14 – 28 March 2023
By Andrew Walker
Bar-bellied Pitta gave some great views early in the tour, what a stunning bird!
Overview
This exciting Vietnam birding tour covered the southern and central part of the country and resulted in loads of great birds and some excellent photographic opportunities. The tour started in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on the 14th of March 2023 and ended back there on the 28th of March 2023. We visited some of the top birding destinations in Vietnam, such as Cat Tien National Park, Da Lat, Nui San Pass, Mang Den, and Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve. The full itinerary including a map can be found here.
We recorded 277 bird species (14 heard only) during the tour, the trip list follows the report. The tour highlights included a long list of endemic, near-endemic, and special birds. Some of the non-passerine highlights included Orange-necked Partridge, Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, Green Peafowl, Siamese Fireback, Great Eared Nightjar, Collared Owlet, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Banded Kingfisher, Red-vented Barbet, Indochinese Barbet, Necklaced Barbet, Black-and-buff Woodpecker, White-bellied Woodpecker, and Collared Falconet.
The rarely seen Orange-necked Partridge gave some fantastic views.
Some of the passerine highlights enjoyed on the tour included Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta, Rusty-naped Pitta, Blue Pitta, Black-and-red Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, Long-tailed Broadbill, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Indochinese Green Magpie, Grey-crowned Crocias, Vietnamese Cutia, White-browed (Dalat) Shrike-babbler, Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler, Large Scimitar Babbler, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler, Scaly-crowned (Indochinese) Babbler, Golden-winged Laughingthrush, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Black-headed Sibia, Black-headed Parrotbill, (Annam) Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Indochinese Fulvetta, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Green-backed (Langbian) Tit, Black-throated (Grey-crowned) Bushtit, Lesser (Langbian) Shortwing, Mrs. Gould’s (Annam) Sunbird, Black-throated (Langbian) Sunbird, Vietnamese Greenfinch, and Red (Dalat) Crossbill.
We enjoyed fantastic views of the shy and secretive Indochinese Green Magpie during the tour.
The rare Vietnamese endemic Golden-winged Laughingthrush was a tour highlight.
Detailed Report
Day 1, 14th March 2023. Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
The group arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, and we met our excellent local guide, Phuc, for a welcome dinner in the evening and discussed the plans for the next few weeks of exciting birding in southern and central Vietnam.
Day 2, 15th March 2023. Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Cat Tien National Park
An early departure from Ho Chi Minh City saw us reach Tan Phu Forest Enterprise, where we made our way to a bird blind (bird hide) for the morning. We didn’t have to wait long for bird activity to get going, the clear highlight was a pair of Bar-bellied Pittas that gave a great showing eventually, and the wonderful supporting cast included Siamese Fireback, Laced Woodpecker, Grey-headed (Black-naped) Woodpecker, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Scaly-crowned (Indochinese) Babbler, Abbott’s Babbler, Puff-throated Babbler, Indochinese Blue Flycatcher, Siberian Blue Robin, and Ochraceous Bulbul.
After lunch we visited another blind/hide with a different set of birds. We were again richly rewarded, with great views of the tough Orange-necked Partridge and a pair of Blue-rumped Pittas. The area was very busy, and we enjoyed prolonged views of White-throated Rock Thrush, Buff-breasted Babbler, Puff-throated Babbler, Stripe-throated Bulbul, Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Greater Coucal, and several of the species also seen in the morning. After our afternoon birding session, we completed our journey to Cat Tien National Park. We arrived just as the sun was setting and checked into our accommodation within the national park.
A pair of Blue-rumped Pittas gave prolonged views.
Day 3, 16th March 2023. Birding Cat Tien National Park
We had a wonderful day birding in Cat Tien National Park. After spending the previous day sat in blinds for most of the day, today we walked around and found loads of great birds. As we ate breakfast, we heard Asian Barred Owlet and Great Eared Nightjar and as the sun rose, we picked up Black-crowned Night Heron, Asian Palm Swift, Oriental Magpie-Robin, and Racket-tailed Treepie. A real highlight here was hearing and seeing Red-cheeked (Yellow-cheeked) Gibbons, such an impressive sound and sight!
Starting out along a park road we quickly found Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Green-billed Malkoha, Oriental Dollarbird, Green-eared Barbet, Blue-eared Barbet, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, and Silver-backed Needletail. The birds were coming thick and fast with species moving along the river or deeper into the forest and scrub. Both Common Hill Myna and Golden-crested Myna and both Black-naped Oriole and Black-hooded Oriole were vocal and showed as they moved about, with Red-breasted Parakeet, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Common Flameback, Laced Woodpecker, and White-bellied Woodpecker also present. A group of six Black-and-red Broadbills provided a highlight when they eventually showed well, as did a male Banded Kingfisher and the attractive Blue-bearded Bee-eater.
We had a good showing from two groups of Black-and-red Broadbills during our morning birding session in Cat Tien National Park. Seeing ten birds in a morning was quite impressive.
A mixed flock moved through the area we were watching and it hung around for a while, allowing us to catch up with most birds well. The flock contained the near-endemic Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, as well as Scarlet Minivet, Swinhoe’s Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Bronzed Drongo, Ashy Drongo, Grey-eyed Bulbul, Black-crested Bulbul, Great Iora, Two-barred Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Blue-winged Leafbird, Golden-fronted Leafbird, and Asian Fairy-bluebird. We spent the middle of the day sitting out the heat of the day, but just before that we found another flock of four Black-and-red Broadbills, a great way to end the morning birding session.
We spent the afternoon driving through an area of grassland savannah habitat and found several new species, the best of which was probably Green Peafowl, an absolutely stunning bird, though they were quite shy. We also found plenty of other birds to keep us occupied while searching for the peafowl, including Chinese Francolin, Red Junglefowl, Red Collared Dove, Indochinese Roller, Vinous-breasted Starling, Indian Cuckoo, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Brown Shrike, Pied Bush Chat, and Great Eared Nightjar.
