, Crested (Indomalayan) Honey Buzzard, Orange-breasted Trogons (a nest-building pair and a couple of others), Eurasian Hoopoe, Oriental Dollarbird, Coppersmith Barbet, Blue-eared Barbet, Red-breasted Parakeet, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Collared Falconet, Black-and-red Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, Black-naped Oriole, Great Iora, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Golden-crested Myna, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Blue-winged Leafbird, and lots more!

During the afternoon we drove a road back and forth looking through some open habitat and it provided us with the opportunity for a few different birds. Our top target was Green Peafowl, and we got some good views of a pair of birds with three young, a rather nice sight. During this drive we also found Siamese Fireback (a female), Lesser Adjutant, Red-wattled Lapwing, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Red Collared Dove, Green Imperial Pigeon, Lesser Coucal, White-throated Kingfisher, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Lineated Barbet, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Chestnut-capped Babbler, Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Vinous-breasted Myna, Brown Shrike, and Burmese Shrike. Mammals were well represented during the afternoon, with a pair of Yellow-throated Martens, three Northern Red Muntjacs, many Sambar, along with Long-tailed Macaques, and Black-shanked Douc Langurs all seen well.

As dusk approached, we staked out a clearing and noted a few Black-crowned Night Herons overflying the nearby river, we then enjoyed a fantastic sighting of two Great Eared Nightjars.

We saw a pair of Green Peafowls with three chicks on our afternoon drive.

Day 5, 29^th March 2025. Cat Tien National Park to Da Lat

We enjoyed a final short birding session in Cat Tien National Park, where one of the highlights was a family group of Red-cheeked (Yellow-cheeked) Gibbons that showed extremely well in the beautiful early morning light – watching them move through a bare tree was incredible. While watching the gibbons we also noted a few Oriental Pratincoles flying over, along with Black-and-Red Broadbill, Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, and three Heart-spotted Woodpeckers all nearby in a stand of bamboo.

We drove deeper into some more dense forest with some impressive larger trees and big stands of bamboo, where we found more woodpeckers to add to our growing collection, including the massive Great Slaty Woodpecker and much smaller Black-and-buff Woodpecker. In this area of the park we also found a vociferous group of Dusky Broadbills, and also recorded more Black-and-red Broadbills, Banded Broadbill, Banded Kingfisher, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Indochinese Roller, Oriental Dollarbird, Common Hill Myna, Golden-crested Myna, Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Yellow-bellied Warbler, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler, Scaly-crowned (Indochinese) Babbler, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Crimson Sunbird, and nest-building White-rumped Munia.

After leaving Cat Tien behind we drove across to Da Lat (Dalat), our base for the next three nights, stopping for lunch and some refreshments in a nice café along the way, excited for tomorrow.

Day 6, 30^th March 2025. Birding Da Lat Plateau

We spent a long day birding around the Da Lat Plateau and it was packed full of fantastic birds, many of which were locally endemic species or subspecies. Our first stop was at a garden near the city and we saw our main target, a distant pair of Grey-crowned Crocias. As we walked the grounds we picked up Silver-eared Mesia, Black-headed (White-spectacled) Sibia, Rufous-backed Sibia, White-browed (Dalat) Shrike-babbler, Clicking Shrike-babbler, Speckled Piculet, Bay Woodpecker, Collared Owlet, Black Eagle, Indochinese Barbet, Flavescent Bulbul, Verditer Flycatcher, Blue-and-white Flycatcher, Black-throated (Langbian) Sunbird, Mrs. Gould’s (Annam) Sunbird, and Vietnamese Greenfinch. We had two mega species that we heard only, these being a distant Vietnamese Cutia and the increasingly rare (and even more rarely seen) Orange-breasted Laughingthrush that was singing from an inaccessible area of forest surrounding the garden. We would have to hope to connect with both species later in the tour, though the chances of that for the latter were extremely slim given its current rarity status.

In the late morning we visited a different area near the city to target the localized endemic, Dalat Bush Warbler, which we found, though they remained typically tough to see, giving only brief views. A flurry of activity gave us close up sightings of Speckled Piculet, Green-backed (Langbian) Tit, Eurasian (White-faced) Jay, Hill Prinia, Black Bulbul, Black-throated (Grey-crowned) Bushtit, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Black-headed Parrotbill, Swinhoe’s White-eye, Rufous-capped Babbler, and Chestnut-vented Nuthatch. A huge Black Eagle also flew low overhead. It was a great end to our morning’s birding, with a flurry of new birds and good sightings.

The tiny Grey-bellied Tesia was bouncing around like a ping-pong ball!

Our next stop was to have a picnic lunch in some higher elevation forest, where we had a couple of Oriental Cuckooshrikes fly over us. We spent the afternoon sat in a blind, which was really exciting. The area was full of squirrels (many individuals of three species, Maritime Striped Squirrel, (Asian) Red-cheeked Squirrel, and Pallas’s Squirrel) and their movements were rather distracting, however we saw many new birds. We enjoyed close views of Grey-bellied Tesia, male Mugimaki Flycatcher (singing!), Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Large Niltava, White-tailed Robin, Black-headed (White-spectacled) Sibia, and Mountain Bulbul. A Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler (Indochinese Wren-Babbler) made a brief and vocal appearance for some in the group, but the top species (and main reason for our visiting the blind), was Silver Pheasant, of the local Annam subspecies. We had some brief, but excellent looks at two beautiful male pheasants (an adult and immature bird) as they fed in the open. Delighted with our haul for the day we headed back into the city for dinner.

Day 7, 31^st March 2025. Birding Da Lat Plateau

We spent the morning in the mountains above Da Lat city, it was overcast with occasional drizzle. Our first roadside stop in the pine forest was quite slow, but we found Vietnamese Greenfinch, Green-backed (Langbian) Tit, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Little Pied Flycatcher, and Asian Barred Owlet. A small flock of vocal Red (Dalat) Crossbills flew over.

Our first blind started in sensational style before we’d even got settled, with a stunning Spotted Forktail parading around out in the open right in front of us while we watched in awe, at the same time as a pair of Short-tailed Scimitar Babblers (Indochinese Wren-Babblers) were also out in the open feeding, what a start! Later during our watch session, a second forktail even came in and joined the first bird, which was a real treat. Forktails are well renowned for being shy, so being a few feet from them was so exhilarating. As we focused on the feeders, we enjoyed close views of many other species, which included White-browed Scimitar Babbler, Grey-throated Babbler, Mountain Fulvetta, Black-headed (White-spectacled) Sibia, Little Pied Flycatcher, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Large Niltava, Verditer Flycatcher, Grey-bellied Tesia, Lesser (Langbian) Shortwing, and White-tailed Robin.

A stunning Spotted Forktail showed well (photo by tour participant Paul Newman).

After a short break in the middle of the day we kicked off our afternoon birding at a small wetland near the city, finding Cinnamon Bittern, Little Egret, Little Cormorant, Little Grebe, Common Moorhen, Little Ringed Plover, Plaintive Cuckoo, Paddyfield Pipit, (Siberian) White Wagtail, and Black-collared Starling.

Later, we took a walk on the edge of Da Lat city, but the weather was far from ideal with persistent light rain showers. We picked up a few birds, such as Blue-winged (Plain) Minla, Black Bulbul, Ashy (Sooty) Drongo, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, Hodgson’s Hawk-Cuckoo, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, and Barred Cuckoo-Dove. One of the highlights of the afternoon was finding a family group of Vietnamese Cutias, a big target which gave reasonable views (see photo in trip report summary). As dusk approached, we continued our exploration of the forest and had sightings of both Grey Nightjar and Oriental Scops Owl. A distant Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl was heard, but because the weather was rapidly deteriorating we made the tough call to abandon it and head into the city for dinner.

Day 8, 1^st April 2025. Da Lat Plateau to Di Linh (Birding at Deo Nui San Pass)

We spent a couple of hours at a forest patch near Da Lat City, where we enjoyed some pre-breakfast birding and a few new species for our trip, this despite the disturbance from people with leaf-blowers, construction work, tourists, and feral cats! The highlights included wonderful views of nesting Long-tailed Broadbill, along with White-cheeked Laughingthrush (a pair feeding young), Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, (Yellow-billed) Blue Whistling Thrush, nest building Orange-headed (Orange-headed) Thrush, Indochinese Barbet, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Black-throated (Grey-crowned) Bushtit, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, and Streaked Spiderhunter.

We had some nice views of a gorgeous pair of Long-tailed Broadbills tending to their nest.

After a later than usual breakfast, we left Da Lat mid-morning and drove to Di Linh (after grabbing a picnic lunch to take away from our favorite bakery in town!). On arrival at our birding site in Di Linh, we went straight to a bird blind where we planned to sit and wait patiently through the afternoon and hope that some good birds would show themselves.

