VIETNAM BIRDING TRIP REPORT

24 March - 14 April 1998

By Jon Hornbuckle

Maps of Vietnam - [Detailed US Military relief] [Provinces] [Main roads and cities]

Introduction

Vietnam is an increasingly popular birding destination as it is safe, cheap (apart from transport) and holds some excellent birds. Paul Bagguley, Nick Gardner and I spent 18 days there, and I had an additional 4, mainly for sightseeing. We recorded some 390 species during this time, highlights being Spoonbill Sandpiper, Nordmann's Greenshank, 5 of the 6 "seeable" endemics on this route including Grey-crowned Crocias (but not Orange-necked Partridge), Blue-rumped and Bar-bellied Pittas and a fine selection of woodpeckers.

However, there were very few birds anywhere other than in the forested areas we visited and the future prospects for any unprotected forest look grim, e.g. around Da Lat the Crocias site was going up in smoke and woodcutters were very active in the remaining forest on Lang Bian Mountain, home to several rare endemics.

The following notes are intended to complement Brian Gee's excellent report, the essential reference.

TRANSPORT

Nick and Paul flew Manchester - Hanoi, returning from Saigon, with Air France, booked through WildWings at a cost of £579 + 25 tax, while I went via Bangkok (as I previously visited NE India) at a cost of £614 total. The internal Hanoi - Saigon / Ho Chih Minh City flight was £132.

We hired an air-conditioned car with driver for all road transport, to minimise travel time and hassle. This was pre-arranged by Nick for $699 all in through Nguyen Van Viet who speaks good English (uncommon in Vietnam) and now works for NTN Tours, 34 Le Qui Don, Dist. 3, Ho Chi Minh City, fax 848 932 0105, tel 820 3486. We paid in dollars when we reached Saigon. This worked very well, and meant we had a car available at all times except at Cat Tien where the car returned to Saigon and we were able to hire the Park's jeep whenever we wanted. The only problem encountered was failure to get up to the pass near Di Linh, due to the driver's unwillingness to risk the car on a slightly rough road. It would have been possible to reach all sites by public transport and taxi, except Xuan Thuy, but at considerable cost in time and hassle.

The northern period of car-hire was sub-let to Sao Mai Hotel Tours in Hanoi - contact Pham Quoc Dung, fax 844 823 3887, tel 845 5827. We had agreed to pay $25 each for permits to be obtained by them for Xuan Thuy and Cuc Phuong. As there was no evidence of such permits, we declined to pay this extra, which was readily accepted by Nguyen Van Viet. It may be that the agent did telephone to warn of our arrival.

In Hanoi I joined the cyclists (50p a day), a good way of getting around, while cars and buses are relatively scarce.

International departure tax is $10.

ACCOMMODATION

Plentiful, fairly cheap and generally good.

Queen Café, 65 Hang Bac in old Hanoi, $4 for a small, clean room with paper-thin walls; good food and company (if you like "Lonely Planeters", which I do but some birders don't) in the café. It has a cheap email facility which works for sending messages but not necessarily for receiving them.

Mai Phuong Hotel, Hang Be, associated with Queen Café but quieter and better rooms - $12 for 3 bed room with fan and own hot shower etc.

Single rooms at Bong sub-station, Cuc Phuong $10 a night.

Anh Dao Hotel, Tam Dao, opposite the expensive Caythong Hotel - 2 twin-bedded en suite rooms for $30 total a night after negotiation

Hotel Cam Do, Da Lat - $6 a single, $10 a twin, en suite

Air-conditioned (needed), en suite double-bedded room at Cat Tien $12 a night.

Reasonable meals (and beer) were available at all centres, and were incredibly good value at Cat Tien - only 15,000 dong. Snack-food other than biscuits and bananas was difficult to come by, so it might be worth bringing a supply of say meusli bars.

REFERENCES

Vietnam: 7^th Nov - 5^th Dec 1996. Brian Gee - 34-page site guide available from the Oriental Bird Club for £11.00.

Some prime birding sites in Vietnam (1995). Nick Dymond

Southern Vietnam: April 1996. Mike Edgecombe - useful

Spoonbill Sandpipers in Vietnam. Zoltan Ecsedi and Janos Olah, Birding World, p261, July 97

Various articles published in Forktail and OBC Bulletins, especially on new records in Vietnam by Robson et al.

Field Guides: King et al (1975) and Lekagul & Round (1991).

[References added by JWW:

Robson, A Guide to the Birds of SouthEast Asia (2000)

(?) Holmes: November-December 1999. 20-page update to Brian Gee's report with comprehensive checklist, available from the Oriental Bird Club for £5.00.

Bach Ma National Park, Vietnam. By Richard Chaik. OBC Bull. 33 (June 2001).

OBC Bulletin 33: Special Vietnam Issue. (June 2001).

Susan Myers: 1 May - 24 May 1999

David Fischer: 13 March - 27 March 1999

Alfred Chia: 13 March - 19 March 1999 [On WorldTwitch]

Aidan G. Kelly: 11 December 1998 - 1 January 1999

Phil Benstead: 10 November - 4 December 1998

Composite bird grid for Cat Tien National Park

Cat Tien National Park, by Sian O'Dwyer - nothing on birds]

MISCELLANEOUS

The weather was good throughout, except for low cloud every morning, with some wind and light rain, at Tam Dao and in Halong Bay. It was exceptionally dry in the south and very hot at Cuc Phuong (e.g. 36C in the shade).

We had virtually no health problems and only experienced a few mosquitoes and leeches. Paul and Nick took Larium but I did not on the basis of advice that the Mekong Delta is the only area of serious malaria risk and I have to take it at other times when visiting areas of higher risk.

I obtained my visa in 4 days by taking the application to the embassy in London, paying £40, and receiving the passport back by first class post. US dollars are accepted almost everywhere, usually being equivalent to 13,000 dong. Sterling (£1 = 20K dong) could be changed at Saigon airport but not Hanoi.

All national parks and reserves appear to charge a one-off entry fee of either 20K dong or $5. There are additional charges for photography, which are not rigorously enforced.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many thanks to Nick Gardner for all the pre-trip preparations and to him and Paul for excellent company. Steve Whitehouse and the Hungarians gave some useful tips, and Peter Lansley speedily reported on his and Neil's trip to the North, overlapping with ours. Alan Greensmith kindly provided his extensive notes and tape-recordings. Additional recordings were obtained by Nick from BLOWS.

Jon Hornbuckle 35 Grove Road, Sheffield S7 2GY

ITINERARY

March 24 JH arrives Hanoi

25-27 Halong Bay and Catba Island.

28 Halong Bay, Hanoi. PB & NG arrive. Evening drive to Xuan Thuy

29 Xuan Thuy. Evening drive to Cuc Phuong

30 - April 1 Cuc Phuong

2 Cuc Phuong. Afternoon drive to Tam Dao

3 - 4 Tam Dao

5 Tam Dao. Late afternoon drive to Hanoi

6 Hanoi - Saigon flight. Drive to Di Linh. Bird below the pass, drive to Da Lat

7 Ho Tuyen Lam

8 Mt Lang Bian

9 Ho Tuyen Lam. Afternoon drive to Nam Bai Cat Tien

10 - 13 Nam Bai Cat Tien

14 Nam Bai Cat Tien till 10.30. Drive to Saigon. Evening flight home.

NOTES ON SITES

HANOI

We started here so we could visit Xuan Thuy first, to maximise our chances of seeing wintering Spoonbill Sandpiper. My morning visit to the Botanical Gardens produced nothing - lots of people and not much cover - but the Temple of Literature grounds gave Blue-and-white Flycatcher and several warblers. Alan Greensmith had great success one April morning at the National Library, e.g. Fujian Niltava and Yellow-legged Buttonquail, but our afternoon visit gave nothing - it opens at 07.30.

Note that "little tiger" on restaurant menus means cat meat, declared illegal in 1998 as rats are proliferating due to the scarcity of cats. It may be replaced by a synonym for rat meat.

I took a 3-day tour to Halong Bay and Catba Island, booked through Queen Café, for $38 (cf £165 for a single person on a 2-day trip booked through a British tour operator!). These run several times a week and there are cheaper 2-day tours. Worthwhile for the scenery alone; best to do 3 days if you have the time. Some migrants, e.g. Jap Thrush and Sib Rubythroat, but few residents.

