Binoculars in the Backcountry: Vietnam

Indochinese Magpie

We recently returned from a month-long birding trip to Vietnam where we were joined again by our good friends Tim and Agnes. Vietnam hosts 13 endemic and 25 near-endemic species. Additionally, there are 9 endemic and 11 near-endemic subspecies. With a total species count of well over 900, Vietnam is a fantastic birding destination. Add in the amazing food we had along the way and this was a trip to remember.

We started our tour on February 12 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south. For the next 28 days we would make our way north hitting many of the best birding locations in the country to our conclusion in Hanoi. Our trip was arranged and led by Bui Duc Tien (Tien), the co-founder of VietBird Tours. Tien is a fantastic guide and all-around great person. We really enjoyed our month with him.

For those interested in our itinerary, click this link to the 30 day tour offered by VietBird Tours.

And for those who want to look at actual eBird lists from the trip, I'm going to do it a little different this time. I've created a Trip Report in eBird that summarized all the species and bird lists on one page. In all we saw 435 species and I got 64 life birds.

Link to eBird Trip Report

February 12 to 21, 2023

Our first day was in the Mekong Delta hunting shorebirds and more. While we hoped to locate the Spoon-billed Sandpiper that had been wintering in the area, we didn't find it. But the real catch here for us was the regional specialty White-faced Plover. Getting out to the birding area was an adventure - a slog through the thick gooey mud of a mangrove forest during low tide.

Our first of many tiny Pho shops for breakfast. Pho is the national dish of Vietnam.

Our guide Tien who had just scored some fresh watermelon from a farmer nearby

Making our way through the mangrove mud at low tide

Our high top muck boots weren't quite up to the task

Finally out on the sand spit for some birding

The freshest seafood, a pretty good start to our eating adventures

Greater Coucal

White-faced Plover

The following day was a travel day with a big activity in the middle. We left Ho Chi Minh City and headed to Cat Tien National Park. Along the way we stopped for about 6 hours at a bird blind in the forest. This blind is on private property where the landowner maintains it with food and water to attract difficult forest species. We saw a ton of birds and got three life birds. Of special note was the Orange-necked Partridge whose has a tiny range and is almost impossible to see away from a setup like this. We were very lucky to see it as it wasn’t a guarantee. We also saw two species of pitta and the beautiful Siamese Fireback (a pheasant). We finished the day traveling to the park where we took a ferry across the river to our lodging.

The area in front of the blind

Waiting for some birds

Cat Tien National Park is across the river

Our transportation to the park

Asian Emerald-Dove

Bar-bellied Pitta

Ocraceous Bulbul

Orange-necked Partridge

Puff-throated Babbler

Siamese Fireback

Tree-Shrew

Our two and a half days at Cat Tien National Park were full of fun and adventure. We walked the trails and visited the blind in the forest. This blind is about the only place to see the rare and very shy Germain's Peacock-Pheasant. The pheasant shows up on about half the days and we were fortunate enough to see it after putting in our time. The other birds and mammals kept us entertained while we waited. The forest trails were very busy in the mornings, but as it gets to over 90F here the bird activity shuts down by about 10:30. Late afternoons were good too and we took advantage.

Tim waits out a heavy downpour. Susan and I tried to get under a tree but didn't stay any drier.

The blind at Cat Tien

A marsh that is quite dry at this time of year

Sunrise on the river

Asian Pied Hornbill

Banded Kingfisher

Black and Red Broadbill

Endangered Buff-cheeked Gibbon

Common Flameback

Barking Deer

Germain's Peacock-Pheasant

Mouse Deer

Scaly-breasted Partridge

Siamese Fireback

Ashy-headed Green-Pigeon

Orange-breasted Trogon

Short-nosed Fruit Bat. This one was "hanging out" inside the roof of our open air restaurant

Leaving Cat Tien we drove to the small town of Di Linh. After check into our lodging we headed out. For the rest of the afternoon and the next day we would bird Deo Nui San Pass and a nearby blind for some really special birds. The birding was fantastic, and the action at the blind was mind blowing. In just two days I took nearly 2500 photos. There were some late nights editing... We even got some rain and the leeches came out. Nothing like we had in parts of south India, but there was some blood donated...

Deo Nui San Pass

Leech kiss

Blue-naped Pitta

Blue Pitta female

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Indochinese Magpie

Large Scimitar-Babbler

Orange-headed Thrush

Silver-breasted Broadbill

Black-headed Parrotbill

Blue Pitta male

Orange-headed Thrush

Annam Streaked Wren-Babbler

The following morning we birded the pass for a couple hours before a long travel day. We ended the day on the high mountain plateau of Da Lat.

Some Pho is better than others, this one was really good

Mrs. Gould's Sunbird (named in 1831 by zoologist Nicholas Vigors after British bird artist Elizabeth Gould)

White-throated Rock Thrush

We spent three days on the 6000 foot elevation Da Lat plateau birding broadleaf and pine forests. There were bird blinds too, and they were especially good. Numerous life birds and Vietnam endemics came from this amazing spot. This is the only reasonably accessible spot on the planet to find the endemic Vietnamese Cutia. It took two days and lots of work, but we finally found a pair in the pine forest.