The hide was busy with Mugimaki Flycatchers and Orange-headed Thrushes (both the Orange-headed and Buff-throated subspecies). In addition to the many Mugimaki Flycatchers, we also saw Blue-and-white Flycatcher and Hainan Blue Flycatcher. While other species seen included Silver-breasted Broadbill, White-browed Scimitar Babbler, Common Emerald Dove, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Ashy (Brown-backed) Bulbul, Ochraceous Bulbul, Grey-eyed Bulbul, White-bellied Erpornis, White-throated Rock Thrush, Alström’s Warbler, and many of the birds seen previously on the trip, though unfortunately no pittas.

Day 9, 2^nd April 2025. Di Linh area and travel to Ho Chi Minh City

We awoke to a wet and wild morning in Di Linh and attempted some birding around our accommodation. Given the conditions it was tough going, but we saw a pair of Black-winged Kites (goodness knows what they were doing out in that weather!), five species of starling (White-shouldered Starling, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Black-collared Starling, Vinous-breasted Myna, and Common Myna), several bulbuls (including Yellow-vented Bulbul, Sooty-headed Bulbul, and Stripe-throated Bulbul), a pair of often showy Blue-and-white Flycatchers, a skulking Lanceolated Warbler, a pair of Chestnut-capped Babblers out in the open, a couple of Burmese Shrikes, along with singles of Eurasian Hoopoe, White-throated Kingfisher, Asian Green Bee-eater, Coppersmith Barbet, and overflying vocal Indian Cuckoo.

We had a pair of Blue Pittas visit a blind near Di Linh while birding the Deo Nui San Pass.

After our wet early morning birding session around the accommodation area, and breakfast, we drove out to another blind, where (in improved weather conditions) we had a fantastic time watching a pair of Blue Pittas that came out into the open to feed for a short while. Several Orange-headed (Buff-throated) Thrushes were busily feeding and were joined by a flock of Siberian Thrushes with two subspecies present, the nominate sibirica and the much rarer and unexpected davisoni (an adult male), also known as Sakhalin Thrush. A few other species came in to feed and showed well, and included White-throated Rock Thrush, Siberian Blue Robin, and Hainan Blue Flycatcher. Meanwhile, Red-headed Trogon, Long-tailed Broadbill, Maroon Oriole, and Red-vented Barbet were all heard but with little chance to see them from the blind.

After our birding we departed Di Linh (stopping briefly to see an Annan Prinia), and made our way back to Ho Chi Minh City, where we arrived in the late afternoon for some time relaxing and sorting out arrangements for our flight to Pleiku the following day.

Day 10, 3^rd April 2025. Ho Chi Minh City to Pleiku then travel to Mang Den

Our planned morning flight out of Ho Chi Minh City to Pleiku in central Vietnam was rescheduled to later in the day, so we spent the morning relaxing around our comfortable hotel. After our arrival in Pleiku, we drove north to Mang Den, where we checked into our hotel for the next two nights.

Day 11, 4^th April 2025. Birding at Mang Den

We endured a long and mainly quiet day at Mang Den, however we did see our main target, the rare and highly sought-after Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush, after a lot of patience. What a cool bird to see though! Our day started with a stop on a road in the forest near Mang Den, where it was incredibly misty and birds were hard to see well. We saw a few Necklaced Barbets, at first they were just dark blobs, but eventually they dropped down (and much closer) into better light, allowing us to see just how beautiful they really were. A Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo was vocal and showing (albeit in the mist), but a newly arrived migrant Common Cuckoo was equally vocal and more showy, giving overhead flight views. Other species seen in the mist included Scarlet Minivet, Mountain Bulbul, and Black-throated Sunbird.

We moved to a makeshift rudimentary blind and then sat and waited, hoping the rare Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush would show. It didn’t. In the two hours we waited we saw a pair of Mountain Fulvettas, a female Fujian Niltava, and a pair of Rufous-faced Warblers. It was a tough wait.

We decided to check out some forest, but by this time the mist had burnt off and the temperatures were steadily increasing, and activity had further reduced. We didn’t really get views of much whilst in the forest, a few glimpses of birds moving away. We decided to take a break and have a picnic lunch and sit in some shade and keep a look out over a clearing. This was a good move. The food helped and we also picked up some nice birds, with lunchtime highlights including Orange-bellied (Greyish-crowned) Leafbird, Jerdon’s Baza, Crested (Indomalayan) Honey Buzzard, Mrs. Gould’s (Scarlet-breasted) Sunbird, and Brown-backed Needletail.

After finishing our lunch we took a drive to a different area of forest, hoping a change of scenery might give us some rewards. We walked into the forest along a slippery downhill trail and sat patiently in another makeshift blind. We didn’t see anything at all for almost two hours (we heard Red-headed Trogon and Silver-breasted Broadbill) but then just before the cut off time our main target called. After a nervous ten minutes, suddenly we were watching the stunning Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush right in front of us. We were extremely happy (and massively relieved to get this big and rare target in the bag!). After the bird departed, so did we, with a spring in our step as we headed back up the trail, what a great result.

As we drove back to our hotel we made a brief stop at some rice paddies which proved quite a bonus, giving us sightings of Cinnamon Bittern, Oriental Turtle Dove, Common Kingfisher, White-throated Needletail (a big flock), Pacific Swift, Eastern Jungle Crow, and Long-tailed Shrike.

Well worth the wait! The stunning and incredibly tough to see, and unpredictable, Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush was a clear highlight of our day birding at Mang Den.

Day 12, 5^th April 2025. Travel from Mang Den to Dak To

We spent the morning back at the misty patch of forest from the previous day, but today it was clear and already getting hot. We stopped at our usual birding spot, where we had excellent views of (Black-crested) Sultan Tit (also known as Annam Sultan Tit), a pair of birds dropped nice and low and showed well. We also saw our first Black-chinned Yuhinas, Short-billed Minivets, and Puff-throated Bulbuls here. Pale Blue Flycatcher remained hidden and wouldn’t come into view and the same was true of Red-vented Barbet. We also heard Collared Owlet, Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo, and Indian and Common Cuckoos singing. Overhead we noted Brown-backed and White-throated Needletails and a few Grey-faced Buzzards. A brief sighting of Bay Woodpecker was not better than our previous sighting earlier in the tour.

We ventured inside a forested area to try and escape the glaring sun and heat. It was fairly quiet in the most part, though that was interrupted by a vociferous small flock of Black-hooded Laughingthrushes that tantalized us with repeated brief views. A small mixed species flock included Golden Babbler, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Black-throated (Grey-crowned) Bushtit, White-bellied Erpornis, Grey-chinned Minivet, Rufous-faced Warbler, Pale Blue Flycatcher (finally seen), Blue-winged (Blue-winged) Minla, Mrs. Gould’s (Scarlet-breasted) Sunbird, and Black-throated Sunbird. Yellow-billed Nuthatches were heard but right when we were trying to focus on seeing the Black-hooded Laughingthrushes. With the temperature rising, we needed to head back to the hotel to check out and get lunch.

Following lunch and checking out of the hotel we did some birding on the edge of town. It was rather hot, but surprisingly birdy in short bursts. We saw Eurasian (White-faced) Jay, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Grey-chinned Minivet, Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Black-throated (Grey-crowned) Bushtit, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, and Mrs. Gould’s (Scarlet-breasted) Sunbird.

After our final birding session at Mang Den we drove to Dak To, our basic accommodation (and the only option in this part of the country) for our remote birding tomorrow. After arriving at our hotel, we spent the final 30 minutes of the day looking out over some nearby rice paddies, where we saw a pretty sunset, along with Pin-tailed Snipe, Shikra, Wire-tailed Swallow, Eastern Red-rumped (Striated) Swallow, Zitting Cisticola, Red-whiskered Bulbul, and Amur Stonechat.

Day 13, 6^th April 2025. Birding Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve

We left our accommodation early with a packed breakfast and lunch and set off for our day birding. However, halfway through our journey a burst water pipe connected to the radiator of our van resulted in some roadside birding and early breakfast! The local team worked quickly and impressively, given our location, to get us some vehicles from a nearby contact, and we were soon on our way, while our driver waited for the mechanic to arrive. Our slightly later arrival at Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve didn’t really impact on our day, thankfully, with the full day still being spent birding there.