With more time, a visit to the far north might be rewarding, as recommended by Jonathan Eames. Take an overnight train to Lao Cai, mini-bus for 2 hour trip to Sapa (well-known tourist destination), then access O Quy Ho and the lower slopes of Fan Si Pan. Day trips are possible from Hanoi to the rarely visited Ba Vi and Ba Be National Parks.

XUAN THUY, RED RIVER DELTA

A difficult place to locate, as Steve Whitehouse found to his cost. Fortunately, we had the same driver who now knew the route, and that it was not necessary to visit the police station till afterwards. Arriving late, we stayed at a reasonable hotel in the town of Xuan Thuy, but others have stayed in the hostel-type accommodation at the reserve itself ($10 a night). It is best to look for the waders at high tide when they roost on islets, approachable by boat - see Birding World article. At this time the Spoonbill Sands are invariably with Kentish Plover (J Olah, pers. comm.). However, there appears to be only one tide a day, and it was at night when we were there, so we were only able to travel a short distance by boat (but were still charged $20, as were the other British couple on the boat). We had to trek barefooted in the mud SE of the mangroves to approach the waders - a scope was essential. We found the Spoonbill Sands fairly quickly and Nordmann's Greenshank later - it took Peter Lansley and Neil Macumber 7 hours to locate 3 Spoonbills, but that was on 10^th April. Other good birds here are Black-faced Spoonbill, Saunder's Gull (gone by 10^th April) and Great Knot, while Baer's Pochard may be out in the bay. The mangroves are also worth some time, holding Slaty-breasted Rail, Siberian Blue Robin and buntings.

Note that the local, obligatory $10 guides are useless and that BirdLife Vietnam will charge a gob-smacking $50 to ring through to Xuan Thuy to arrange permits for the Nature Reserve, if asked. Our bill also included $20 for "assistance", which we declined to pay as we didn't think we had had any - this was accepted.

CUC PHUONG NATIONAL PARK

Although undoubtedly an excellent site, this was the one disappointing locality, where we unaccountably missed several important species, most notably White-winged and Indochinese Green Magpies and Fujian Niltava, not to mention the difficult Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Red-collared Woodpecker and Eared Pitta. Although arriving late, we were allowed to proceed to the Bong sub-station, the road now being hard-surfaced. We spent 3 full days here on the two trails and the road. As predicted by Brian Gee, there are now a lot of visitors, even during the week, making the Loop Trail too noisy for much of the day. Best birds were Pied Falconet, Blue-rumped and Bar-bellied Pittas, Long-tailed Broadbill, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Limestone Wren-Babbler, Large Scimitar-Babbler, Japanese and Grey-backed Thrushes, White-tailed Flycatcher and the local Fulvetta, a cross between Mountain and Brown-cheeked.

TAM DAO

Brian Gee's Water-tank Trail was good, giving Spot-necked Babbler, Streak-breasted Scimitar-babbler, Chestnut Bulbul, Short-tailed Parrotbill, Slaty-bellied Tesia and a good selection of warblers including White-tailed. On our last day, a major raptor movement was observed by Nick and Paul after the low cloud had burnt off, with up to 50 Oriental Honey- buzzards, 20 small accipiters, 2 Grey-faced Buzzards and a Pied Harrier. Peter and Neil had White-hooded Babbler here after we left, in the vicinity of the water-tank and a few km further on, just beyond where the path splits into three, in bamboo along the left branch - Collared Owlet and Streaked Wren-Babbler were also here.

An early morning trek up to the steps to the transmitter proved a waste of time and the steps were very busy the rest of the day, so again no Niltava. We also dipped on both Cochoas, Red- and Coral-billed Scimitar-babblers and Red-tailed Laughingthrush, although all of these are difficult.

Contour Trail B held Grey Laughingthrush and White-gorgeted Flycatcher, but was susceptible to the prevailing strong wind, making birding difficult. We were unable to find Contour Trail A, despite trying a number of trails in that area, all of which were very steep or overgrown.

DA LAT

Although we liked it here, we left a day earlier than originally planned as we saw nearly everything we wanted and thought, correctly, we would need more time at Cat Tien.

1. Ho Tuyen Lam

[Alfred Chia's Map]

As the water-level was low, we were dropped off at the last tourist spot on the left of the reservoir and had a good 20 min walk to the start of the Crocias Trail. We could not find Dymond's log - it may have been burnt, as there were several recently burnt areas, the result of charcoal production and very dry conditions. We did locate a pair of Crocias, with tape assistance, by taking the left-hand trail up the long log, continuing up and then down to where a log, with 1998 carved on it, crosses the trail; keeping left, uphill to the crest at 1320m, the Crocias were 100-200m beyond the crest. We also had Bar-backed Partridge, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Black-hooded and White-cheeked Laughingthrushes, Burmese Shrike, Dark-sided Thrush, Grey-bellied Tesia, Spot-throated Babbler, Rufous-throated Flycatcher and Slender-billed Oriole, but only heard Chinese Francolin and Rusty-naped Pitta, with no sign of Spot-breasted Laughingthrush or Vietnamese Greenfinch, which Steve Whitehouse had seen two weeks earlier near the start of the trail.

2. Mount Lang Bian

We concentrated on the first part of the scrubby forest beyond the pines, not bothering to go up the steep track to the summit. Here we had the striking but elusive Collared Laughingthrush, Black-headed Sibia, Lesser Shortwing and Orange-flanked Bluetail in the open on the track, but no Short-tailed Scimitar-babbler or Brown Bullfinch. Below, in the open pine forest, we saw Vietnamese Greenfinch, Silver Pheasant, Brown-throated Treecreeper, Lanceolated Warbler, Crossbill, Mugimaki Flycatcher and a Cuckoo-shrike, probably Indochinese.

The hotel manager strongly advised us to obtain a permit at the tourist office to visit the mountain, and our driver wanted urged us to do it, fearing trouble with the police. We ignored this, as advised in the reports, reached the mountain before any officials, and paid on the way out without problem, although the driver had his papers confiscated by an awkward policeman for in excess of 30 mins?

3. Di Linh

We tried Brian Gee's Phan Thiet road out of Di Linh. The forest around the pass certainly looked good and by now the road may be completely hard-surfaced to the pass. We only drove 9km, due to road works and our wimpish driver, then had to walk 5km through pines, which held White-cheeked Laughingthrush but little else, to reach the native forest. In the remaining hour of daylight there, we did see Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo, Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon and a variety of common birds, plus a probable Blue-throated Flycatcher. Worth more time - Brian had Rusty-naped Pitta and Red-billed Scimitar-babbler.

NAM BAI CAT TIEN NATIONAL PARK

Cat Tien Bird List by Gert Polet and Pham Huu Khanh

Our driver had been to the park once before and so knew the way. We only reached the office at 5.45 pm, due to losing an hour while the fire brigade put out a burning tanker on the Saigon road. Fortunately, we were just in time to sign in before they closed shop, and so could be ferried across the river and enter the park. New facilities have recently been built, with a veritable palace for the reception building, and high quality bungalows for visitor accommodation.

Conditions were unusual here; everyone else has found it wet and leech-infested, but the forest was tinder dry, with all the pools, small rivers and marshes dried out. Hence there was no chance of seeing White-shouldered Ibis or White-winged Duck, and other species were clearly going to be difficult. The HQ trails and adjacent road were straightforward, with Germain's Peacock Pheasant, Siamese Fireback, Scaly-breasted Partridge, Bar-bellied Pitta, Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, Racket-tailed Treepie and Golden-crested Myna readily seen, but Banded and Black-and-red Broadbills, Indochinese Green Magpie and Blue-throated Flycatcher were not apparent.

The major problem was the Dac Lua area. We had been advised that it was possible to see Green Peafowl on a day trip, provided you were there early, so we booked an early jeep ride. The start was delayed because the driver refused to leave until he had had his breakfast, and then when we reached Dac Lua we had difficulty finding Bao Loc as there were no guides available. By the time we reached Bao Loc (turn right on the track at the end of the village, just before right bend in road) it was clearly too late to see any Peafowl, nor did we have a sniff of Orange-necked Partridge. The Peafowl are said to fly from the bamboo-covered hills at dawn, although whether they were still doing this in the very dry conditions we shall never know. We did have good views of Blue-rumped Pitta, Pale-headed and Laced Woodpeckers, Siberian Blue Robin, Vinous-breasted Starling, and Collared Falconet along the road, but in retrospect should have gone the previous afternoon and stayed the night at the sub-station.