Green Peafowl can reach a length of around 8.2 feet (2.5 meters), seriously impressive!
Day 4, 17th March 2023. Birding Cat Tien National Park
We spent the morning birding near the national park headquarters and found lots of birds again. A fruiting tree pulled in Black-crested Bulbul, Black-headed Bulbul, Grey-eyed Bulbul, Black-hooded Oriole, Oriental Pied Hornbill, and Golden-crested Myna. A small group of Eurasian Hoopoes were flying around, as were White-bellied Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Laced Woodpecker, Common Flameback, and Black-and-buff Woodpecker. Other birds noted around the park headquarters included Taiga Flycatcher, Scarlet Minivet, Large Woodshrike, Great Iora, Olive-backed Sunbird, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Bronzed Drongo, Ashy Drongo, Violet Cuckoo, and Chestnut-winged Cuckoo.
We settled into a bird blind (bird hide) for a couple of hours and found several species, including our top target, the near-endemic Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant. A pair of birds walked in to view and fed for a while, the spectacular male even displaying to the female. A few other birds showed well too, like Green-legged Partridge, Greater Coucal, Puff-throated Babbler, White-rumped Shama, Oriental Magpie-Robin, and Siberian Blue Robin.
We spent the morning birding near the national park headquarters and found lots of birds again. A fruiting tree pulled in Black-crested Bulbul, Black-headed Bulbul, Grey-eyed Bulbul, Black-hooded Oriole, Oriental Pied Hornbill, and Golden-crested Myna. A small group of Eurasian Hoopoes were flying around, as were White-bellied Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Laced Woodpecker, Common Flameback, and Black-and-buff Woodpecker. Other birds noted around the park headquarters included Taiga Flycatcher, Scarlet Minivet, Large Woodshrike, Great Iora, Olive-backed Sunbird, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Bronzed Drongo, Ashy Drongo, Violet Cuckoo, and Chestnut-winged Cuckoo.
We settled into a bird blind (bird hide) for a couple of hours and found several species, including our top target, the near-endemic Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant. A pair of birds walked in to view and fed for a while, the spectacular male even displaying to the female. A few other birds showed well too, like Green-legged Partridge, Greater Coucal, Puff-throated Babbler, White-rumped Shama, Oriental Magpie-Robin, and Siberian Blue Robin.
This rather impressive male Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant put on a great display for the female, and we enjoyed watching it too! Yet another early “bird of the trip” contender.
In the afternoon we took a walk in some nearby forest. It had been a very hot day, but as the temperature dropped slightly, we found several interesting birds, such as Lesser Yellownape, Black-and-buff Woodpecker, Collared Falconet, Red-breasted Parakeet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Little Spiderhunter, and Ruby-cheeked Sunbird. At dusk we saw both Great Eared Nightjar and Large-tailed Nightjar.
Day 5, 18th March 2023. Cat Tien National Park to Da Lat
For our final birding session in Cat Tien National Park, we headed out east of the headquarters to explore a different area. As soon as we got out of the vehicle we were greeted by the sight of the shy Black-shanked Douc Langur swinging through the trees. A fruiting tree here was attracting Ashy-headed Green Pigeon, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Asian Fairy-bluebird, and several bulbul species. Both Siamese Fireback and Red Junglefowl were feeding on the edge of the track and, after a bit of cat-and-mouse, we got some fairly good views of a pair of Banded Broadbills, but the Orange-breasted Trogon that was calling remained deep in the forest and the Oriental Pied Hornbills didn’t hang around long enough for everyone to see perched.
As we made our way further along the track, a few woodpeckers made an appearance, and included the impressive White-bellied Woodpecker, along with Pale-headed Woodpecker, Common Flameback, Laced Woodpecker, Lesser Yellownape, and the miniscule White-browed Piculet. During the morning we also picked up a couple of mixed flocks and within them found Black-and-red Broadbill, Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Yellow-browed Warbler, Arctic Warbler, Great Iora, Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Crimson Sunbird, Van Hasselt’s Sunbird, Little Spiderhunter, and Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, amongst others.
In the afternoon we left Cat Tien National Park behind us and drove east to the mountains of Da Lat, once the mountain playground of the French as an escape from heat of the lowlands. We arrived in the late afternoon and checked into our new accommodation for the next three nights.
Day 6, 19th March 2023. Birding Da Lat Plateau
We spent most of the day in two bird blinds (bird hides) and racked up a long list of high-quality birds. As soon as we entered the first blind the action got going. The near-endemic White-cheeked Laughingthrush was straight in, along with the local subspecies of Black-headed (White-spectacled) Sibia. It was difficult to know where to look first with raucous laughingthrushes bouncing all around, and with Mountain Fulvettas and Grey-throated Babblers also present in numbers. As we settled in and got familiar with these species, we started seeing other birds too, such as Large Niltava, White-tailed Robin, Siberian Blue Robin, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Grey-bellied Tesia, and Lesser (Langbian) Shortwing. There was a bit of extra excitement when a chunky Rusty-naped Pitta came bounding in to view and fed for a while!
White-cheeked Laughingthrushes gave a great showing early in the morning.
Our time in the first blind flew by and we reluctantly left for a different one a short distance away. This one took some maneuvering to get into up a steep slope, but once settled we were again treated to more great views of tough birds, such as Streaked (Annam) Wren-Babbler, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Lesser (Langbian) Shortwing, and others. A Large Hawk-Cuckoo even put in a brief appearance, as did Grey-cheeked Warbler and Rufous-capped Babbler.
The tiny, golf-ball-sized, and secretive Grey-bellied Tesia gave astounding views out in the open.