Due to the steep and slippery trail, some members of the group stayed in the lower elevations of the reserve and some of the group hiked up the mountain to a blind. For those in the blind, the two key targets of Black-crowned Barwing (spectacular) and the highly localized and much sought-after Golden-winged Laughingthrush were both seen repeatedly. Both gave great views. Other species observed at and near the blind included Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler, Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Black-headed (Brownish-backed) Sibia, Rufous-capped Babbler, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Large Niltava, Pygmy Flycatcher, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Grey-cheeked Warbler, Yellow-browed Tit, and Green-tailed Sunbird. Hiking down from the blind a Red-tailed Laughingthrush was vocal but only showed to a few.

The group who birded the lower areas of Noc Linh Nature Reserve also picked up many great birds, with their highlights being Black-crowned Barwing and Red-tailed Laughingthrush, both posing for photographs. They also saw many warblers and flycatchers, including Ashy-throated Warbler, White-spectacled Warbler, and Mugimaki Flycatcher. Other notable sightings included Red-tailed Minla, Black-headed (Brownish-backed) Sibia, Maroon Oriole, Yellow-browed Tit, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Green-tailed Sunbird, and Mrs. Gould’s (Scarlet-breasted) Sunbird. Both Crested Serpent Eagle and Crested Goshawk were seen overhead, the latter rather than the former with a snake!

The top target for the day was the near-endemic Golden-winged Laughingthrush. Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve offers the only realistic chance of seeing this bird anywhere in the world.

Our driver had reached us with a repaired van in plenty of time and as we drove the long way from the mountain back to our accommodation, we left the low cloud and rain behind (it had been perfect weather while we were birding at Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve for most of the day) and we made a couple of roadside stops. One such stop gave us a big flock of Eastern Red-rumped (Daurian) Swallows containing a few Asian House Martins, while another couple of stops at river crossings yielded Plumbeous Water Redstarts, Common and White-throated Kingfishers, Little Heron, and an all too brief male Narcissus Flycatcher. We eventually arrived back at our accommodation in time for dinner after a long but very rewarding day.

The charismatic Black-crowned Barwing was one of the most popular birds of the day.

Day 14, 7^th April 2025. Dak To to Da Nang and mammal watching on the Son Tra Peninsula

Essentially a long travel day as we made our way from the remote town of Dak To, to the bustling city and bright lights of Da Nang, a bit of a culture shock! We left Dak To after our early breakfast and made it to Da Nang in the middle of the afternoon. We noted a few species along the way, such as Crested (Indomalayan) Honey Buzzard, Jerdon’s Baza, Ashy Woodswallow, and plenty of other common roadside birds, but the aim was to reach the city at a reasonable time.

A brief stop along Man Thai Beach, Da Nang gave us close sightings of a breeding plumaged Greater Sand Plover and a small flock of Great Knots. Interestingly, one of the knots was sporting a leg-flag (7XU), from the shorebird banding scheme at Eighty Mile Beach, in Western Australia, where it was originally banded on the 16^th February 2024. It had first been resighted in Da Nang on the 4^th April 2025 (unbeknownst to us). This was the first resighting of the bird since it was originally banded, and it was present here until we lucked into seeing it today. Spoiler alert, this bird was still present to at least the 8^th of April 2025 (resighting information per Australasian Wader Studies Group). This bird was on its return migration north to breeding grounds in Siberia.

Great Knot 7XU on Man Thai Beach, Da Nang (photo by K.Q. Le).

After the shorebird excitement, we went straight out to the Son Tra Nature Reserve on the edge of the city. Here we searched for and found our main target – Red-shanked Douc Langur. We saw a family group of langurs feeding, which allowed great and lengthy views and excellent photo opportunities. We also saw several Rhesus Macaques that showed very well too, though they were not quite as spectacular!

The rare Red-shanked Douc Langur was a highlight of our time on the Son Tra Peninsula.

Day 15, 8^th April 2025. Birding Hoi An, flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City

Due to the result of our flight times being switched by the airline earlier in the tour, we gained some extra birding time this morning. We therefore spent the final morning of the tour undertaking some coastal birding at Hoi An. Our main target was to refind the White-faced Plovers we’d found on a private tour immediately prior to this set departure tour. As we walked out onto the beach it didn’t take us long before we were enjoying good views of a female, and a short while later, a pretty male White-faced Plover.

The plover flock contained a few surprises today, firstly a gorgeous breeding plumaged Oriental Plover, a bit of a nice bonus. The majority of the shorebird flock consisted of Greater Sand Plovers, with a scattering of Tibetan Sand Plovers, Kentish Plovers, and a couple of Little Ringed Plovers. All were in various stages of molt, to provide an ID challenge! However, the standout birds and the second surprise of the morning, were two breeding plumaged Siberian Sand Plovers, which showed closely. It soon transpired that these were the first confirmed (documented) records of the species in Vietnam and just the second record for continental South East Asia! Pretty exciting stuff. We also noted Ruddy Turnstone and Red-necked Stint on the beach, while a single Gull-billed Tern flew overhead while we were scanning the area. Passerines on and around the beach included Dusky Warblers, a flock of over 20 Red-whiskered Bulbuls, and several Paddyfield Pipits.

The Siberian Sand Plover discovered at Hoi An.

We drove back to our hotel, stopping briefly to look for Siberian Rubythroat. Two birds were present at the site, giving occasional calls, but only showed briefly in flight for most, unfortunately. Several Blue-tailed Bee-eaters were present and a pair of Blue Rock Thrushes completed our bird list for the trip as the final addition.

Our pushed back flight was further delayed, so it was a later than planned arrival into Ho Chi Minh City. On arrival at our hotel we went straight for our final dinner. We tried to pick the “bird of the trip”, but it wasn’t an easy task given the many high-quality birds we had seen over the previous two weeks. The bird that came out top, just, was Bar-bellied Pitta, with Golden-winged Laughingthrush and Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush hot on the heels of the pitta. Black-crowned Barwing and Banded Kingfisher completed the top five.

Day 16, 9^th April 2025. Departure day from Ho Chi Minh City

Everyone departed from Ho Chi Minh City at their leisure as this successful and fun Vietnam birding tour concluded.

Bird List – Following IOC (Version 15.1/February 2025)