Our second attempt was at Crocodile Lake, where the biggest population of Peafowl occurs. This entails a jeep ride halfway to Dac Lua, then a 5km forest walk on a good trail. We arrived at 06.10 but again failed to score, although we did see Asian Golden Weaver in breeding attire. We decided to overnight there, which resulted in success for Nick and Paul, including one shy sub-adult male for the former at c.07.30. Heart-spotted Woodpecker and Dusky Broadbill in the forest were a consolation for me. We had to take food and sleeping equipment with us, but there was water and a primus stove. Sleep was continually disrupted by a tree frog calling at 100+ decibels near my ear every 20 mins or so.

The road to the waterfalls (3km), a right turn just after the checkpoint along the Dac Lua road looked promising, on the one afternoon I did it, especially after c.2km - I had Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Yellow-vented Flowerpecker and sunbirds here, while the others had a Rallina rail in scrub at the turn off.

On our final morning we walked 4km along the road in the other direction to reach a bamboo-covered hill at dawn. Orange-necked Partridge are said to occur here but we only heard a brief partridge-type call. However we did have good views of Banded Kingfisher and Brown Hawk-Owl.

DAILY LOG

March 24 16.00 arrived Hanoi; taxi to town ($9 including bridge toll) as no sign of any buses (which do run to & from Vietnam Air office occasionally, $4). Night at Queen Café.

25-27 Halong Bay tour, with 4 hour boat trip to Catba Island and night on the island on 25^th. Birds in scrub above town included Light-vented and Stripe-throated Bulbuls, Rubythroat, Jap Thrush, White-throated Rock Thrush and unseen laughingthrushes. A visit to the National Park only added Blue-and-white Flycatcher, Ashy Minivet, Puff-throated Bulbul and Blackbird, while the return boat journey gave Peregrine, Pacific Reef Heron and Heuglin's or Vega Gull. The last night on the mainland was followed by a misty morning boat tour to another part of the bay and a 5 hour bus ride back to Hanoi, where the water-puppet show was good value.

28 Day sightseeing on bike, with Temple of Literature the highlight. Met Nick and Paul at airport, watching Pied Harriers and roosting wagtails while waiting for flight. 18.30-22.00 drive to Xuan Thuy.

29 05.30-06.00 drive to reserve, where guides refused to leave till after breakfast. 07.15-12.00 mud walking in Red River delta, then mangroves till 14.30. Drive to Cuc Phuong with stop at police station and café, arriving 18.30, then on to Bong sub-station.

30 05.30-07.45 main road - Grey-backed Thrush, Pied Falconet, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Rachet-tailed Treepie. Loop Trail till late afternoon - Bar-Bellied Pitta and possible Indochinese Green Magpie, then road again - Indochinese Cuckoo-shrike.

31 As before - Long-tailed Broadbill, Large Scimitar-babbler from road, Blue-rumped Pitta and White-tailed Robin on trail.

April 1 Loop Trail - White-tailed Flycatcher, road, then road and Valley Trail - a male Chestnut Bunting for Paul. 14.30-15.30 thunder storm, then road - Bar-bellied Pitta, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Green-eared Barbet.

2 Valley Trail - Limestone Wren-Babbler - and road till 10.30, then drive to HQ with stops and bird just inside park. 13.30 drive to Hanoi, confirmed flight, on to Tam Dao, 17.00-18.30.

3 Climb up to transmitter, then Contour Trail B - Black-throated and Grey Laughingthrushes, Spot-necked Babbler, White-gorgeted Flycatcher. Egg and chips lunch! Water-tank Trail till 18.00 - Streak-breasted Scimitar-babbler, Pale-legged & Rufous-faced Warblers.

4 05.30-13.30 Water-tank Trail - Short-tailed Parrotbill, White-browed Shrike-babbler, Streaked Wren-babbler, Rufous-backed Sibia. P.M. tried to find Contour Trail A, then JH on Transmitter Trail, PB & NG on Contour Trail B.

5 As pm on 4^th, then Water-tank Trail till 13.00 and 14.00-14.30 to watch raptor migration. 15.15-17.00 drive to Hanoi, checked National Library gardens. Pizzas!

6 07.20-09.00 flight to Saigon. 09.45-15.00 drive to Di Linh, with lunch stop. Walk to native forest, hitched lift in back of old US army lorry - very dusty. 18.10-19.35 drive to Da Lat. Good meal then looked unsuccessfully for Steve Whitehouse.

7 05.15 drive to Ho Tuyen Lam. Boat to end of res. 150K dong. Excellent day on the trails - Crocias, Bar-backed Partridge, Oriental Cuckoo, Burmese Shrike, Black-hooded Laughingthrush, Grey-headed Parrotbill, Yellow-billed Nuthatch and a mystery bird, later identified as the strange local race of Blue-winged Minla.

8 05.15 drive to Mount Lang Bian and walk up from 1460m to 1970m - Collared Laughingthrush, grey-backed Black-headed Sibia, Spot-throated Babbler, Lesser Shortwing. Slow walk down gave Silver Pheasant, Vietnameses Greenfinch and female Mugimaki Flycatcher.

9 05.30-13.00 Ho Tuyen Lam again - Oriental Hobby, Dark-sided Thrush, a male Mugimaki Flycatcher and Slender-billed Oriole. Drive to Cat Tien arriving 17.45 with an hour lost for road blockage.

10 Day on roads and trails near HQ - Germain's Peacock Pheasant, Siamese Fireback, Scaly-breasted Partridge, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Orange-breasted Trogon, Bar-bellied Pitta, Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, Racket-tailed Treepie and Golden-crested Myna.

11 05.05-05.40 jeep to Dac Lua (150K dong return). Walk to Bao Loc failed to give Peafowl or Partridge but did see Blue-rumped Pitta while Paul and Nick had Pale-headed Woodpecker, Tickell's Blue Fly and Chestnut-capped Babbler. 09.00-11.15 along road towards HQ - Collared Falconet and a Heart-spotted / Black-and-buff Woodpecker. Afternoon cycling, e.g. on road to waterfalls and to bamboo hill. Great-eared and Large-tailed Nightjars at dusk.

12 16.45 departure in jeep (15 min late again) to Crocodile Lake trail, reaching lake at 06.10. Searched in vain for Peafowl but nice site, with Golden Weavers. 08.00-10.45 walk back to road - Dusky Broadbill and Heart-spotted Woodpecker and 3 Bar-bellied Pittas - then jeep back to HQ (100K dong return). 14.30 returned to Crocodile Lake with overnight gear and food. Paul and Nick had a running female Green Peafowl.

13 Up 04.45 but Peacocks silent till 05.30 - 3 heard but only 1 seen (by Nick), with Black Bittern only new bird. 08.00-10.30 walk back to road, then 30 mins along road but failed to find Black-and-red Broadbill reported to be along here. Chilled out at HQ till 15.00 when walked along river - Black Baza and Great Slaty Woodpecker.

14 04.30-05.00 walk to bamboo hill - Brown Hawk and Collared Scops Owls, Banded Kingfisher but no Orange-necked Partridge. 07.00 back to HQ - Banded Bay Cuckoo and big flock but nothing else new. 11.00 left for Saigon, stopping at only supermarket seen on trip, near the airport, for food and ice cream. 19.40 Air France flight on time.

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF BIRDS

Taxonomy, names and sequence based on Birds of the World: A Checklist by JF Clements (1991) except where indicated. Notable records by only one observers are initialled in parenthesis.