Rusty-naped Pitta came out of the dark forest and delighted us with a good view.
After lunch we went back into the first blind/hide and spent some more time there. It was interesting seeing the difference from the morning session, the fulvettas and babblers were still present, but there were no laughingthrushes at all. Two new species came in very quickly and showed well, firstly Dark-sided Thrush, and secondly, Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler, two usually very secretive birds. We also enjoyed a pair of Rusty-naped Pittas visiting the blind.
After our time in the blind/hide, we decided to take a walk along a track near the road, where we found even more new species, some of the highlights here included Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Necklaced Barbet, Large Cuckooshrike, Mountain Bulbul, Flavescent Bulbul, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Green-backed (Langbian) Tit, Siberian Thrush, Mountain Tailorbird, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, and Red (Dalat) Crossbill. It had been a long day, but the birds we saw certainly made it worthwhile.
Day 7, 20th March 2023. Birding Da Lat Plateau
We spent the early part of the morning birding the Ta Nung Valley, where we kicked things off with sightings of Flavescent Bulbul, Hill Prinia, and Burmese Shrike. As we started walking, we found a small flock of Vietnamese Greenfinches, White-throated Rock Thrush (a male this time) and Eurasian (White-faced) Jay. A fruiting tree was busy with birds, including Indochinese Barbet, Blue-eared Barbet, Black Bulbul, Ashy (Brown-backed) Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, and Asian Fairy-bluebird. An area of thicker vegetation gave us our main target for the morning, the rare endemic Grey-crowned Crocias, which showed well.
A group of flowering trees held Streaked Spiderhunter, Mrs. Gould’s (Annam) Sunbird, Black-throated (Langbian) Sunbird, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, and Hainan Blue Flycatcher.
The rare endemic and Endangered (BirdLife International) Grey-crowned Crocias gave some good views feeding on the edge of the canopy early in the morning.
Later in the morning we visited the Datanla Waterfall area, where we found more new species, such as Banded Bay Cuckoo, Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo, Long-tailed Minivet, Indochinese Cuckooshrike, White-browed Shrike-babbler (this subspecies until very recently a full species called Dalat Shrike-babbler), Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Indian White-eye, Blue-winged (Plain) Minla, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Little Pied Flycatcher, and Red (Dalat) Crossbill.
During the afternoon we visited a forested area near a lake not far out of town. The birding was tough as it had clouded over with some rumbling thunder, and the light levels were very low. We walked a track and managed to find a few good species, such as Red-vented Barbet, Long-tailed Broadbill, and Indochinese Green Magpie, unfortunately the latter two species didn’t stick around for everyone to see well, so we would have to hope for better views later in the tour. Vietnamese Cutia and Black-hooded Laughingthrush were heard only, again we’d have to hope for views later in the tour. Mugimaki Flycatcher, White-browed (Dalat) Shrike-babbler, Black Bulbul, Green-backed (Langbian) Tit, and Chestnut-vented Nuthatch all showed well.
The local form of Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird (known in this area of Vietnam as Annam Sunbird) is rather attractive!
Day 8, 21st March 2023. Da Lat Plateau to Di Linh (birding Nui Sun Pass)
Our final birding session in Da Lat saw us up in the mountains, birding from roads aiming to pick up mixed flocks. This tactic proved very successful, and we found our main target, Vietnamese Cutia in two such flocks. This wasn’t the only highlight though, as we also found Black-headed Parrotbill, Black-throated (Grey-crowned) Bushtit, Maroon Oriole, and Collared Owlet using this method. Additional species seen in the mixed flocks included Large Cuckooshrike, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Red (Dalat) Crossbill, White-browed (Dalat) Shrike-babbler, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Green-backed (Langbian) Tit, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Little Pied Flycatcher, Grey-chinned Minivet, and Long-tailed Minivet. We had a very low flyover by a Grey-faced Buzzard and also noted both Siberian House Martin and Asian House Martin overhead.
After a final lunch in Da Lat, we left the city and transferred towards Di Linh, our base for the next two nights. Along the way however, we stopped for some birding from a bird blind (bird hide) where we found some incredible birds. Top the list of jaw-dropping birds was the pair of Indochinese Green Magpies that came in and showed extremely well (see photo in summary section of this report), what a special bird. Other highlights included Silver-breasted Broadbill, Black-headed Parrotbill, Black-chinned Yuhina, White-bellied Erpornis, Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, Orange-headed Thrush (two subspecies), White-throated Rock Thrush, Alström’s Warbler, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, Blue-and-white Flycatcher, and Mugimaki Flycatcher. This was a great blind session with constant activity keeping us on our toes throughout.
Day 9, 22nd March 2023. Di Linh (birding Nui Sun Pass)
We visited a bird blind (bird hide) in the morning with one target in mind, Blue Pitta. After a while we glimpsed a female and male skirting around the back of our viewing area a couple of times, but they didn’t show well, or for everyone, it was rather frustrating. We decided to stick it out a bit longer and were handsomely rewarded when the pristine male, which had been rather shy up until this point, hopped right out in the open giving close and open views for what seemed like an age! What an incredible bird, our fourth and final pitta species seen on the tour.
This male Blue Pitta teased us by giving fleeting glimpses for a couple of hours before eventually popping right out into the open giving us those much-hoped-for views.
As much as the pitta was the clear highlight of the morning, we also had Large Scimitar Babbler, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, and White-browed Scimitar Babbler visit the blind, three usually secretive species that showed well feeding and bathing. An Orange-breasted Trogon made a couple of brief appearances too, and the rest of the supporting cast included Orange-headed Thrush, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, and White-throated Rock Thrush.