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)
Silver Pheasant	Lophura nycthemera
Siamese Fireback	Lophura diardi
Green Peafowl – EN	Pavo muticus
Green-legged Partridge	Tropicoperdix chloropus
Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant – VU	Polyplectron germaini
Red Junglefowl	Gallus gallus
Chinese Francolin (H)	Francolinus pintadeanus
Nightjars (Caprimulgidae)
Great Eared Nightjar	Lyncornis macrotis
Grey Nightjar	Caprimulgus jotaka
Swifts (Apodidae)
Edible-nest Swiftlet	Aerodramus fuciphagus
White-throated Needletail	Hirundapus caudacutus
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
Asian Koel	Eudynamys scolopaceus
Asian Emerald Cuckoo (H)	Chrysococcyx maculatus
Violet Cuckoo	Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus
Banded Bay Cuckoo	Cacomantis sonneratii
Plaintive Cuckoo	Cacomantis merulinus
Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo	Surniculus lugubris
Hodgson’s Hawk-Cuckoo	Hierococcyx nisicolor
Indian Cuckoo	Cuculus micropterus
Common Cuckoo	Cuculus canorus
Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae)
Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon)	Columba livia [dom.]
Oriental Turtle Dove	Streptopelia orientalis
Red Collared Dove	Streptopelia tranquebarica
Spotted Dove	Spilopelia chinensis
Barred Cuckoo-Dove	Macropygia unchall
Common Emerald Dove	Chalcophaps indica
Zebra Dove	Geopelia striata
Orange-breasted Green Pigeon	Treron bicinctus
Thick-billed Green Pigeon	Treron curvirostra
Green Imperial Pigeon	Ducula aenea
Mountain Imperial Pigeon	Ducula badia
Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae)
Slaty-breasted Rail	Lewinia striata
Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus
White-browed Crake	Poliolimnas cinereus
White-breasted Waterhen	Amaurornis phoenicurus
Grebes (Podicipedidae)
Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis
Plovers (Charadriidae)
Little Ringed Plover	Charadrius dubius
Red-wattled Lapwing	Vanellus indicus
Oriental Plover	Anarhynchus veredus
Tibetan Sand Plover	Anarhynchus atrifrons
Siberian Sand Plover	Anarhynchus mongolus
Greater Sand Plover	Anarhynchus leschenaultii
Kentish Plover	Anarhynchus alexandrinus
White-faced Plover	Anarhynchus dealbatus
Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae)
Pin-tailed Snipe	Gallinago stenura
Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos
Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres
Great Knot – EN	Calidris tenuirostris
Red-necked Stint	Calidris ruficollis
Coursers, Pratincoles (Glareolidae)
Oriental Pratincole	Glareola maldivarum
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)
Gull-billed Tern	Gelochelidon nilotica
Whiskered Tern	Chlidonias hybrida
Storks (Ciconiidae)
Lesser Adjutant	Leptoptilos javanicus
Anhingas, Darters (Anhingidae)
Oriental Darter	Anhinga melanogaster
Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae)
Little Cormorant	Microcarbo niger
Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae)
Cinnamon Bittern	Botaurus cinnamomeus
Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax
Little Egret	Egretta garzetta
Little Heron	Butorides atricapilla
Chinese Pond Heron	Ardeola bacchus
Great Egret	Ardea alba
Medium Egret	Ardea intermedia
Eastern Cattle Egret	Ardea coromanda
Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae)
Black-winged Kite	Elanus caeruleus
Jerdon’s Baza	Aviceda jerdoni
Crested Honey Buzzard	Pernis ptilorhynchus
Crested Serpent Eagle	Spilornis cheela
Black Eagle	Ictinaetus malaiensis
Crested Goshawk	Lophospiza trivirgata
Shikra	Tachyspiza badia
Grey-faced Buzzard	Butastur indicus
Owls (Strigidae)
Collared Owlet	Taenioptynx brodiei
Asian Barred Owlet	Glaucidium cuculoides
Oriental Scops Owl	Otus sunia
Collared Scops Owl	Otus lettia
Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl (H)	Ketupa nipalensis
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
Common Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis
Bee-eaters (Meropidae)
Blue-bearded Bee-eater	Nyctyornis athertoni
Asian Green Bee-eater	Merops orientalis
Blue-tailed Bee-eater	Merops philippinus
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater	Merops leschenaulti
Asian Barbets (Megalaimidae)
Red-vented Barbet (H)	Psilopogon lagrandieri
Lineated Barbet	Psilopogon lineatus
Green-eared Barbet	Psilopogon faiostrictus
Necklaced Barbet	Psilopogon auricularis
Indochinese Barbet	Psilopogon annamensis
Blue-eared Barbet	Psilopogon cyanotis
Coppersmith Barbet	Psilopogon haemacephalus
Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Speckled Piculet	Picumnus innominatus
Heart-spotted Woodpecker	Hemicircus canente
Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker	Yungipicus canicapillus
Lesser Yellownape	Picus chlorolophus
Laced Woodpecker	Picus vittatus
Grey-headed Woodpecker	Picus canus
Common Flameback	Dinopium javanense
Greater Flameback	Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus
Pale-headed Woodpecker	Gecinulus grantia
Bay Woodpecker	Blythipicus pyrrhotis
Black-and-buff Woodpecker	Meiglyptes jugularis
Great Slaty Woodpecker – VU	Mulleripicus pulverulentus
Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae)
Collared Falconet	Microhierax caerulescens
Old World Parrots (Psittaculidae)
Red-breasted Parakeet	Psittacula alexandri
Vernal Hanging Parrot	Loriculus vernalis
Typical Broadbills (Eurylaimidae)
Long-tailed Broadbill	Psarisomus dalhousiae
Dusky Broadbill	Corydon sumatranus
Silver-breasted Broadbill	Serilophus lunatus
Black-and-red Broadbill	Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos
Banded Broadbill	Eurylaimus javanicus
Pittas (Pittidae)
Blue-rumped Pitta	Hydrornis soror
Blue Pitta	Hydrornis cyaneus
Bar-bellied Pitta	Hydrornis elliotii
Australasian Warblers (Acanthizidae)
Golden-bellied Gerygone (H)	Gerygone sulphurea
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
Scarlet Minivet	Pericrocotus speciosus
Oriental Cuckooshrike	Coracina javensis
Black-winged Cuckooshrike	Lalage melaschistos
Indochinese Cuckooshrike	Lalage polioptera
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers (Vireonidae)
White-browed Shrike-babbler	Pteruthius 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
Malaysian Pied Fantail	Rhipidura javanica
Monarchs (Monarchidae)
Black-naped Monarch	Hypothymis azurea
Blyth’s Paradise Flycatcher	Terpsiphone affinis
Shrikes (Laniidae)
Burmese Shrike	Lanius collurioides
Brown Shrike	Lanius cristatus
Long-tailed Shrike	Lanius schach
Crows, Jays (Corvidae)
Eurasian Jay	Garrulus glandarius
Racket-tailed Treepie	Crypsirina temia
Eastern Jungle Crow	Corvus levaillantii
Fairy Flycatchers (Stenostiridae)
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher	Culicicapa ceylonensis
Tits, Chickadees (Paridae)
Yellow-browed Tit	Sylviparus modestus
Sultan Tit	Melanochlora sultanea
Green-backed Tit	Parus monticolus
Yellow-cheeked Tit	Machlolophus spilonotus
Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae)
Ochraceous Bulbul	Alophoixus ochraceus
Puff-throated Bulbul	Alophoixus pallidus
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
Yellow-vented Bulbul	Pycnonotus goiavier
Sooty-headed Bulbul	Pycnonotus aurigaster
Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae)
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica
Wire-tailed Swallow	Hirundo smithii
Asian House Martin	Delichon dasypus
Eastern Red-rumped Swallow	Cecropis daurica
Cupwings (Pnoepygidae)
Pygmy Cupwing	Pnoepyga pusilla
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies (Cettiidae)
Yellow-bellied Warbler	Abroscopus superciliaris
Rufous-faced Warbler	Abroscopus albogularis
Mountain Tailorbird	Phyllergates cucullatus
Grey-bellied Tesia	Tesia cyaniventer
Bushtits (Aegithalidae)
Black-throated Bushtit	Aegithalos concinnus
Leaf Warblers (Phylloscopidae)
Ashy-throated Warbler	Phylloscopus maculipennis
Yellow-browed Warbler	Phylloscopus inornatus
Dusky Warbler	Phylloscopus fuscatus
White-spectacled Warbler	Phylloscopus intermedius
Grey-cheeked Warbler	Phylloscopus poliogenys
Alström’s Warbler	Phylloscopus soror
Two-barred Warbler	Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler	Phylloscopus tenellipes
Chestnut-crowned Warbler	Phylloscopus castaniceps
Blyth’s Leaf Warbler	Phylloscopus reguloides
Kloss’s Leaf Warbler	Phylloscopus ogilviegranti
Reed Warblers & Allies (Acrocephalidae)
Oriental Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus orientalis
Black-browed Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus bistrigiceps
Thick-billed Warbler	Arundinax aedon
Grassbirds & Allies (Locustellidae)
Lanceolated Warbler	Locustella lanceolata
Dalat Bush Warbler	Locustella idonea
Cisticolas & Allies (Cisticolidae)
Zitting Cisticola	Cisticola juncidis
Annam Prinia	Prinia rocki
Hill Prinia	Prinia superciliaris
Rufescent Prinia	Prinia rufescens
Yellow-bellied Prinia	Prinia flaviventris
Plain Prinia	Prinia inornata
Common Tailorbird	Orthotomus sutorius
Dark-necked Tailorbird	Orthotomus atrogularis
Parrotbills & Allies (Paradoxornithidae)
Black-headed Parrotbill – VU	Paradoxornis margaritae
White-eyes (Zosteropidae)
Black-chinned Yuhina	Yuhina nigrimenta
Swinhoe’s White-eye	Zosterops simplex
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 (H)	Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps
White-browed Scimitar Babbler	Pomatorhinus schisticeps
Large Scimitar Babbler (H)	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
Eyebrowed Wren-Babbler (H)	Napothera epilepidota
Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler	Napothera danjoui
Alcippe Fulvettas (Alcippeidae)
Mountain Fulvetta	Alcippe peracensis
Laughingthrushes & Allies (Leiothrichidae)
Vietnamese Cutia	Cutia legalleni
Grey-crowned Crocias	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	Leiothrix argentauris
Red-tailed Minla	Minla ignotincta
Rufous-backed Sibia	Leioptila annectens
Orange-breasted Laughingthrush – EN (H)	Garrulax annamensis
Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush	Garrulax monileger
White-crested Laughingthrush	Garrulax leucolophus
Black-hooded Laughingthrush	Garrulax milleti
Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush	Ianthocincla konkakinhensis
White-cheeked Laughingthrush	Pterorhinus vassali
Fairy-bluebirds (Irenidae)
Asian Fairy-bluebird	Irena puella
Nuthatches (Sittidae)
Yellow-billed Nuthatch (H)	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
White-shouldered Starling	Sturnia sinensis
Chestnut-tailed Starling	Sturnia malabarica
Thrushes (Turdidae)
Siberian Thrush	Geokichla sibirica
Orange-headed Thrush	Geokichla citrina
Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae)
Oriental Magpie-Robin	Copsychus saularis
White-rumped Shama	Copsychus malabaricus
Asian Brown Flycatcher	Muscicapa dauurica
Fujian Niltava	Niltava davidi
Large Niltava	Niltava grandis
Blue-and-white Flycatcher	Cyanoptila cyanomelana
Verditer Flycatcher	Eumyias thalassinus
Rufous-browed Flycatcher	Anthipes solitaris
Pale Blue Flycatcher	Cyornis unicolor
Hainan Blue Flycatcher	Cyornis hainanus
Indochinese Blue Flycatcher	Cyornis sumatrensis
White-tailed Robin	Myiomela leucura
Siberian Rubythroat	Calliope calliope
Spotted Forktail	Enicurus maculatus
Blue Whistling Thrush	Myophonus caeruleus
Lesser Shortwing	Brachypteryx leucophris
Siberian Blue Robin	Larvivora cyane
Narcissus Flycatcher	Ficedula narcissina
Snowy-browed Flycatcher	Ficedula hyperythra
Mugimaki Flycatcher	Ficedula mugimaki
Pygmy Flycatcher	Ficedula hodgsoni
Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher	Ficedula strophiata
Little Pied Flycatcher	Ficedula westermanni
Taiga Flycatcher	Ficedula albicilla
Plumbeous Water Redstart	Phoenicurus fuliginosus
White-throated Rock Thrush	Monticola gularis
Blue Rock Thrush	Monticola solitarius
Grey Bush Chat	Saxicola ferreus
Pied Bush Chat	Saxicola caprata
Amur Stonechat	Saxicola stejnegeri
Leafbirds (Chloropseidae)
Blue-winged Leafbird	Chloropsis moluccensis
Golden-fronted Leafbird	Chloropsis aurifrons
Orange-bellied Leafbird	Chloropsis hardwickii
Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae)
Thick-billed Flowerpecker	Pachyglossa agilis
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker	Dicaeum ignipectus
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker	Dicaeum cruentatum
Sunbirds (Nectariniidae)
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird	Chalcoparia singalensis
Brown-throated Sunbird	Anthreptes malacensis
Ornate Sunbird	Cinnyris ornatus
Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird	Aethopyga gouldiae
Green-tailed Sunbird	Aethopyga nipalensis
Black-throated Sunbird	Aethopyga saturata
Crimson Sunbird	Aethopyga siparaja
Little Spiderhunter	Arachnothera longirostra
Streaked Spiderhunter	Arachnothera magna
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow	Passer montanus
Plain-backed Sparrow	Passer flaveolus
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
Paddyfield Pipit	Anthus rufulus
Finches, Euphonias (Fringillidae)
Vietnamese Greenfinch	Chloris monguilloti
Red Crossbill	Loxia curvirostra