Little Grebe, Tachybaptus ruficollis 2 Xuan Thuy, 12 Ho Tuyen Lam, 20 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Lesser Whistling-Duck, Dendrocygna javanica 9 Ho Tuyen Lam, 40+ Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Cotton Pygmy-goose, Nettapus coromandelianus 20 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Common Teal, Anas crecca 3 Xuan Thuy

Spot-billed Duck, Anas poecilorhyncha 50 Xuan Thuy

Northern Shoveler, Anas clypeata 2+ Xuan Thuy

Pacific Reef-Egret, Egretta sacra 5 Halong Bay

Little Egret, Egretta garzetta 5 Xuan Thuy

Intermediate Egret, Mesophoyx intermedia 5 Xuan Thuy & Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea 20 Xuan Thuy, 1 Crocodile Lake and 2 Cat Tien

Great Egret, Ardea alba 20 Xuan Thuy, 2 Cat Tien

Purple Heron, Ardea purpurea 1 Xuan Thuy, 3 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien and 1 over the river

Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis 1 Cuc Phuong was the only record - amazing

Chinese Pond-Heron, Ardeola bacchus 3 Xuan Thuy, 10 Ho Tuyen Lam, 20 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Striated Heron, Butorides striatus 1 Halong Bay

Cinnamon Bittern, Ixobrychus cinnamomeus 6 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Black Bittern, 1 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Black-faced Spoonbill, Platalea minor 3 Xuan Thuy (23 were seen on 10^th April)

Woolly-necked Stork, Ciconia episcopus Up to 10 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Lesser Adjutant, Leptoptilos javanicus 1 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Osprey, Pandion haliaetus 2 Ho Tuyen Lam, 1 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Black Baza, Aviceda leuphotes Up to 3 near the river at Cat Tien

Oriental Honey-buzzard, Pernis ptilorhynchus At least 15 of the 50 or so large raptors migrating over Tam Dao on 5.4 were identified as this sp. and the others may well have been it too; 3 Ho Tuyen Lam

Black-shouldered Kite, Elanus caeruleus 2 Ho Tuyen Lam

Black (Black-eared) Kite, Milvus migrans (lineatus) 10 Halong Bay

Brahminy Kite, Haliastur indus 1 Cat Tien

White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Haliaeetus leucogaster 1 Halong Bay

Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus 1 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Crested Serpent-Eagle, Spilornis cheela 1 Cuc Phuong & Ho Tuyen Lam, 2 Cat Tien

Eastern Marsh-Harrier, Circus spilonotus 10-15 Xuan Thuy

Pied Harrier, Circus melanoleucos 2 presumed migrants over Tam Dao late afternoon on 4.4 and 1 with other raptors on 5.4; 2 or 3 at Hanoi airport at dusk on 28.3

Crested Goshawk, Accipiter trivirgatus 1 large Accipiter over Tam Dao on 5.4 was presumed to be this sp.

Shikra, Accipiter badius 1 or 2 Cat Tien on 3 dates

Chinese Goshawk/ Japanese Sparrowhawk, Accipiter soloensis/ gularis Singles at Cuc Phuong on 31.3 and 2.4

Besra/ Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Accipiter virgatus/ nisus 20 over Tam Dao on 5.4

Grey-faced Buzzard, Butastur indicus 3 on 3.4 and 5.4 over Tam Dao, 1 over escarpment S of Di Linh on 9.4

Common Buzzard, Buteo buteo 1 Halong Bay

Black Eagle, Ictinaetus malayensis 1 Cuc Phuong, 2 Tam Dao

Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Spizaetus nipalensis 1 Cuc Phuong on 1.4, thought to be this sp. but could possibly have been Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Spizaetus cirrhatus

Collared Falconet, Microhierax caerulescens A pair some 4 km from Dac Lua, Cat Tien and 1 at Crocodile Lake

Pied Falconet, Microhierax melanoleucus Up to 4 daily Cuc Phuong, by the main road some 1km from Bong

Eurasian Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus 1 Tam Dao on 5.4 appeared to be migrating

Oriental Hobby, Falco severus 1 Ho Tuyen Lam on 9.4 (JH)

Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus 1 Halong Bay, calling territorially

Chinese Francolin, Francolinus pintadeanus Up to 5 heard Ho Tuyen Lam

Blue-breasted Quail, Coturnix chinensis 2 Bao Loc, Cat Tien

Bar-backed Partridge, Arborophila brunneopectus Heard at Cuc Phuong, 5 Ho Tuyen Lam

Scaly-breasted Partridge, Arborophila chloropus Up to 6 Cat Tien

Red Junglefowl, Gallus gallus 2 daily Cuc Phuong, 10 adults Cat Tien including a pair with 4 young

Silver Pheasant, Lophura nycthemera 2 males and a female with 4 young Mt Lang Bian; heard Cuc Phuong and Di Linh

Siamese Fireback, Lophura diardi Up to 4 Cat Tien

Germain's Peacock-Pheasant, Polyplectron germaini Up to 6 seen and 4 heard Cat Tien including a pair with 1 young

Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Polyplectron bicalcaratum 2 heard Cuc Phuong and Tam Dao

Green Peafowl, Pavo muticus 2 seen and 2 heard Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien and 1 heard at Bao Loc

Barred Buttonquail, Turnix suscitator 1 flushed from hillside Ho Tuyen Lam

Slaty-/ Red-legged Crake, Rallina eurizonoides/ fasciata 1 Cat Tien on 13.4. 2 or 3 small crakes or rails also seen at Crocodile Lake but too briefly to identify

Slaty-breasted Rail, Gallirallus striatus 3 Xuan Thuy, 1 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus 1 Xuan Thuy, 10 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Watercock, Gallicrex cinerea 2 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Purple Swamphen, Porphyrio porphyrio 15 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Common Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus 5+ Xuan Thuy, 10 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Bronze-winged Jacana, Metopidius indicus 2 Xuan Thuy, 10 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Greater Painted-snipe, Rostratula benghalensis 2 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa 500+ Xuan Thuy

Bar-tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica 10 Xuan Thuy

Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus 5 Xuan Thuy

Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata 20 Xuan Thuy

Spotted Redshank, Tringa erythropus 10+ Xuan Thuy

Common Redshank, Tringa totanus 100+ Xuan Thuy

Marsh Sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis 30+ Xuan Thuy

Common Greenshank, Tringa nebularia 100+ Xuan Thuy

Nordmann's Greenshank, Tringa guttifer 6 Xuan Thuy

Wood Sandpiper, Tringa glareola 30 Xuan Thuy, 1 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Terek Sandpiper, Tringa cinerea 5 Xuan Thuy

Common Sandpiper, Tringa hypoleucos 1 Xuan Thuy, 2 Ho Tuyen Lam, 1 Cat-ba Island

Great Knot, Calidris tenuirostris 30+ Xuan Thuy

Sanderling, Calidris alba 20 Xuan Thuy

Red-necked Stint, Calidris ruficollis 4 Xuan Thuy

Curlew Sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea 30+ Xuan Thuy

Spoonbill Sandpiper, Eurynorhynchus pygmeus 8 Xuan Thuy, in 1s and 2s - obvious when feeding, from their Avocet-like style, but more difficult later on when resting as the bill needed to be seen head-on for certainty, although small size and clear white underparts were helpful.

Broad-billed Sandpiper, Limicola falcinellus 10+ Xuan Thuy

Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus 30 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Grey Plover, Pluvialis squatarola 20+ Xuan Thuy

Little Ringed Plover, Charadrius dubius 20 Xuan Thuy

Snowy Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus 20 Xuan Thuy

Mongolian Plover, Charadrius mongolus 30+ Xuan Thuy, 10 Halong Bay

Greater Sandplover, Charadrius leschenaultii 100+ Xuan Thuy

Red-wattled Lapwing, 1 Bao Loc, Cat Tien

Heuglin's/ Vega Gull, Larus heuglini/ vegae 3 Halong Bay

Black-headed Gull, Larus ridibundus 10+ Xuan Thuy

Saunders' Gull, Larus saundersi 3 Xuan Thuy, no adults

Whiskered Tern, Chlidonias hybridus 50 Xuan Thuy, 5 at reservoir an hour N of Saigon

Gull-billed Tern, Sterna nilotica 30 Xuan Thuy

Rock Dove, Columba livia Small numbers around towns

Oriental Turtle-Dove, Streptopelia orientalis 1 Di Linh pass

Spotted Dove, Streptopelia chinensis 20 Cat Tien

Red Collared-Dove, Streptopelia tranquebarica 2 Cat Tien

Barred Cuckoo-Dove, Macropygia unchall 1 Mt Lang Bian (NG)