In the afternoon we called in to some rice paddies, finding Chinese Pond Heron (a couple in breeding plumage), Little Egret, Coppersmith Barbet, Black-collared Starling, Great Myna, Vinous-breasted Starling, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Ashy Woodswallow, and Black-winged Kite. After this stop we went back to the forest, where some roadside birding gave us great views of a couple of Long-tailed Broadbills – a crazy looking bird! We also saw Barred Cuckoo-Dove, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Yellow-vented Green Pigeon, Indochinese Barbet, and Black-chinned Yuhina.
Day 10, 23rd March 2023. Di Linh to Ho Chi Minh City, flight to Pleiku, and on to Mang Den
A travel day as we made our way into central Vietnam. We left Di Linh after breakfast, took the long drive back to Ho Chi Minh City, where we boarded a short flight to Pleiku. From Pleiku we drove to Mang Den, arriving at our base for the next couple of nights in the early evening.
Day 11, 24th March 2023. Birding Mang Den
We spent the morning birding session along forested roads in the Mang Den area, although there was a depressing amount of deforestation to deal with. We did however find a few new birds or improved views of several species we’d seen before. Some of the better birds of the morning included Rufous-faced Warbler, Pale Blue Flycatcher, Black-chinned Yuhina, Short-billed Minivet, Grey-chinned Minivet, Black-throated (Grey-crowned) Bushtit, Crested Goshawk, Crested Serpent Eagle, and Black Bulbul (both black-headed and white-headed subspecies). A White-winged Magpie teased us with a very brief view but wouldn’t give us anything more! One of the most interesting non-avian finds involved a sighting of the rare Sokolov’s Glass Lizard, a strange thing that looked a bit like a skink and a bit like a snake, it even hung around long enough for us to get some photos to clinch the identification, this species has a tiny known global range!
We’d planned to go to a bird blind (bird hide) for the afternoon, however on arrival at our location it was clear a thunderstorm was approaching and a short while later it hit us. We sat it out in our vehicle for a while, but it was obvious it wasn’t improving so we decided to drop down off the mountain and call it a day. A small section of rice paddies held Little Egret, Eastern Cattle Egret, and Chinese Pond Heron, as well as both Long-tailed Shrike and Brown Shrike. After our dinner and checklist session a few of the group had a Grey Nightjar fly over the hotel.
Day 12, 25th March 2023. Birding Mang Den and travel to Tu Mo Rong
After the rain of the previous afternoon, we were relieved to wake to a dry morning. We headed straight back up the mountain to our spot from the previous day and built a quick bird blind (bird hide) in a promising-looking area of forest. We were expecting a bit of a wait and were ready for the long haul, so when a pair of Chestnut-eared Laughingthrushes, our main target bird, hopped into view after only two minutes we were all rather elated! As we’d gone to the effort of building a blind/hide, we decided to give it another 30 minutes or so to see what would happen. We had a few more sightings of the laughingthrushes, in fact there were three birds, and a pair of Mountain Fulvettas came in too.
The main reason for our visit to Mang Den was to see Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush. This Vietnam near-endemic is listed as Vulnerable (BirdLife International) because it is known from one site, is likely to have a very small global range, and is susceptible to a range of threats, such as rampant deforestation and the illegal cage bird trade. Worrying times for this species!
Satisfied with our laughingthrushes we covered some of the same ground as the previous morning and found a few mixed flocks and several new trip birds such as Clicking Shrike-babbler, Golden Babbler, and Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler. In addition, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Maroon Oriole, Short-billed Minivet, Black-chinned Yuhina, White-bellied Erpornis, and Kloss’s Leaf Warbler all put in appearances too.
In the afternoon we travelled to our base for the next two nights at Tu Mo Rong near Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, and prepared for what we hoped would be an exciting day of Vietnamese birding.
Day 13, 26th March 2023. Birding Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve
We had an enjoyable morning at Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, seeing some very special birds. On arrival at the nature reserve we hiked up into the mountains through some beautiful forest for an hour or so, until we reached our bird blind (bird hide). We waited patiently for our two main target birds to come in, and it was an enjoyable wait with several new species seen, including Indochinese Fulvetta, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler, Black-headed (Brownish-backed) Sibia, Large Niltava, Fujian Niltava, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, and Snowy-browed Flycatcher. Our first major target bird came in quite quickly, and what an absolute belter – Red-tailed Laughingthrush. A single individual came in and spent quite a while on show for us, just incredible.
The magnificent Red-tailed Laughingthrush put on quite the show for us.
We found the rarely seen hoae subspecies of Vietnamese Cutia in Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve.
We had to wait a bit longer for our main target, but eventually in it came, the rare endemic Golden-winged Laughingthrush, an Endangered (BirdLife International) species found only at three sites in the whole world (see photo in trip summary above). This species was only described in 1999 and is threatened by habitat loss and illegal trapping, so we were extremely happy to see it.
After our session in the blind/hide, we took the walk back down off the mountain, and while doing so found a few interesting birds, such as Black-crowned Barwing, Vietnamese Cutia, White-browed (formerly, until recently, Blyth’s) Shrike-babbler, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Grey-cheeked Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, and Green-tailed Sunbird. In the mid-afternoon we headed back to our accommodation and took some rest.
Day 14, 27th March 2023. Tu Mo Rong to Da Nang and mammal watching on the Son Tra Peninsula
Essentially a travel day as we made the long drive from Tu Mo Rong to Da Nang through some special landscapes. A few stops along the way gave us some new birds for the tour, such as Yellow-cheeked Tit, Pygmy Flycatcher, White-throated Needletail, Blue Rock Thrush, White-rumped Munia, White (Siberian) Wagtail, Wire-tailed Swallow, and Striated Swallow.
After checking into our hotel for the final night of the tour we visited the Son Tra Nature Reserve, where, despite the low cloud, wind, and drizzle, we found our target, the simply incredible Red-shanked Douc Langur. As far as monkeys go, this one is very special, not only is it beautiful, but it is also Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List).