Total seen	309
Total heard only	11
Total recorded	320

Mammal List

Common Name	Scientific Name
Old World Monkeys (Cercopithecidae)
Long-tailed Macaque	Macaca fascicularis
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
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
Shrews (Soricidae)
(Asian) Grey Shrew	Crocidura attenuata
Mustelids (Mustelidae)
Yellow-throated Marten	Martes flavigula
Old World Fruit Bats (Pteropodidae)
Lesser Dog-faced Fruit Bat	Cynopterus brachyotis
Bovids (Bovidae)
Domestic Water Buffalo	Bubalus bubalis

Total

19

Reptile List

Common Name	Scientific Name
Dragons (Agamidae)
Vietnamese Blue Crested Lizard	Calotes bachae
Changeable Lizard	Calotes versicolor
Spotted Flying Dragon	Draco maculatus
Indochinese Flying Lizard	Draco indochinensis
Monitor Lizards (Varanidae)
Common Water Monitor	Varanus salvator
Gekkonidae (Geckos)
Common (Asian) House Gecko	Hemidactylus frenatus
Flat-tailed House Gecko	Hemidactylus platyurus
Tokay Gecko	Gekko gecko
Banded Lipinia	Lipinia microcerca
Skinks (Scincidae)
Common Mabuya	Eutropis multifasciata
Spotted Forest Skink	Sphenomorphus maculatus
Colubrid Snakes (Colubridae)
Javan (Indochinese) Rat Sanke	Ptyas korros
Brown Reed Snake	Calamaria pavimentata

Total

13

This is a sample trip report. Please email us ([email protected]) for more trip reports from this destination.

Central and Southern Vietnam: Endemics and Specials

EXTRA-SMALL, SMALL GROUP BIRDING TOUR

General Information

TOUR OUTLINE

Our Central and Southern Vietnam: Endemics and Regional Specials extra-small, small-group birdwatching tour – with a maximum of just five participants (and also departs with just four participants) gives a fantastic personalized tour experience. This Vietnamese birding tour concentrates on finding the endemic and special birds of the region, with top targets including Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, Orange-necked Partridge, Golden-winged Laughingthrush, Black-hooded Laughingthrush, Black-crowned Barwing, Indochinese Green Magpie, Vietnamese Cutia, and many more!

We will spend time birding in forest on foot and patiently sat in bird blinds (bird hides) waiting for secretive species to show themselves, as this is the best way to see these most-wanted of birds, and will also provide excellent photographic opportunities for those wishing to get photos of great Asian birds. The tour covers a range of altitudes and habitats to maximize the number of species recorded. We consider Vietnam to be one of the best birding destinations in all of Asia and we are confident you will agree, after experiencing it on this wonderful tour.

DAILY ACTIVITIES, PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS, AND TOUR PACE

This is a birding tour that also offers excellent bird photography opportunities. The tour moves at a moderate pace with early morning starts on most days. Time will be spent birding on forest trails and from bird blinds (bird hides) waiting for more secretive species to show (such as pittas, pheasants, partridges, and laughingthrushes). We will spend considerable time within the bird blinds (bird hides) on certain days in specific locations as this is the best way to see many of our top target birds. While we are waiting for the secretive birds to show, we will have lots of opportunities for bird photography and close-up views of these great birds. Please note that even if not everyone/anyone is interested in photography we will still spend lots of time in the bird blinds (bird hides) as they do offer the best chances (and only chances in some cases) for many difficult pittas, pheasants, partridges, babblers, laughingthrushes, and more.

The bird blinds (bird hides) are basic non-permanent structures constructed within the forest to allow us to get views of tough birds. We will bring small stools into the blinds for sitting in place (some have basic benches for seats). The blinds (bird hides) are usually constructed with tarpaulin or a tight mesh material and most will have a “roof” overhead. Each participant will have a “window” to see out of for viewing the area directly in front of the blind (bird hide).

The heat and humidity in the south of the country is likely to be tiring for most people. There will be a fair bit of walking involved, with hikes of around 2.5 miles (four kilometers) on most days, but these are considered fairly easy and are on tracks, roads, and trails, with frequent birding stops made. There will be a few incline sections while we are birding in the mountains, such as for 0.6 to 1.2 miles (one to two kilometers). We will always take these slowly so that most people will be able to manage them. We will be in the lowlands for part of the tour (e.g. at Cat Tien National Park), but we will also be birding at higher elevations, such as when we are birding at Da Lat and Ngoc Linh (e.g. up to an elevation of around 6,500 feet / 2,000 meters). Several of the bird blinds (bird hides) we visit are very easily accessible with short walks on flat surfaces, however a couple of them do require more effort to reach, such as at Da Lat (short hike but steep in places) and Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve (longer hike and steep with uphill and downhill sections). We will take these hikes slowly and they may take 30-60 minutes to reach in some cases and walking sticks/hiking poles will be useful for anyone not great with balance. It is possible to hire a porter to help carry your belongings, such as photography equipment (for a small extra fee) should you wish.

We will usually have an early and basic breakfast before birding, or we will take a boxed breakfast into the field. Our birding days will usually begin at around 05:30-06:00 hrs. Bird activity usually wanes during the middle of the day, and we will usually take a break at this time to have lunch and refresh, rest, and relax (particularly when at Cat Tien National Park, where it is very hot from mid-morning until mid-afternoon). We will then usually have an afternoon birding session prior to our group dinner. On a couple of occasions during the tour, we are likely to go out after dinner (or push dinner a little later back) to look for owls and other nightbirds. Most walks will be optional, and should you wish to sit out any activities you will be able to rest at the accommodation (on occasions when we are coming back to the same accommodation).

There will be some three-to-four-hour drives and a couple of longer drives (of around seven hours) during the tour as we move between different cities and birding locations. There are two domestic flights during the tour, the costs for these are included in the tour price and further details of these are provided in the “Domestic Flights” information further down this document.