Emerald Dove, Chalcophaps indica Up to 3 Cat Tien

Orange-breasted Pigeon, Treron bicincta 1 on 10.4 and 2 on 11.4 Cat Tien

Pompadour Green-Pigeon, Treron pompadora 10 at fruiting tree Cat Tien

Thick-billed Pigeon, Treron curvirostra Up to 6 Cuc Phuong, 20 Cat Tien

Wedge-tailed Pigeon, Treron sphenura 1 Di Linh pass

Green Imperial-Pigeon, Ducula aenea Up to 10 Cat Tien

Mountain Imperial-Pigeon, Ducula badia 4 Ho Tuyen Lam

Vernal Hanging-Parrot, Loriculus vernalis 10 daily Cat Tien

Alexandrine Parakeet, Psittacula eupatria Only 1 identified at Cat Tien

Grey-headed Parakeet, Psittacula finschii 4 Ho Tuyen Lam, 6+ Cat Tien

Red-breasted Parakeet, Psittacula alexandri Numerous at Cat Tien

Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Cuculus sparverioides 1 Cuc Phuong

Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo, Cuculus fugax 1 Di Linh pass, 2 heard Tam Dao and either this or Indian Cuckoo heard Cuc Phuong

Indian/ Common Cuckoo, Cuculus micropterus/ canorus 1 seen Ho Tuyen Lam and 1 canorus heard

Oriental Cuckoo, Cuculus saturatus 2 Ho Tuyen Lam

Banded Bay Cuckoo, Cacomantis sonneratii 1 heard Cuc Phuong, 2 seen Cat Tien

Plaintive Cuckoo, Cacomantis merulinus 5 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien, 1 near Ho Chih Minh's mausoleum, Hanoi, and on Cat-ba Island

[Violet Cuckoo, Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus 1 probable Ho Tuyen Lam]

Drongo Cuckoo, Surniculus lugubris 3 Cuc Phuong

Asian Koel, Eudynamys scolopacea 1 Xuan Thuy

Green-billed Malkoha, Phaenicophaeus tristis Up to 4 daily Cuc Phuong and Cat Tien

Greater Coucal, Centropus sinensis 2 on 2.4 Cuc Phuong, 2 heard Tam Dao, 1 or 2 daily Cat Tien, 2 Cat-ba Island

Lesser Coucal, Centropus bengalensis 2 Xuan Thuy and Cat Tien

Mountain Scops-Owl, Otus spilocephalus 2 heard nightly Cuc Phuong with 1 seen (NG), 3 heard Tam Dao, 1 heard Cat Tien

Collared Scops-Owl, Otus lempiji 1 heard 31.3 Cuc Phuong, 1 seen and 1 heard Cat Tien

Collared Owlet, Glaucidium brodiei 1 heard Cuc Phuong and Tam Dao

Asian Barred Owlet, Glaucidium cuculoides 1 heard Cuc Phuong, 2 Cat Tien

Brown Hawk-Owl, Ninox scutulata 1 heard Cuc Phuong, 3 Cat Tien

Brown Fish-Owl, Ketupa zeylonensis A bird heard one night at Cuc Phuong, with only eye-shine visible, was initially thought to be Blyth's Frogmouth, Batrachostomus affinis, but the voice corresponds to that of this fish-owl on the Terry White tape.

Great Eared-Nightjar, Eurostopodus macrotis 10 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien and 5 near the HQ

Large-tailed Nightjar, Caprimulgus macrurus 1 seen and 3 heard Cat Tien

Germain's Swiftlet, Collocalia germani Up to 20 Cat Tien

Silver-backed Needletail, Hirundapus cochinchinensis 10 Cuc Phuong, Tam Dao and Cat Tien, with 20 at Crocodile Lake

Brown-backed Needletail, Hirundapus giganteus 4 Cuc Phuong, 10 Tam Dao and a few Cat Tien

Asian Palm-Swift, Cypsiurus balasiensis Up to 15 Cat Tien

Fork-tailed Swift, Apus pacificus 10 on 2.4 Cuc Phuong

House Swift, Apus nipalensis 50 Da Lat

Orange-breasted Trogon, Harpactes oreskios Singles on 10.4 and 13.4 Cat Tien

Red-headed Trogon, Harpactes erythrocephalus Up to 4 Cuc Phuong, 1 heard Tam Dao, 1 Ho Tuyen Lam

Common Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis Common Xuan Thuy, 2 Cuc Phuong, 1 Ho Tuyen Lam and Cat Tien, 2 Hanoi - Halong Bay

Banded Kingfisher, Lacedo pulchella A pair at the bamboo hill Cat Tien and 1 calling near the HQ

Stork-billed Kingfisher, Pelargopsis capensis 1 or 2 almost daily at Cat Tien

White-throated Kingfisher, Halcyon smyrnensis 2 Xuan Thuy, 1 Cuc Phuong and Cat Tien, 2 Hanoi - Halong Bay

Black-capped Kingfisher, Halcyon pileata 3 Xuan Thuy, 1 Bao Loc, Cat Tien

Pied Kingfisher, Ceryle rudis 2 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Nyctyornis athertoni 1 near the HQ and a pair near the waterfall Cat Tien

Green Bee-eater, Merops orientalis 4 Bao Loc, Cat Tien

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Merops leschenaulti 1 Di Linh, up to 6 Cat Tien

Indian Roller, Coracias benghalensis 1 Ho Tuyen Lam, up to 5 daily Cat Tien

Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis 2 Cuc Phuong, 1-2 daily Cat Tien

Oriental Pied-Hornbill, Anthracoceros albirostris Up to 10 daily Cat Tien

Great Hornbill, Buceros bicornis 3 on 10.4 and 2 singles on 12.4 Cat Tien

Brown Hornbill, Anorrhinus tickelli 1 seen and 1 heard Cuc Phuong (JH)

Wreathed Hornbill, Aceros undulatus 2 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Red-vented Barbet, Megalaima lagrandieri Up to 10 daily Cuc Phuong, 3 Di Linh pass, 1-2 daily Cat Tien

Lineated Barbet, Megalaima lineata Up to 10 Cat Tien

Green-eared Barbet, Megalaima faiostricta 1 seen and 3 heard Cuc Phuong

Golden-throated Barbet, Megalaima franklinii 1 seen and 2 heard Tam Dao

Black-browed Barbet, Megalaima oorti Up to 6 Ho Tuyen Lam, 2 Mt Lang Bian

Moustached Barbet, Megalaima incognita c. 3 heard daily Cuc Phuong and 2 heard Ho Tuyen Lam thought to be this sp., sounding very like Blue-throated Barbet M.asiatica

Blue-eared Barbet, Megalaima australis 4 Cat Tien

Coppersmith Barbet, Megalaima haemacephala Up to 6 Cat Tien

Speckled Piculet, Picumnus innominatus 2 Ho Tuyen Lam, 1 Cat Tien

White-browed Piculet, Sasia ochracea Singles Cuc Phuong, Tam Dao and twice at Cat Tien

Grey-capped Woodpecker, Dendrocopos canicapillus 1 Cat Tien

Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos macei 1 Cuc Phuong (JH)

Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos cathpharius 1 Cuc Phuong

Rufous Woodpecker, Celeus brachyurus Singles Cuc Phuong and Cat Tien

White-bellied Woodpecker, Dryocopus javensis 1 on 11.4 and 3 on 13.4 Cat Tien

Lesser Yellownape, Picus chlorolophus Up to 4 Cuc Phuong, 1-2 Cat Tien

Greater Yellownape, Picus flavinucha Singles Cuc Phuong and Ho Tuyen Lam

Laced Woodpecker, Picus vittatus 3 Cat Tien and Bao Loc, with 2 at Crocodile Lake

Grey-faced Woodpecker, Picus canus 2 Mt Lang Bian

Common Flameback, Dinopium javanense Up to 3 Cat Tien

Greater Flameback, Chrysocolaptes lucidus 1 Ho Tuyen Lam, 2 Cat Tien and 5 unidentified flamebacks at Cuc Phuong

Pale-headed Woodpecker, Gecinulus grantia 2 Bao Loc, Cat Tien

Bay Woodpecker, Blythipicus pyrrhotis 2 Cuc Phuong, 1 Tam Dao and Mt Lang Bian

Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Hemicircus canente A pair near Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien and 1 of this sp. or Black-and-buff Meiglyptes jugularis near Dac Lua (JH)