We saw two family groups of the unique Red-shanked Douc Langur in Son Tra Nature Reserve, a really nice way to end our tour through central and southern Vietnam. Full mammal and reptile species lists for the tour are given at the end of the report.
Day 15, 28th March 2023. Bird and mammal watching on Son Tra Peninsula, flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, where tour concluded
We had a final morning birding and mammal watching at Son Tra Peninsula before we flew back to Ho Chin Minh City, where this exciting Vietnam birding tour concluded. We again enjoyed excellent views of a family group of Red-shanked Douc Langurs. Our final new bird of the tour was a Peregrine Falcon that was mobbing a Crested Honey Buzzard, an exciting observation. We also saw White-crested Laughingthrush, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Racket-tailed Treepie, Olive-backed Sunbird, and Crimson Sunbird.
After breakfast we discussed the coveted “bird of the trip”, and it was no easy task with high-quality birds day after day on this tour. However, one bird stood out from the crowd, just, and that was the displaying Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, a great choice. Other notable mentions went to all of the pittas, broadbills, kingfishers, and laughingthrushes we had seen.
We took our flights from Da Nang back to Ho Chi Minh City and the tour concluded. A huge thank you to our local guide, Phuc, for helping to make this a wonderful tour, and to our drivers for safe travels. Thank you to everyone for making this such an enjoyable Vietnamese birding tour.
Bird List – Following IOC (13.1)
Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, all other species were seen. The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International: EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable.
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Pheasants & Allies (Phasianidae) | |
| Orange-necked Partridge | Arborophila davidi |
| Siamese Fireback | Lophura diardi |
| Green Peafowl – EN | Pavo muticus |
| Green-legged Partridge | Tropicoperdix chloropus |
| Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant | Polyplectron germaini |
| Red Junglefowl | Gallus gallus |
| Chinese Francolin | Francolinus pintadeanus |
| Nightjars (Caprimulgidae) | |
| Great Eared Nightjar | Lyncornis macrotis |
| Grey Nightjar (H) | Caprimulgus jotaka |
| Large-tailed Nightjar | Caprimulgus macrurus |
| Swifts (Apodidae) | |
| Himalayan Swiftlet | Aerodramus brevirostris |
| Germain’s Swiftlet | Aerodramus germani |
| White-throated Needletail | Hirundapus caudacutus |
| Silver-backed Needletail | Hirundapus cochinchinensis |
| Brown-backed Needletail | Hirundapus giganteus |
| Asian Palm Swift | Cypsiurus balasiensis |
| Pacific Swift | Apus pacificus |
| House Swift | Apus nipalensis |
| Cuckoos (Cuculidae) | |
| Greater Coucal | Centropus sinensis |
| Lesser Coucal | Centropus bengalensis |
| Green-billed Malkoha | Phaenicophaeus tristis |
| Chestnut-winged Cuckoo | Clamator coromandus |
| Asian Koel | Eudynamys scolopaceus |
| Violet Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus |
| Banded Bay Cuckoo | Cacomantis sonneratii |
| Plaintive Cuckoo | Cacomantis merulinus |
| Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo | Surniculus lugubris |
| Large Hawk-Cuckoo | Hierococcyx sparverioides |
| Indian Cuckoo | Cuculus micropterus |
| Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae) | |
| Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon) | Columba livia dom. |
| Red Collared Dove | Streptopelia tranquebarica |
| Spotted Dove | Spilopelia chinensis |
| Barred Cuckoo-Dove | Macropygia unchall |
| Common Emerald Dove | Chalcophaps indica |
| Zebra Dove | Geopelia striata |
| Ashy-headed Green Pigeon | Treron phayrei |
| Thick-billed Green Pigeon | Treron curvirostra |
| Pin-tailed Green Pigeon | Treron apicauda |
| Yellow-vented Green Pigeon | Treron seimundi |
| Green Imperial Pigeon | Ducula aenea |
| Mountain Imperial Pigeon | Ducula badia |
| Plovers (Charadriidae) | |
| Red-wattled Lapwing | Vanellus indicus |
| Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae) | |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos |
| Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) | |
| Little Cormorant | Microcarbo niger |
| Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae) | |
| Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax |
| Chinese Pond Heron | Ardeola bacchus |
| Eastern Cattle Egret | Bubulcus coromandus |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta |
| Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae) | |
| Black-winged Kite | Elanus caeruleus |
| Crested Honey Buzzard | Pernis ptilorhynchus |
| Jerdon’s Baza | Aviceda jerdoni |
| Crested Serpent Eagle | Spilornis cheela |
| Black Eagle | Ictinaetus malaiensis |
| Crested Goshawk | Accipiter trivirgatus |
| Shikra | Accipiter badius |
| Grey-faced Buzzard | Butastur indicus |
| Owls (Strigidae) | |
| Collared Owlet | Taenioptynx brodiei |