SPECIES RECORDING (BIRD LISTS AND ANIMAL LISTS)

Ahead of the tour we will email you a detailed daily itinerary complete with meeting/arrival instructions. We will provide you with a printed blank diary page within the itinerary document so that you can note down any names of birding sites that you may want to log.

On arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), you will be provided with a printed version of the same itinerary. Each evening your tour leader will go through this with you to let you know any specifics to be aware of for the following day (e.g. clothes and equipment needed, breakfast time, time for leaving hotel, key target birds we will be looking for, etc.).

Attached to the itinerary document will be a bird list and list of other animals possible on the tour (or a blank list to write them in as we go). We follow the latest IOC (International Ornithological Congress taxonomy) for birds and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for all other animals recorded during the tour so all itineraries and checklists follow these taxonomies.

Each evening we will go through the daily bird and animal lists, logging all the species from the day. The listing session is optional, we realize that some of our clients aren’t fussed about the listing aspect, but others are. If you do not want to take part in the nightly bird list that is perfectly fine, but it is a useful way to remember what was seen during the day, so recommended.

Birding Ecotours leaders maintain eBird checklists from all birding activities during a tour (from unexpected roadside stops to planned birding activities). Tour leaders will share these eBird lists with all participants who use eBird, if desired. Just make sure to provide your eBird user details to the tour leader at the beginning of the tour for us to be able to do this, unfortunately we can’t retrospectively go back and share past checklists after the tour.

After the tour you will be emailed a PDF copy of a trip report, this will be in the form of an illustrated daily diary and will include a complete checklist of all wildlife recorded. If the tour leader manages to get any interesting photographs these will be included in the trip report (if you get pictures and are willing to share those with others, we can sometimes include some of those photos too). Leader photos will also be added to our Flickr page and will be added into a “trip report gallery” which you can view, download, and share.

PASSPORT AND VISA

Most visitors require a tourist visa to visit Vietnam, and these usually need to be obtained from a Vietnamese embassy or consulate in your home country, or online for an e-visa. Visa on arrival may be possible with entry into certain airports (e.g. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City), but is not recommended for this tour. We recommend using the Vietnamese government website for an e-visa, there is a small fee for this, and it is usually issued within a few days. Please check specifics with your government/local Vietnamese embassy/consulate/the website. We can provide you with a letter from a local sponsor, which may be required for your application process, though an e-visa should be suitable for most visitors coming in and out of Ho Chi Minh City. We usually recommend starting the visa application process a couple of months before the tour start date.

Please make sure that you bring a photocopy of your passport with you on the tour, to be kept in a different location to your original passport, in case of loss/damage. This can be kept with other important documents such as vaccine certificate, emergency contact details, and insurance documents. Vietnamese law requires everyone to carry photo ID at all times, and the photocopy of your passport should be sufficient to satisfy this need. Your passport should be in a good (i.e. neat, clean, and tidy) condition, sometimes entry is refused or delayed if the condition of the passport is not considered appropriate by immigration officers.

Australian, United States (US), and United Kingdom/British (UK) citizens need to have at least six months’ validity remaining in their passports (one month for Canadian citizens) and all nationalities should have at least one blank page for the visa stamp. Refer to the information here for US citizens, here for UK citizens, here for Canadian citizens, and here for Australian and please check these websites for any recent changes to ensure you are suitably covered.

Citizens of other countries should check their own governments’ advice and contact their nearest embassies/consulates for up-to-date regulations and requirements.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

As per our standard Terms and Conditions, we strongly recommend that you buy trip cancellation insurance to protect yourself against medical issues, accidents, illness, repatriation, loss of valuables or luggage, and travel interruptions or delays of all kinds.

HEALTH AND PESTS

Please consult your doctor/travel clinic regarding any vaccine requirements for visiting Vietnam.

All travelers should be up to date with routine vaccinations and boosters, such as the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine and the Diphtheria-Tetanus-Polio vaccine. We also recommend that most travelers are vaccinated for Hepatitis A and Typhoid, while some travelers should be vaccinated for Cholera, Hepatitis B, Japanese Encephalitis, Rabies, and Tuberculosis, particularly those people with any underlying health issues. Please update yourself on the Covid-19 vaccination entry requirements ahead of the tour. No Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is currently required for Vietnam. Please check with your government that this is still the case at time of travel.

Insect repellent with a high DEET content is highly recommended for some of the areas we visit, primarily for the nuisance factor of mosquito and other insect pests. There is a low risk of Malaria in Vietnam (please consult your doctor/travel clinic on what action to take). However, biting insects and ticks can also result in other issues, such as Dengue, Chikungunya, Leishmaniasis, Zika, and Scrub (Bush) Typhus (a rash from Chiggers). Cream for reducing itchiness of bites is recommended.

Scratches from plants and bites from insects should be cleaned, treated, and covered quickly to avoid infection.

Please refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website here for further health issues to be aware of in Vietnam. The UK “Travel Health Pro” website provides important information for UK travelers going to Vietnam, here. Both the linked pages are worth studying prior to joining the tour to be better prepared.

Sunscreen (rated SPF 30 or higher) should be carried, and a hat should be worn to protect from the powerful rays from the sun, with sunglasses to help prevent glare. A plentiful intake of water (please bring a reusable water bottle which we can fill daily with safe drinking water) is essential to maintain hydration – it is likely to be very hot and humid when we are in the south of the country (e.g. particularly in the lowlands at Cat Tien National Park).

Poor air quality is a significant public health concern in many areas of the world and the cities (particularly) in Vietnam such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi can suffer from poor air quality at some times of the year. Please be aware of this if you have any underlying (particularly breathing/respiratory) health issues.

The standard of health services in Vietnam is much lower than what you will be familiar with at home. Bringing a supply of some of the following could be beneficial: hand sanitizer, antiseptic cream/wipes, plasters, antacid, diarrhea medicine (e.g. Imodium or Pepto-Bismol), antihistamine, motion sickness medicine, cough drops, cough suppression/expectorant, decongestant, medicine for pain and fever (e.g. acetaminophen, aspirin, paracetamol, or ibuprofen), mild laxative, mild sedative, and saline nose spray. Earplugs are always useful if you are a light sleeper.

The CDC website provides a full and detailed list of suggested items to pack that may help with your health and safety in Vietnam, this can be found here.

Please also be sure to check the “Dangerous Animals and Plants” section below.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Please make sure that you are covered with suitable medical insurance in case of an emergency while on the tour, because without insurance the cost for medical care is likely to be extremely high. As per our general Terms and Conditions, we require you to notify us at the time of registering for this tour of any medical conditions that we should know about (these should include, but not be limited to, walking/mobility issues, allergies, heart conditions, diabetes, epilepsy, long-term illnesses etc.). At times on this tour, particularly in central Vietnam, we are in remote areas away from hospitals and medical facilities.

DANGEROUS ANIMALS AND PLANTS

There are several dangerous animals to be aware of in Vietnam, these include Saltwater Crocodile, King Cobra, Malayan Pit Viper, White-lipped Tree Viper, Eastern Russell’s Viper, Many-banded Krait, Vietnamese Giant Centipede, Yellow Sac Spider, Weaver Ant, mosquito sp., Gaur (also known as Indian Bison), and bats (flying foxes). Care should be taken when walking in the forest, particularly where you put your hands and feet when moving through vegetation. Before putting your boots on in the morning check there is nothing hiding inside of them.

A special mention should be made for leeches. Our tour is during the dry season and therefore the chance of encountering them is much reduced (though never impossible). They are an annoyance rather than being a health issue. Insect repellent sprayed on shoes and ankles usually helps to keep them at bay (as well as other annoying ticks, mosquitoes, and chiggers). If you have “leech socks” they could be useful and can usually be purchased fairly easily online.

Many plants in the tropics protect themselves from being eaten by animals by growing sharp thorns, needles, and spikes, others use sharp appendages to allow them to grow and spread (e.g. some palms and creepers). Care should therefore be taken when walking through forest and not grabbing hold of any plants without first carefully checking them and watching out for clothes catching onto them.

FOOD AND WATER

Please do not drink the tap water while in Vietnam. Bottled mineral water is safe and available everywhere (though please bring a refillable water bottle to try and reduce the amount of plastic waste). Ice is considered safe in high standard restaurants and hotels but should probably be avoided in rural areas or on street stalls. Beer and soft drinks are usually inexpensive and widely available. Wines and spirits (which are imported) are generally more expensive. Vietnamese drip coffee is commonly found across the country, however if you want something quick and familiar it would be worth bringing some instant coffee with you. If you are a tea drinker, green and jasmine teas are commonly found in hotels and restaurants, but black tea is not as common, so it would be worth bringing your own black tea bags with you.