Great Slaty Woodpecker, Mulleripicus pulverulentus 2-3 on 3 dates at Cat Tien

Blue-rumped Pitta, Pitta soror 2-3 seen plus 2 heard at Bong, Cuc Phuong, with 1 heard near the HQ/ entrance. 2-3 Bao Loc, Cat Tien, 1 near Crocodile Lake (PB) and 1 heard near the HQ

Rusty-naped Pitta, Pitta oatesi 1 calling briefly Ho Tuyen Lam

Bar-bellied Pitta, Pitta elliotii 1-2 daily plus up to 5 heard Cuc Phuong, only a few singles on HQ trails Cat Tien but 3 on both days on Crocodile Lake Trail

Dusky Broadbill, Corydon sumatranus 4 on 12.4 and 1 on 13.4 on Crocodile Lake Trail, Cat Tien

Silver-breasted Broadbill, Serilophus lunatus 2 on 30.3 and 1 on 2.4 at Cuc Phuong

Long-tailed Broadbill, Psarisomus dalhousiae 2-4 daily Cuc Phuong

White-throated Fantail, Rhipidura albicollis 6 Ho Tuyen Lam, 8 Mt Lang Bian, 1 Cat Tien

Black-naped Monarch, Hypothymis azurea Up to 3 Cuc Phuong, only 1 Cat Tien

Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Terpsiphone paradisi 2 on 30.3 Cuc Phuong, 2 on 11.4 and 1 on 12.4 Cat Tien

Black Drongo, Dicrurus macrocercus 1 Cuc Phuong, 2 Tam Dao, 4 Ho Tuyen Lam and Mt Lang Bian, 5 Hanoi airport, 2 Hanoi

Ashy Drongo, Dicrurus leucophaeus 1 or 2 Cuc Phuong and Ho Tuyen Lam, 6 Mt Lang Bian 2 Cat Tien

Bronzed Drongo, Dicrurus aeneus 1 Cuc Phuong, 3 Di Linh, 2 Cat Tien

Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus remifer 2-4 Ho Tuyen Lam

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus paradiseus Up to 8 daily Cuc Phuong, up to 4 daily Cat Tien

Eurasian Jay, Garrulus glandarius 2 Di Linh, 4 Ho Tuyen Lam, 6 Mt Lang Bian

Green Magpie, Cissa chinensis Up to 8 daily Cuc Phuong and heard at Tam Dao. Indochinese Geen Magpie C. hypoleuca was probably seen at Cuc Phuong on 2 occasions but views were not good enough for certainty

Racket-tailed Treepie, Crypsirina temia Up to 5 daily Cat Tien

Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Temnurus temnurus Up to 10 daily Cuc Phuong

Black-billed Magpie, Pica pica 1 Cuc Phuong (PB)

Large-billed Crow, Corvus macrorhynchos 2 Di Linh, Cat Tien and Halong Bay were the only records

Ashy Woodswallow, Artamus fuscus 1 Ho Tuyen Lam

Common Iora, Aegithina tiphia 1-2 daily Cat Tien

Great Iora, Aegithina lafresnayei 1-2 Cuc Phuong, up to 5 daily Cat Tien

Black-naped Oriole, Oriolus chinensis Only 1, at Cat Tien

Slender-billed Oriole, Oriolus tenuirostris 2 Ho Tuyen Lam and 1 heard

Black-hooded Oriole, Oriolus xanthornus 2 daily Cat Tien and Cat-ba Island

Maroon Oriole, Oriolus traillii Up to 4 Cuc Phuong, 2 Di Linh, 5-6 Ho Tuyen Lam, 1 Mt Lang Bian

Large Cuckoo-shrike, Coracina macei Singles Cuc Phuong and Mt Lang Bian

Indochinese Cuckoo-shrike, Coracina polioptera 1 male Cuc Phuong and a probable on Mt Lang Bian

Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike, Coracina melaschistos 1 or 2 Cuc Phuong

Ashy Minivet, Pericrocotus divaricatus 2 Cuc Phuong, 15 Cat-ba Island

Grey-chinned Minivet, Pericrocotus solaris 6 Tam Dao, 2 Ho Tuyen Lam

Long-tailed Minivet, Pericrocotus ethologus 6 Ho Tuyen Lam, 10 Mt Lang Bian

Scarlet Minivet, Pericrocotus flammeus Up to 4 Cuc Phuong, 2 Tam Dao, 4 Di Linh, 1 Ho Tuyen Lam 2 Cat Tien

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Hemipus picatus 3 near HQ at Cuc Phuong, 2 Ho Tuyen Lam, up to 5 Cat Tien

Asian Fairy Bluebird, Irena puella 2 Cuc Phuong and Mt Lang Bian, up to 4 Cat Tien

Blue-winged Leafbird, Chloropsis cochinchinensis 1-2 Cuc Phuong, 2 Tam Dao, 1-2 daily Cat Tien

Golden-fronted Leafbird, Chloropsis aurifrons 1-2 Cuc Phuong and Cat Tien

Orange-bellied Leafbird, Chloropsis hardwickii Singles Cuc Phuong and Cat Tien twice

Brown Shrike, lanius cristatus 1 Hanoi airport

Burmese Shrike, Lanius collurioides 3 pairs Ho Tuyen Lam, 1 pair Mt Lang Bian

Long-tailed Shrike, Lanius schach 1 Xuan Thuy

Grey-backed Shrike, Lanius tephronotus 1 Cuc Phuong and Cat-ba Island

Large Woodshrike, Tephrodornis gularis Up to 10 Cuc Phuong, 2 Cat Tien on 12.4

Common Woodshrike, Tephrodornis pondicerianus 1 Cuc Phuong on 31.4, 2 Cat Tien on 10-11.4

White-throated Rock-Thrush, Monticola gularis 1 Cat-ba Island

Blue Rock-Thrush, Monticola solitarius 2 singles Cat Tien and Cat-ba Island

Blue Whistling-Thrush, Myiophonus caeruleus 1 Cat-ba Island

Siberian Thrush, Zoothera sibirica 2 Tam Dao on 5.4

Dark-sided Thrush, Zoothera marginata 1 Ho Tuyen Lam

Grey-backed Thrush, Turdus hortulorum 1 female by the road near Bong, Cuc Phuong on 30.3 but not seen again; it had been there for several days.

Japanese Thrush, Turdus cardis 4 on 30.3 and 2 on 1.4 Cuc Phuong, 5 Cat-ba Island

Eurasian Blackbird, Turdus merula 2 Cat-ba Island

Eyebrowed Thrush, Turdus obscurus 5 Ho Tuyen Lam

Lesser Shortwing, Brachypteryx leucophrys 3 Mt Lang Bian, 1 Ho Tuyen Lam

Black-collared Starling, Sturnus nigricollis Up to 30 Ho Tuyen Lam, 2 Mt Lang Bian

Vinous-breasted Starling, Sturnus burmannicus 2 Ho Tuyen Lam, up to 30 Cat Tien

Crested Myna, Acridotheres cristatellus Common Hanoi - Halong Bay

Golden-crested Myna, Ampeliceps coronatus Up to 50 Cat Tien

Hill Myna, Gracula religiosa Up to 6 Cuc Phuong and 10 Cat Tien

Dark-sided Flycatcher, Muscicapa sibirica 1 Ho Tuyen Lam

Asian Brown Flycatcher, Muscicapa dauurica 1 Ho Tuyen Lam, 1-2 daily Cat Tien

Mugimaki Flycatcher, Ficedula mugimaki An adult male in the canopy on 9.4 Ho Tuyen Lam and a female-type at Mt Lang Bian

Red-throated Flycatcher, Ficedula parva Up to 7 Cat Tien, 1 Mt Lang Bian

White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Ficedula monileger 2 Tam Dao and heard at 3 other localities there

Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Ficedula solitaris 1 Ho Tuyen Lam

Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Ficedula hyperythra 1 Mt Lang Bian (NG)

Little Pied Flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni 2 Ho Tuyen Lam and Mt Lang Bian

Blue-and-white Flycatcher, Cyanoptila cyanomelana Single males Cuc Phuong, Hanoi and Cat-ba Island

Verditer Flycatcher, Eumyias thalassina Singles Di Linh, Ho Tuyen Lam and Mt Lang Bian