| Asian Barred Owlet (H) | Glaucidium cuculoides |
| Collared Scops Owl (H) | Otus lettia |
| Trogons (Trogonidae) | |
| Orange-breasted Trogon | Harpactes oreskios |
| Red-headed Trogon (H) | Harpactes erythrocephalus |
| Hoopoes (Upupidae) | |
| Eurasian Hoopoe | Upupa epops |
| Hornbills (Bucerotidae) | |
| Oriental Pied Hornbill | Anthracoceros albirostris |
| Rollers (Coraciidae) | |
| Indochinese Roller | Coracias affinis |
| Oriental Dollarbird | Eurystomus orientalis |
| Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) | |
| Banded Kingfisher | Lacedo pulchella |
| White-throated Kingfisher | Halcyon smyrnensis |
| Pied Kingfisher | Ceryle rudis |
| Bee-eaters (Meropidae) | |
| Blue-bearded Bee-eater | Nyctyornis athertoni |
| Chestnut-headed Bee-eater | Merops leschenaulti |
| Asian Barbets (Megalaimidae) | |
| Red-vented Barbet | Psilopogon lagrandieri |
| Lineated Barbet | Psilopogon lineatus |
| Green-eared Barbet | Psilopogon faiostrictus |
| Necklaced Barbet | Psilopogon auricularis |
| Indochinese Barbet | Psilopogon annamensis |
| Blue-eared Barbet | Psilopogon duvaucelii |
| Coppersmith Barbet | Psilopogon haemacephalus |
| Woodpeckers (Picidae) | |
| White-browed Piculet | Sasia ochracea |
| Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker | Yungipicus canicapillus |
| Stripe-breasted Woodpecker (H) | Dendrocopos atratus |
| White-bellied Woodpecker | Dryocopus javensis |
| Lesser Yellownape | Picus chlorolophus |
| Laced Woodpecker | Picus vittatus |
| Grey-headed Woodpecker | Picus canus |
| Common Flameback | Dinopium javanense |
| Greater Flameback (H) | Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus |
| Pale-headed Woodpecker (H) | Gecinulus grantia |
| Bay Woodpecker (H) | Blythipicus pyrrhotis |
| Black-and-buff Woodpecker | Meiglyptes jugularis |
| Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae) | |
| Collared Falconet | Microhierax caerulescens |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus |
| Old World Parrots (Psittaculidae) | |
| Red-breasted Parakeet | Psittacula alexandri |
| Vernal Hanging Parrot | Loriculus vernalis |
| Typical Broadbills (Eurylaimidae) | |
| Long-tailed Broadbill | Psarisomus dalhousiae |
| Silver-breasted Broadbill | Serilophus lunatus |
| Black-and-red Broadbill | Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos |
| Banded Broadbill | Eurylaimus javanicus |
| Pittas (Pittidae) | |
| Rusty-naped Pitta | Hydrornis oatesi |
| Blue-rumped Pitta | Hydrornis soror |
| Blue Pitta | Hydrornis cyaneus |
| Bar-bellied Pitta | Hydrornis elliotii |
| Vangas & Allies (Vangidae) | |
| Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike | Hemipus picatus |
| Large Woodshrike | Tephrodornis virgatus |
| Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies (Artamidae) | |
| Ashy Woodswallow | Artamus fuscus |
| Ioras (Aegithinidae) | |
| Common Iora | Aegithina tiphia |
| Great Iora | Aegithina lafresnayei |
| Cuckooshrikes (Campephagidae) | |
| Grey-chinned Minivet | Pericrocotus solaris |
| Short-billed Minivet | Pericrocotus brevirostris |
| Long-tailed Minivet | Pericrocotus ethologus |
| Scarlet Minivet | Pericrocotus speciosus |
| Swinhoe’s Minivet | Pericrocotus cantonensis |
| Large Cuckooshrike | Coracina macei |
| Indochinese Cuckooshrike | Lalage polioptera |
| Shrikes (Laniidae) | |
| Brown Shrike | Lanius cristatus |
| Burmese Shrike | Lanius collurioides |
| Long-tailed Shrike | Lanius schach |
| Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers (Vireonidae) | |
| White-browed (Dalat) Shrike-babbler | Pteruthius aeralatus annamensis |
| White-browed (Blyth’s) Shrike-babbler | Pteruthius aeralatus aeralatus |
| Clicking Shrike-babbler | Pteruthius intermedius |
| White-bellied Erpornis | Erpornis zantholeuca |
| Figbirds, Old World Orioles, Piopios (Oriolidae) | |
| Maroon Oriole | Oriolus traillii |
| Black-hooded Oriole | Oriolus xanthornus |
| Black-naped Oriole | Oriolus chinensis |
| Drongos (Dicruridae) | |
| Bronzed Drongo | Dicrurus aeneus |
| Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo | Dicrurus remifer |
| Greater Racket-tailed Drongo | Dicrurus paradiseus |
| Hair-crested Drongo | Dicrurus hottentottus |
| Ashy Drongo | Dicrurus leucophaeus |
| Black Drongo | Dicrurus macrocercus |
| Fantails (Rhipiduridae) | |
| White-throated Fantail | Rhipidura albicollis |
| Monarchs (Monarchidae) | |
| Black-naped Monarch | Hypothymis azurea |
| Crows, Jays (Corvidae) | |
| Eurasian Jay | Garrulus glandarius |
| White-winged Magpie | Urocissa whiteheadi |
| Indochinese Green Magpie | Cissa hypoleuca |
| Racket-tailed Treepie | Crypsirina temia |
| Large-billed Crow | Corvus macrorhynchos |
| Fairy Flycatchers (Stenostiridae) | |
| Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher | Culicicapa ceylonensis |
| Tits, Chickadees (Paridae) | |
| Green-backed Tit | Parus monticolus |
| Yellow-cheeked Tit | Machlolophus spilonotus |
| Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) | |
| Ochraceous Bulbul | Alophoixus ochraceus |