One free drink is included with each meal within the tour costs. However, please note this excludes wines and hard liquor (spirits), but does include beer, soft drinks (Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta, etc. depending on availability), water, fresh coconut, hot tea, ice tea, and coffee, etc. An ample supply of drinking water is available throughout the tour in our vehicle.

Vietnamese food definitely adds to the experience of a Vietnam birding trip and is usually fresh and healthy. Vegetarian food is widely available too. Dishes are usually rice or noodle based and served with chicken, pork, beef, shrimps, or tofu. These dishes usually contain a hearty supply of fresh vegetables. Pho (a rice noodle soup) and Banh Mi (a baguette with filling) are two of the most popular foods and we will likely get these frequently. Western food is available in tourist areas and cities such as in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, and Da Nang, however in more rural and remote areas western food is not available. Breakfasts are often simple and consist of bread or noodles with eggs. Quite a few of our breakfasts will be simple (such as eggs in a baguette and fruit) and taken on-the-go, to not encroach too much into our precious early morning birding sessions. Following the tradition of much of Asia at lunch and dinner, a variety of dishes will be placed on our table (a mix of meat dishes and vegetarian dishes) and the group will share the meal. Occasionally, depending on location, individual meals will be possible and food will be chosen from a menu.

Mealtimes are likely to be somewhat flexible depending on our birding/travel plans and so if you need to eat food at a specific time of day (e.g. to agree with medication you are on) you may need to bring snacks to supplement the above, such as cereal bars/protein bars, dried fruit etc. There are limited opportunities to purchase snacks from convenience stores on this trip, so if you want items that are familiar, it is probably best to bring these from home.

CURRENCY

The currency of Vietnam is the Vietnamese đồng (VND/₫/đ). It is in the top three weakest global currencies circulating (as of May 2023). Frequently used bank notes come in denominations of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000, 200,000, and 500,000 đồng. Lower denomination notes of 50, 70, 100, and 200 đồng are rarely used. Coins are no longer minted or in active use but are still legal tender with coins of 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 đồng still occasionally floating about. At the time of writing (May 2023), one United States Dollar (USD/US$) is equivalent to approximately 23,500 Vietnamese đồng and one British Pound (GBP/£) equates to approximately 29,250 Vietnamese đồng.

Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted at restaurants, shops, and hotels in major towns and cities and can be used for drawing cash from ATMs (bank charges may apply). Check with your card supplier whether you need to notify them of your trip to Vietnam, so you don’t find your card doesn’t work on your arrival in the country.

It will be possible to exchange or draw money at the ­airports and in some of the towns and cities we pass through during the tour. It is also possible to change money in banks, exchange bureaus, hotels, and even some shops, but it will be easier all round to either bring cash with you from home, or sort it out at the airport. A small amount of local cash will be useful for personal purchases for items not included in the tour costs and for any gratuities. See the full list of what is/isn’t included in the tour cost in the itinerary document here and in the green box on the left side of the tour page on the website.

WEATHER/CLIMATE   

Due to the location and size of Vietnam, the country has a complex climate. Our tour occurs during the dry season, which runs from December until April, though rain showers are always possible. This is considered the best time for birding in Vietnam.

In the lowlands, we can expect daytime temperatures in the region of around 86 – 95^oF (30 – 35^oC), with very high humidity likely. Nighttime temperatures will be lower, but still warm/hot. We will be birding at a range of elevations and therefore we are likely to experience a wide range of temperatures when at these higher elevations, such as 45 – 77^oF (8 – 25^oC) during the day, with cooler nighttime temperatures that may drop to as low as 40^oF (5^oC).

ELECTRICITY

In Vietnam the power plugs and sockets are of Type A, C, and D. The standard voltage is 110 / 220 volts (V), and the standard frequency is 50 hertz (Hz). Adaptors are needed for most visitors from overseas, you may also need a voltage converter and should be careful with certain appliances that may use a different frequency. For further information, including photographs of the different plug sockets and information on whether you will require an adaptor/converter, please check here.

COMMUNICATIONS

Cell (mobile) phone signal is likely to be available at most locations we visit on the tour (roaming charges might apply depending on your phone contract, check with your supplier that your phone will work in Vietnam). A less expensive alternative to using an international SIM card could be to purchase a local SIM card on your arrival at the airport, a local convenience store, or phone shop. Wi-Fi is available at most of the hotels we stay in, as well as in various, restaurants, shops, bars, and coffee shops, and should be sufficient for most people’s needs.

TRANSPORTATION AND SEAT ROTATION

We use modern, comfortable, air-conditioned vehicles during our Vietnam birding tours, such as a 12-seater Ford Transit minibus or equivalent.

A seat rotation policy will be in place on this set departure tour, this will ensure everybody has equal opportunities within the vehicle throughout the tour. Motion sickness will not excuse you from our seat rotation policy and if you are prone to motion sickness you should ensure you bring the necessary medication.

We require that you are fit and flexible enough to maneuver yourself to the back of the vehicle when it is your turn to sit in that position. Tour participants should be mindful of the extra equipment they bring into the general seating area of the vehicle (rather than the luggage section) and should ensure they do not clog up general thoroughfare or extra seats with camera equipment, tripods, etc. from both a comfort and a health and safety perspective.

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

There are two domestic/internal flights included within the cost of the tour. The first flight will take us between Ho Chi Minh City and Pleiku, the second flight will take us from Da Nang back to Ho Chi Minh City. Please be aware that these domestic flights will have a weight restriction of 44 pounds (lbs) / 20 kilograms (kg) for hold luggage and 15 lbs / 7 kg for hand luggage. If you exceed these limits your bag may be refused by the airline, or you might have to pay an additional fee (this fee will be the responsibility of the individual client and will need to be paid to the airline directly at check-in). Please note that when flying in Vietnam there are very strict rules about what you can and cannot pack in hold luggage (as well as the usual more widespread rules about hand luggage contents). All batteries and all electronic equipment must be packed in hand luggage. Ignoring these rules can get you pulled off the plane to take them out of your hold baggage, or can even get you removed from the plane and prevented from flying! So it is strongly recommended to not ignore the rules!

LUGGAGE

Due to restricted space in the vehicles and domestic flight baggage weight allowances (see “Domestic Flights” information above), please pack as lightly as possible for this tour. A medium, soft-sided duffle bag (not the hard sided cases) usually works best for packing in the vehicles. A daypack should be used to keep items that you wish to use daily when in the vehicle or in the field.

ACCOMMODATION

We stay in a range of accommodation on the tour. Most of the accommodation is of a good standard, however the accommodation in Cat Tien National Park is rather basic, as is the accommodation at Tu Mo Rong (our base for birding at the remote Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve). The more basic accommodation is the only option for when birding in these remote areas. Some accommodation, such as in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, and Da Nang is very nice and comfortable. All rooms (everywhere we stay) have air conditioning and/or a fan (air conditioning is not really considered necessary while staying in the mountains where it is cooler). Most rooms in Cat Tien National Park have mosquito nets. All rooms have private bathrooms with hot water, 24-hour electricity, and most (if not all) have Wi-Fi connections. We use “standard” rooms on this tour, as is typical of most group birding tours around the world, and these are deemed by us to be sufficient for most people. If you would like to upgrade to a higher standard of room, such as a “luxury” room, this might be possible, depending on availability in some, but not all locations. Please note that there would be an extra charge for upgrading your room, please contact us to discuss options. As is typical in Asia, most beds have a hard or very hard, often thin mattress, a couple of the more upmarket hotels in cities have slightly softer mattresses.

WHAT TO BRING: CLOTHING

Loose, lightweight field clothing with green and brown colors works best for our birding activities and helps blend into the forest environments that we will spend most of our time in. Bright colors are to be avoided for birding attire, please (e.g. no pale colors, white, red, orange etc.). Given the potential insect issues (and fierce tropical sun) mentioned above, we recommend long pants/trousers and long-sleeved shirts (these can be rolled up should you get too hot). Shorts can be great for when you are relaxing around the accommodation but always be aware of biting insects and the strong rays of the sun.

You will also need to bring some warmer clothing, certainly a minimum of a warm fleece/jacket for early morning/evening when temperatures can be low, and when birding in the mountains. Something warm to sleep in for the nights when at higher elevation when temperatures could be cold is also advisable. Rain is always a possibility in Vietnam, so rain gear (and a small umbrella) is always useful to have on hand, particularly should we get a rain shower while birding in one of the bird blinds (bird hides) with no roof.

Casual and informal dress is fine in the hotels/accommodation. Sunglasses, sunhat, and sunscreen (rated SPF 30 or higher) are essential.