Large Niltava, Niltava grandis 2 Ho Tuyen Lam, 4 Mt Lang Bian

White-tailed Flycatcher, Cyornis concretus Singing males at 4 localities at Cuc Phuong

Hainan Blue-Flycatcher, Cyornis hainanus Up to 10 daily Cuc Phuong

[Blue-throated Flycatcher, Cyornis rubecoloides 1 probable at Di Linh]

Tickell's Blue-Flycatcher, Cyornis tickelliae 1 Bao Loc, Cat Tien

Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Culicicapa ceylonensis 1 Cuc Phuong, 10 Ho Tuyen Lam, 8 Mt Lang Bian, 1Cat Tien

Siberian Rubythroat, Luscinia calliope 1 male Cat-ba Island and 1 female-type Cat Tien

Siberian Blue Robin, Luscinia cyane 1 male Xuan Thuy, 2 female-types Bao Loc and 1 near Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Orange-flanked Bush-Robin, Tarsiger cyanurus Singles Ho Tuyen Lam and Mt Lang Bian

Oriental Magpie-Robin, Copsychus saularis 1 Cuc Phuong, 4 Cat Tien, 1 Hanoi

White-rumped Shama, Copsychus malabaricus Common at Cuc Phuong and Cat Tien

White-tailed Robin, Cinclidium leucurum 1 male Cuc Phuong

Siberian Stonechat, Saxicola maura A few singles throughout

Grey Bushchat, Saxicola ferrea 1 pair Ho Tuyen Lam, 4 pairs including 1 feeding 2 juvs Mt Lang Bian

Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Sitta nagaensis 3 Ho Tuyen Lam, 10 Mt Lang Bian

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Sitta frontalis 2-4 Cat Tien

Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Sitta solangiae 3 on 7.4 and 4 on 9.4 at different localities at Ho Tuyen Lam

Brown-throated Treecreeper, Certhia discolor 3 Mt Lang Bian

Black-throated Tit, Aegithalos concinnus 10 Mt Lang Bian

Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica Fairly common but local, e.g. absent from Cuc Phuong and Tam Dao

Pacific Swallow, Hirundo tahitica 10 Halong Bay

Red-rumped/ Striated Swallow, Hirundo daurica/ striolata 2 Cuc Phuong, up to 100 Tam Dao, 20 Cat-ba Island

Black-headed Bulbul, Pycnonotus atriceps 1 Ho Tuyen Lam

Black-crested Bulbul, Pycnonotus melanicterus 1 Cuc Phuong, up to 5 Cat Tien

Red-whiskered Bulbul, Pycnonotus jocosus Fairly common throughout except at Tam Dao where absent

Light-vented Bulbul, Pycnonotus sinensis Common Xuan Thuy and Cat-ba Island - hainanensis race

Sooty-headed Bulbul, Pycnonotus aurigaster 1 Ho Tuyen Lam was the only record

Stripe-throated Bulbul, Pycnonotus finlaysoni 4 Cuc Phuong, 5 Cat Tien, 10 Cat-ba Island

Flavescent Bulbul, Pycnonotus flavescens 1 Ho Tuyen Lam, 8 Mt Lang Bian

Streak-eared Bulbul, Pycnonotus blanfordi Fairly common at Cat Tien with up to 15 daily

Puff-throated Bulbul, Alophoixus pallidus Common at Cuc Phuong, 1 Cat-ba Island

Ochraceous Bulbul, Alophoixus ochraceus 4 Di Linh and Cat Tien

Grey-eyed Bulbul, Iole propinqua Up to 4 daily Cuc Phuong

Ashy Bulbul, Hemixos flavala 8 Ho Tuyen Lam

Chestnut Bulbul, Hemixos castanonotus 2 Water-tank Trail, Tam Dao on 4^th was the only record

Black Bulbul, Hypsipetes leucocephalus 1 Cuc Phuong, 8 Tam Dao, plus 40 white-headed migrants on 5^th, 10+ Ho Tuyen Lam & Mt Lang Bian

Oriental White-eye, Zosterops palpebrosus 20+ Xuan Thuy

Japanese White-eye, Zosterops japonicus 10 Cuc Phuong, 40 Tam Dao and Cat-ba Island

Zitting Cisticola, Cisticola juncidis 1 singing in paddies near Da Lat

Golden-headed Cisticola, Cisticola exilis 2 Cat Tien

Hill Prinia, Prinia atrogularis 1 Di Linh, 2 Ho Tuyen Lam and Mt Lang Bian

Rufescent Prinia, Prinia rufescens 10+ daily Cuc Phuong, fairly common Tam Dao, but only 2 Cat Tien

Grey-breasted Prinia, Prinia hodgsonii 2 Di Linh, up to 6 Cat Tien

Yellow-bellied Prinia, Prinia flaviventris 5 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Plain Prinia, Prinia inornata 4 Di Linh, 1 Mt Lang Bian

Slaty-bellied Tesia, Tesia olivea 1 seen and 1 heard Tam Dao

Grey-bellied Tesia, Tesia cyaniventer 2 seen and 3 heard Ho Tuyen Lam

Pale-footed Bush-Warbler, Cettia pallidipes 3 heard Tam Dao and 2 seen Cat-ba Island

Aberrant Bush-Warbler, Cettia flavolivacea 3 heard Tam Dao

Brown/ Russet Bush-Warbler, Bradypterus luteoventris/ seebohmi 1 Tam Dao

Lanceolated Warbler, Locustella lanceolata 1 Cuc Phuong and Mt Lang Bian, 2 Crocodile Lake and 3 singles Cat Tien

Black-browed Reed-Warbler, Acrocephalus bistrigiceps 1 Xuan Thuy, common Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Oriental Reed-Warbler, Acrocephalus orientalis Fairly common Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien. Thick-billed Warbler, Acrocephalus aedon may also have been present

Mountain Tailorbird, Orthotomus cuculatus 2 Tam Dao, 2 heard Ho Tuyen Lam, 4 Mt Lang Bian

Common Tailorbird, Orthotomus sutorius 2 Cuc Phuong, Tam Dao and Hanoi

Dark-necked Tailorbird, Orthotomus atrogularis 2 Tam Dao, up to 5 Cat Tien and Cat-ba Island

Dusky Warbler, Phylloscopus fuscatus 2 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Radde's Warbler, Phylloscopus schwarzi 4 Xuan Thuy, 1 Cuc Phuong & Mt Lang Bian, 2 Cat Tien & Cat-ba Island

Ashy-throated Warbler, Phylloscopus maculipennis 2 Mt Lang Bian

Lemon-rumped Warbler, Phylloscopus proregulus 1 Tam Dao

Inornate Warbler, Phylloscopus inornatus Singles Cuc Phuong, Tam Dao and Cat Tien

Two-barred Greenish Warbler, P. (trochiloides) plumbeitarsus Small numbers throughout with a max of 10 on Mt Lang Bian

Pale-legged Leaf-Warbler, Phylloscopus tenellipes 1 Tam Dao on 3.4

Eastern Crowned-Warbler, Phylloscopus coronatus 2 Tam Dao on 2 dates, 1 Mt Lang Bian and Hanoi

White-tailed Leaf-Warbler, Phylloscopus davisoni 2 singles Tam Dao, 2-4 Ho Tuyen Lam, 10 Mt Lang Bian

Golden-spectacled Warbler, Seicercus burkii 1 Cuc Phuong on 2 dates and 2-4 Tam Dao

White-spectacled Warbler, Seicercus affinis 2 Ho Tuyen Lam & Mt Lang Bian

Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Seicercus castaniceps 4-5 Ho Tuyen Lam

Rufous-faced Warbler, Abroscopus albogularis 1 Tam Dao (NG)

White-crested Laughingthrush, Garrulax leucolophus 1Heard daily at Cuc Phuong and Cat Tien with up to 6 seen

Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, Garrulax pectoralis 6 Tam Dao

Black-hooded Laughingthrush, Garrulax milleti 3-5 Ho Tuyen Lam

Grey Laughingthrush, Garrulax maesi 4-7 Tam Dao with larger numbers heard

Black-throated Laughingthrush, Garrulax chinensis Up to 10 seen daily Tam Dao

White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Garrulax vassali 15 Di Linh, 4 Ho Tuyen Lam on both dates