| Grey-eyed Bulbul | Iole propinqua |
| Ashy Bulbul | Hemixos flavala |
| Mountain Bulbul | Ixos mcclellandii |
| Black Bulbul | Hypsipetes leucocephalus |
| Black-headed Bulbul | Brachypodius melanocephalos |
| Black-crested Bulbul | Rubigula flaviventris |
| Streak-eared Bulbul | Pycnonotus conradi |
| Stripe-throated Bulbul | Pycnonotus finlaysoni |
| Flavescent Bulbul | Pycnonotus flavescens |
| Red-whiskered Bulbul | Pycnonotus jocosus |
| Sooty-headed Bulbul | Pycnonotus aurigaster |
| Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae) | |
| Dusky Crag Martin | Ptyonoprogne concolor |
| Wire-tailed Swallow | Hirundo smithii |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica |
| Siberian House Martin | Delichon lagopodum |
| Asian House Martin | Delichon dasypus |
| Red-rumped Swallow | Cecropis daurica |
| Striated Swallow | Cecropis striolata |
| Cupwings (Pnoepygidae) | |
| Pygmy Cupwing (H) | Pnoepyga pusilla |
| Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies (Cettiidae) | |
| Rufous-faced Warbler | Abroscopus albogularis |
| Mountain Tailorbird | Phyllergates cucullatus |
| Grey-bellied Tesia | Tesia cyaniventer |
| Bushtits (Aegithalidae) | |
| Black-throated Bushtit | Aegithalos concinnus |
| Leaf Warblers (Phylloscopidae) | |
| Yellow-browed Warbler | Phylloscopus inornatus |
| White-spectacled Warbler (H) | Phylloscopus intermedius |
| Grey-cheeked Warbler | Phylloscopus poliogenys |
| Alström’s Warbler | Phylloscopus soror |
| Two-barred Warbler | Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus |
| Pale-legged Leaf Warbler | Phylloscopus tenellipes |
| Arctic Warbler | Phylloscopus borealis |
| Chestnut-crowned Warbler | Phylloscopus castaniceps |
| Blyth’s Leaf Warbler | Phylloscopus reguloides |
| Kloss’s Leaf Warbler | Phylloscopus ogilviegranti |
| Grassbirds & Allies (Locustellidae) | |
| Dalat Bush Warbler (H) | Locustella idonea |
| Cisticolas & Allies (Cisticolidae) | |
| Hill Prinia | Prinia superciliaris |
| Yellow-bellied Prinia (H) | Prinia flaviventris |
| Plain Prinia | Prinia inornata |
| Common Tailorbird | Orthotomus sutorius |
| Dark-necked Tailorbird | Orthotomus atrogularis |
| Parrotbills & Allies (Paradoxornithidae) | |
| Golden-breasted Fulvetta | Lioparus chrysotis |
| Indochinese Fulvetta | Fulvetta danisi |
| Black-headed Parrotbill – VU | Psittiparus margaritae |
| White-eyes (Zosteropidae) | |
| Black-chinned Yuhina | Yuhina nigrimenta |
| Indian White-eye | Zosterops palpebrosus |
| Babblers, Scimitar Babblers (Timaliidae) | |
| Chestnut-capped Babbler | Timalia pileata |
| Grey-faced Tit-Babbler | Mixornis kelleyi |
| Pin-striped Tit-Babbler | Mixornis gularis |
| Golden Babbler | Cyanoderma chrysaeum |
| Rufous-capped Babbler | Cyanoderma ruficeps |
| Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler | Pomatorhinus phayrei |
| Red-billed Scimitar Babbler | Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps |
| White-browed Scimitar Babbler | Pomatorhinus schisticeps |
| Large Scimitar Babbler | Erythrogenys hypoleucos |
| Grey-throated Babbler | Stachyris nigriceps |
| Ground Babblers (Pellorneidae) | |
| Scaly-crowned Babbler | Malacopteron cinereum |
| Rufous-winged Fulvetta | Schoeniparus castaneceps |
| Rusty-capped Fulvetta | Schoeniparus dubius |
| Puff-throated Babbler | Pellorneum ruficeps |
| Buff-breasted Babbler | Pellorneum tickelli |
| Abbott’s Babbler | Malacocincla abbotti |
| Streaked Wren-Babbler | Gypsophila brevicaudata |
| Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler | Napothera danjoui |
| Alcippe Fulvettas (Alcippeidae) | |
| Mountain Fulvetta | Alcippe peracensis |
| Laughingthrushes & Allies (Leiothrichidae) | |
| Vietnamese Cutia | Cutia legalleni |
| Grey-crowned Crocias – EN | Laniellus langbianis |
| Red-tailed Laughingthrush | Trochalopteron milnei |
| Golden-winged Laughingthrush – EN | Trochalopteron ngoclinhense |
| Black-headed Sibia | Heterophasia desgodinsi |
| Blue-winged Minla | Actinodura cyanouroptera |
| Black-crowned Barwing | Actinodura sodangorum |
| Silver-eared Mesia – EN (H) | Leiothrix argentauris |
| White-crested Laughingthrush | Garrulax leucolophus |
| Black-hooded Laughingthrush (H) | Garrulax milleti |
| Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush – VU | Ianthocincla konkakinhensis |
| White-cheeked Laughingthrush | Pterorhinus vassali |
| Fairy-bluebirds (Irenidae) | |
| Asian Fairy-bluebird | Irena puella |
| Nuthatches (Sittidae) | |
| Velvet-fronted Nuthatch | Sitta frontalis |
| Yellow-billed Nuthatch | Sitta solangiae |
| Chestnut-vented Nuthatch | Sitta nagaensis |
| Starlings, Rhabdornises (Sturnidae) | |
| Golden-crested Myna | Ampeliceps coronatus |
| Common Hill Myna | Gracula religiosa |
| Great Myna | Acridotheres grandis |
| Common Myna | Acridotheres tristis |
| Vinous-breasted Myna | Acridotheres leucocephalus |
| Black-collared Starling | Gracupica nigricollis |
| Chestnut-tailed Starling | Sturnia malabarica |
| Thrushes (Turdidae) | |
| Dark-sided Thrush | Zoothera marginata |