We always recommend lightweight walking boots for when out on foot to give extra ankle support while walking and added protection against animal stings/bites. Sandals/trainers (tennis shoes) are useful for in the vehicles and for walking between your room and restaurant in the hotels and lodges, but not for when birding please.

WHAT TO BRING: OTHER ITEMS

Do not forget: Binoculars, field guide (see “Books” section below), flashlight (torch), prescription drugs (please bring the generic names for these drugs with you), toiletries, prescription glasses (and a spare pair), insect repellent, sunscreen, sunglasses, camera, batteries (for electronic equipment and chargers for the re-chargeable batteries, if required), converter plugs and plug adaptors if needed, alarm clock (or use your cell phone alarm setting), money pouch, suggested medical kit (as outlined in “Heath and Pests” section above), walking sticks/hiking poles, and daypacks.

Our tour leader/local guide will have a telescope for use during the tour. Most of the birding will be carried out in forest environments so we are unlikely to rely heavily on a scope during this tour, therefore we do not recommend bringing your own scope, unless you like to “digi-scope/phone-scope”. The communal scope will be for everyone to look at the birds but not for taking photos through. With our small group (only four to five tour participants) there should be plenty of time for scope views of birds.

Other important items to remember to bring include: key travel documents, cash (or ATM/credit cards to draw money), passport, proof of vaccinations and your travel or health insurance cards – photocopies of all can be carried by the tour leader in case of emergency, US Dollars (US$) or British Pound Sterling (GBP/£) can be changed to Vietnamese đồng if you prefer not to simply draw from ATM’s (such as at the airport), cash for anything of a personal nature that is not included within the tour cost.

To help with the checklist session, we recommend bringing two different colored pens and a 12-inch (30 centimeter) plastic ruler. Using different colors on alternate days makes the listing activity much easier!

Teabags and instant coffee could be useful items to bring, as well as snacks if you are likely to require any to supplement meals/take with medication at specific times etc.

We will spend lots of time in bird blinds (bird hides). We will be sitting on low stools or bench seats, so if you need extra comfort you might like to bring a foam pad to sit on or a blow-up cushion for your seat/back. Alternatively, your fleece could double up for something like this.

You can read more on what to bring on a birding tour, on this blog post here.

CRIME

Vietnam is a relatively safe country and has been ranked as one of the safest countries in the world for travelers. However, petty theft is a legitimate concern in the big cities/tourist areas, with drive-by snatchings (with items such as cameras, cell phones, and wallets/handbags being the main targets) being a frequent issue (for locals too, not just tourists). Please use safety/lock boxes, when provided in hotels, for storage of personal possessions like passports, money, jewelry, and any other valuable items and follow any advice given to you by the Birding Ecotours tour leader, our local guide, or the hotel staff.

If you arrive ahead of the tour or stay after the tour and would like to do some sightseeing by yourselves, please be aware of taxi scams (such as rigged meters, overcharging, short-changing, confusing currency, and fixed prices). If you would like us to help organize any city sightseeing, please let us know. If needed, two trusted taxi companies appear to be Mai Linh and Vinasun and they can be found at the airport and your city hotel should also be able to help with reliable people.

LANGUAGE

Vietnamese is an Austroasiatic language that originated in Vietnam, where it is the national and official language. French is the most widely spoken foreign language in Vietnam, but English has also attained popularity in the country, especially within the younger demographic. Our local guide will help translate between Vietnamese and English when needed.

BOOKS

There is one recently published field guide that we recommend for this tour. See our recommended field guide blog here, for further information covering the region:

Birds of Vietnam – Richard C Craik and Le Quy Minh (2018), Lynx Edicions. We suggest the Flexibound version of this book for use in the field during the tour, rather than the hardback version as it is less likely to get damaged when traveling.

Other bird books that feature Vietnam include:

Birds of South-East Asia – Craig Robson (2018), Helm (Princeton in US).

Collins Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia – Norman Arlott (2017), William Collins (HarperCollins imprint).

Pocket Photo Guide to the Birds of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos – Peter Davidson (2016), Bloomsbury Publishing.

Other specific interest books:

Vietnam: A Natural History – Eleanor Jane Sterling et al. (2008), Yale University Press.

A Field Guide to the Reptiles of South-East Asia: Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Bali – Indraneil Das (2015), Bloomsbury Publishing.

A Photographic Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of the Lowland Monsoon Forests of Southern Vietnam – Anna B Vassilieva et al. (2016), Edition Chimaira.

Field Guide to the Mammals of South-East Asia – Charles M Francis (2019), Bloomsbury Publishing. Second Edition.

A Naturalist’s Guide to the Mammals of Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam – Chris R Shepherd and Loretta Ann Shepherd (2018), John Beaufoy Publishing.

Primates of Vietnam – Tilo Nadler and Diane K Brokman (2014), Endangered Primate Rescue Center, Vietnam.

Butterflies of Vietnam – Alexander L Monastyrskii and Alexey L Devyatkin (2016), Plan-o-rama Media Co. Ltd.

An Illustrated Guide to the Land Snails and Slugs of Vietnam – Dinazarde C Raheem et al. (2017), London Natural History Museum.

SOUND RECORDINGS

You can listen to and download many calls and songs of Vietnamese birds from the highly recommended xeno-canto website.

USEFUL APPS AND WEBSITE RESOURCES

Aves Vox – a good app that enables the downloading of bird songs and calls from the xeno-canto website onto your cell phone.

eBird – there is a wealth of information contained on this website and the mobile app is now excellent and useful too. Photo, video, and sound galleries are available for practically every species in the world through The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library.

Merlin – an app that can help you identify birds by sight (from photos) and sound (from recordings) and is a useful tool to aid bird identification. The app is getting expanded all the time with new data and regional information so is worth keeping an eye on.

IOC World Bird List – this website contains all the latest details on the world of global bird taxonomy. You can read about newly described species, splits (creation of a new species) and lumps (deletion of a species) of existing species, and plenty of other important information.

Lonely Planet – contains a wealth of information on Vietnam. If you are interested in extending your stay in the country before or after the tour, this will help you find some must-see places.

Download General Information

Important Information

Group size note:

Please note that this is an extra-small, small-group tour (even smaller than our usual small-group set departure tours!), with a maximum of just five tour participants and a tour guaranteed departure with just four participants. This is because we utilize bird blinds (bird hides) within the forest (see conservation note below) and this is the maximum number of clients we feel is suitable for these, to allow more comfortable viewing and excellent visibility and photographic opportunities for everyone on the tour. We feel that a larger group (anything over five participants) would result in insufficient views from the blinds for some tour participants, which we wish to avoid. Our preference in general is for small-group tours as this provides better experiences for you, and this is especially important on this tour. This works for your benefit by allowing you much better views of the birds, as well as great attention from our expert local guide and the Birding Ecotours tour leader, and therefore results in a great all-round birding experience. The smaller group size is also a huge benefit when we are birding within forests and really maximizes your chances of many great and rarely seen birds.

Photographic opportunities:

This tour offers excellent photo opportunities. We spend considerable time in bird blinds (bird hides) on this tour across a range of sites and elevations, and there is a realistic chance of photographing stunning, secretive, and rare species, including pittas, pheasants, partridges, babblers, and laughingthrushes, as well as numerous common species that are exciting too! Some of the possibilities for great photos include Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue Pitta, Rusty-naped Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, Orange-necked Partridge, Rufous-throated Partridge, Siamese Fireback, Golden-winged Laughingthrush, Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush, Collared Laughingthrush, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler, Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler, and dozens more.

Conservation notes:

The conservation situation for many of the endemic and near-endemic birds we look for on this tour is rather perilous. The main reason for this is due to uncontrolled deforestation, hunting, and the illegal cagebird trade. Many of the species are considered Vulnerable or Endangered by BirdLife International, and most of these are in decline.

By joining this tour, you are helping with finances to go directly through our excellent team on the ground towards education programs for school children, helping with supplementary feeding of rare and endangered birds, and providing income to the local people who maintain the bird blinds (bird hides) we visit, including reformed hunters trying to make a living by now protecting the birds they once hunted. This model has been working well in other parts of Asia such as in parts of Thailand and Indonesia and is to be encouraged, it is a step in the right direction, and by visiting birders being seen in remote areas of Vietnam, hopefully it will help trigger the realization that there are treasures in the forest worth protecting for future generations, and that they can provide frequent income from visitors rather than one-off income from a cagebird. It is an uphill task, but one we are passionate about being involved in.

The additional benefit, and the benefit to you on this tour, is that these bird blinds (bird hides) give incredible glimpses into the secretive forest world that is so tough to see otherwise, and can result in staggering sightings of extremely difficult birds, like pittas, pheasants, partridges, babblers, and laughingthrushes.