Collared Laughingthrush, Garrulax yersini 6 seen and 4 heard Mt Lang Bian

Abbott's Babbler, Malacocincla abbotti 2 Cat Tien on 10 & 11.4

Buff-breasted Babbler, Pellorneum tickelli 2 singles Cuc Phuong

Spot-throated Babbler, Pellorneum albiventre 2 seen, 1 heard Ho Tuyen Lam, 3 seen & 2 heard Mt Lang Bian

Puff-throated Babbler, Pellorneum ruficeps up to 4 seen and 6 heard Cuc Phuong

Scaly-crowned Babbler, Malacopteron cinereum Common at Cuc Phuong and Cat Tien

Large Scimitar-Babbler, Pomatorhinus hypoleucos 1-2 Cuc Phuong with up to 4 heard

White-browed Scimitar-Babbler, Pomatorhinus schisticeps 1 Ho Tuyen Lam 7.4

Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Pomatorhinus ruficollis 2 seen and 2 heard Tam Dao

Limestone Wren-Babbler, Napothera crispifrons 1 seen and 2 heard Valley Trail, Cuc Phuong

Streaked Wren-Babbler, Napotherabrevicaudata 4 Tam Dao

Pygmy Wren-Babbler, Pnoepyga pusilla 1 Ho Tuyen Lam, 2 heard Mt Lang Bian

Rufous-capped Babbler, Stachyris ruficeps 3 Ho Tuyen Lam, 2 seen & 2 heard Mt Lang Bian

Golden Babbler, Stachyris chrysaea Common Tam Dao

Grey-throated Babbler, Stachyris nigriceps Up to 10 Cuc Phuong, 4 Tam Dao, 2 Ho Tuyen Lam

Spot-necked Babbler, Stachyris striolata 2-3 seen and 5 heard Tam Dao

Striped Tit-Babbler, Macronous gularis Common Cuc Phuong and Cat Tien

Grey-faced Tit-Babbler, Macronous kelleyi 2-5 daily Cat Tien

Chestnut-capped Babbler, Timalia pileata 2 singles Cat Tien

Silver-eared Mesia, Leiothrix argentauris 10+Tam Dao, 2 Ho Tuyen Lam & heard Mt Lang Bian

White-browed Shrike-Babbler, Pteruthius flaviscapis 1 seen and 2 heard Tam Dao, 2 Ho Tuyen Lam, 1 Mt Lang Bian

Chestnut-fronted Shrike-Babbler, Pteruthius aenobarbus 3 Ho Tuyen Lam

Blue-winged Minla, Minla cyanouroptera 5-6 of a blue-less race Ho Tuyen Lam and Mt Lang Bian

Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Alcippe castaneceps 1 Ho Tuyen Lam, 2 Mt Lang Bian

Rufous-throated Fulvetta, Alcippe rufogularis Up to 5 daily Cuc Phuong

Brown-cheeked/ Mountain Fulvetta, Alcippe (poioicephala) grotei Up to 10 daily Cuc Phuong. This sp. is currently classed as a race of Mountain Fulvetta but looks more like Brown-cheeked, so could well be split.

Mountain Fulvetta, Alcippe peracensis 15 Ho Tuyen Lam and Mt Lang Bian

Grey-cheeked Fulvetta, Alcippe morrisonia Common Tam Dao

Grey-crowned Crocias, Crocias langbianis A vocal pair Ho Tuyen Lam, observed allopreening

Rufous-backed Sibia, Heterophasia annectens 2 Tam Dao, 4 Ho Tuyen Lam, all of black-backed race

Black-headed Sibia, Heterophasia melanoleuca 5 of grey backed robinsoni race Mt Lang Bian

Black-chinned Yuhina, Yuhina nigrimenta Common Tam Dao

White-bellied Yuhina, Yuhina zantholeuca Up to 10 Cuc Phuong, numerous Tam Dao, 10 Ho Tuyen Lam, 4 Mt Lang Bian

Grey-headed Parrotbill, Paradoxornis gularis 4 Ho Tuyen Lam

Short-tailed Parrotbill, Paradoxornis davidianus 8 in a mixed flock on Water-tank trail Tam Dao on 4^th

Great Tit, Parus major 2 Cuc Phuong, Hanoi and Cat-ba Island

Green-backed Tit, Parus monticolus 20 Mt Lang Bian

Yellow-cheeked Tit, Parus spilonotus 2 Ho Tuyen Lam, 5 Mt Lang Bian

Sultan Tit, Melanochlora sultanea Up to 5 Cuc Phuong

Australasian Bushlark, Mirafra javanica 1 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus Small numbers in most towns

White-rumped Munia, Lonchura striata 2-5 Cat Tien

Scaly-breasted Munia, Lonchura punctulata 6 Ho Tuyen Lam, 10 Mt Lang Bian, 3 Cat Tien

White/ Black-backed Wagtail, Motacilla alba/ lugens 30+ in pre-roost activity at Hanoi airport

Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava 5+ Xuan Thuy

Grey Wagtail, Motacilla cinerea 2 Mt Lang Bian and 1 Cat-ba Island

Richard's Pipit, Anthus richardi 1 Xuan Thuy

Oriental Pipit, Anthus rufulus 4 Bao Loc, Cat Tien

Olive-backed Pipit, Anthus hodgsoni 1 Cuc Phuong, 10 Tam Dao and Di Linh, 20 Mt Lang Bian

Red-throated Pipit, Anthus cervinus 1 Xuan Thuy

Streaked Weaver, Ploceus manyar 10 Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Asian Golden Weaver, Ploceus hypoxanthus 10-30 including several males in breeding plumage at Crocodile Lake, Cat Tien

Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Dicaeum agile 1 Tam Dao

Yellow-vented Flowerpecker, Dicaeum chrysorrheum 2 Cat Tien

Plain Flowerpecker, Dicaeum concolor 5 Cuc Phuong

Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Dicaeum ignipectus 2 Cat Tien (PB)

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Dicaeum cruentatum 1 Cat Tien (PB)

Plain-throated Sunbird, Anthreptes malacensis Fairly common Cat-ba Island

Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Anthreptes singalensis Up to 5 daily Cat Tien

Olive-backed Sunbird, Nectarinia jugularis 6 near HQ Cuc Phuong, 2-4 Cat Tien

Gould's Sunbird, Aethopyga gouldiae 4 Ho Tuyen Lam, 2 Mt Lang Bian

Fork-tailed Sunbird, Aethopyga christinae 1 Cuc Phuong, 2 Tam Dao on 2 dates

Black-throated Sunbird, Aethopyga saturata 1 Cuc Phuong

Crimson Sunbird, Aethopyga siparaja 2 Cuc Phuong, 1 Ho Tuyen Lam, up to 10 Cat Tien

Little Spiderhunter, Arachnothera longirostra 1-2 Cat Tien

Streaked Spiderhunter, Arachnothera magna Up to 5 Cuc Phuong, 2 Di Linh, 1 Ho Tuyen Lam

Vietnamese Greenfinch, Carduelis monguilloti A total of 11 in singles and twos Mt Lang Bian

Red Crossbill, Loxia curvirostra 10 including immatures on Mt Lang Bian

Yellow-breasted Bunting, Emberiza aureola 2 Xuan Thuy

Chestnut Bunting, Emberiza rutila 1 male (PB) Cuc Phuong. A few other buntings flushed here may well have been this sp.

MAMMALS

This list follows the sequence and nomenclature of A World List of Mammalian Species by GB Corbet and JE Hill (1991)

Macaque sp., Macaca fasciularis A few Cat Tien - unsure whether Crab-eating, M. fasciularis or Rhesus M.mulata

Douc Langur, Pygathrix nemaeus 4 Cat Tien

Crested Gibbon, Hylobates concolor 2 Cat Tien on 10.4 (JH)

Yellow-throated Marten, Martes flavigula 2 singles Cat Tien

Spotted Linsang, Prionodon pardicolor 1 Cat Tien

Wild Boar, Sus scrofa A few Cat Tien

Burmese Hare, Lepus peguensis 1 Cat Tien

Indian Mutjac, Muntiacus muntjac Heard throughout but only seen occasionally

Black (Malayan) Giant Squirrel, Ratufa bicolor Several Cuc Phuong, Di Linh and Cat Tien

Trip Bird Grid