| Siberian Thrush | Geokichla sibirica |
| Orange-headed Thrush | Geokichla citrina |
| Eyebrowed Thrush | Turdus obscurus |
| Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae) | |
| Oriental Magpie-Robin | Copsychus saularis |
| White-rumped Shama | Copsychus malabaricus |
| Asian Brown Flycatcher | Muscicapa dauurica |
| Rufous-browed Flycatcher | Anthipes solitaris |
| Hainan Blue Flycatcher | Cyornis hainanus |
| Pale Blue Flycatcher | Cyornis unicolor |
| Indochinese Blue Flycatcher | Cyornis sumatrensis |
| Fujian Niltava | Niltava davidi |
| Large Niltava | Niltava grandis |
| Blue-and-white Flycatcher | Cyanoptila cyanomelana |
| Verditer Flycatcher | Eumyias thalassinus |
| Lesser Shortwing | Brachypteryx leucophris |
| Siberian Blue Robin | Larvivora cyane |
| White-tailed Robin | Myiomela leucura |
| Mugimaki Flycatcher | Ficedula mugimaki |
| Pygmy Flycatcher | Ficedula hodgsoni |
| Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher | Ficedula strophiata |
| Little Pied Flycatcher | Ficedula westermanni |
| Snowy-browed Flycatcher | Ficedula hyperythra |
| Taiga Flycatcher | Ficedula albicilla |
| Blue Rock Thrush | Monticola solitarius |
| White-throated Rock Thrush | Monticola gularis |
| Amur Stonechat | Saxicola stejnegeri |
| Pied Bush Chat | Saxicola caprata |
| Grey Bush Chat | Saxicola ferreus |
| Leafbirds (Chloropseidae) | |
| Blue-winged Leafbird | Chloropsis moluccensis |
| Golden-fronted Leafbird | Chloropsis aurifrons |
| Flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae) | |
| Fire-breasted Flowerpecker | Dicaeum ignipectus |
| Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker | Dicaeum cruentatum |
| Sunbirds (Nectariniidae) | |
| Ruby-cheeked Sunbird | Chalcoparia singalensis |
| Van Hasselt’s Sunbird | Leptocoma brasiliana |
| Olive-backed Sunbird | Cinnyris jugularis |
| Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird | Aethopyga gouldiae |
| Green-tailed Sunbird | Aethopyga nipalensis |
| Black-throated Sunbird | Aethopyga saturata |
| Crimson Sunbird | Aethopyga siparaja |
| Purple-naped Sunbird | Kurochkinegramma hypogrammicum |
| Little Spiderhunter | Arachnothera longirostra |
| Streaked Spiderhunter | Arachnothera magna |
| Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae) | |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow | Passer montanus |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae) | |
| Scaly-breasted Munia | Lonchura punctulata |
| White-rumped Munia | Lonchura striata |
| Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae) | |
| Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea |
| White Wagtail | Motacilla alba |
| Finches, Euphonias (Fringillidae) | |
| Vietnamese Greenfinch | Chloris monguilloti |
| Red Crossbill | Loxia curvirostra |
| Total seen | 263 |
| Total heard only | 14 |
| Total recorded | 277 |
Reptile List
Deceased reptiles are marked with (D) after the common name.
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Dragons (Agamidae) | |
| Crowned Pricklenape | Acanthosaura coronata |
| Spotted Flying Dragon | Draco maculatus |
| Gekkonidae (Geckos) | |
| Asian House Gecko | Hemidactylus platyurus |
| Flat-tailed House Gecko | Hemidactylus platyurus |
| Tokay Gecko | Gekko gecko |
| Skinks (Scincidae) | |
| Common Mabuya | Eutropis multifasciata |
| Spotted Forest Skink | Sphenomorphus maculatus |
| Glass and Alligator Lizards (Anguidae) | |
| Sokolov’s Glass Lizard | Dopasia sokolovi |
| Colubrid Snakes (Colubridae) | |
| Green Cat Snake | Boiga cyanea |
| Speckle-bellied Keelback | Rhabdophis chrysargos |
| Javan (Indochinese) Rat Snake | Ptyas korros |
| Typical Blind Snakes (Typhlopidae) | |
| Brahminy Blindsnake (D) | Indotyphlops braminus |
| Total | 12 |
Mammal List
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Old World Monkeys (Cercopithecidae) | |
| Northern Pig-tailed Macaque | Macaca leonina |
| Rhesus Macaque | Macaca mulatta |
| Black-shanked Douc Langur | Pygathrix nigripes |
| Red-shanked Douc Langur | Pygathrix nemaeus |
| Gibbons (Hylobatidae) | |
| Red-cheeked (Yellow-cheeked) Gibbon | Nomascus gabriellae |
| Deer (Cervidae) | |
| Sambar | Rusa unicolor |
| Northern Red Muntjac | Muntiacus vaginalis |
| Chevrotains (Tragulidae) | |
| Lesser Oriental Chevrotain | Tragulus kanchil |
| Squirrels (Sciuridae) | |
| Berdmore’s (Indochinese Ground) Squirrel | Menetes berdmorei |
| Pallas’s Squirrel | Callosciurus erythraeus |
| (Asian) Red-cheeked Squirrel | Dremomys rufigenis |
| Cambodian Striped Squirrel | Tamiops rodolphii |
| Maritime Striped Squirrel | Tamiops maritimus |
| Treeshrews (Tupaiidae) | |
| Northern Treeshrew | Tupaia belangeri |
| Northern Smooth-tailed Treeshrew | Dendrogale murina |
| Mustelids (Mustelidae) | |
| Yellow-throated Marten | Martes flavigula |
| Suids (Suidae) | |
| Wild Boar | Sus scrofa |
| Bovids (Bovidae) | |
| Domestic Water Buffalo | Bubalus bubalis |
| Total | 18 |
This is a sample trip report. Please email us ([email protected]) for more trip reports from this destination.
