Birds of Vietnam

Vietnam is fast establishing itself as one of the most exciting destinations for birding in Asia. A relative "new kid' on the birding block compared to the established birdwatchers "favorites of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia, over a very short period of time Vietnam has nevertheless become one of the continents must-visit countries for birders. While it could be said that Vietnam's avifauna of just in excess of 910 species is rather overshadowed numerically by its near neighbors, China to the north and Thailand to the west.

Endemic birds

THE ENDEMIC BIRDS SPECIES OF VIETNAM

1. Collared Laughingthrush (Garrulax yersini)

2. Grey-crowned Crocias (Crocias langbianis)

3. Vietnam Greenfinch (Carduelis monguilloti)

4. Golden-winged Laughingthrush (Garrulax ngoclinhensis)

5. Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush (Garrulax konkakinhensis)

6. Edwards's Pheasant (Lophura edwardsi)

7. Orange-breasted Laughingthrush (Garrulax annamensis)

8. White-throated Wren-babbler (Rimator pasquieri)

9. Black-crowned Fulvetta (Alcippe klossi)

10. Tonkin Partridge (Arborophila tonkinensis)

11. Vietnamese Cutia (Cutia legalleni)

12. Pale-throated wren-babbler (Spelaeornis chocolatinus)

Vietnam endemic birds collection 

Possible future endemics
In addition to the twelve true Vietnamese endemics, there are several very distinct races of some bird species found in the Dalat Plateau Endemic Bird Area that may prove to be full species at some time in the future. Among these potential new species are:

13. Blue-winged Minla Minla cyanouroptera orientalis

14. Rufous-backed Sibia Heterophasia annectens eximia

15. Black-throated Sunbird Aethopyga saturata johnsi

16. Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra meridionalis

17. Brown Bullfinch Pyrrhula nipalensis

18. Dalat Bush Warbler Locustella idonea

19. Dalat Shrike Babbler (Pteruthius flaviscapis)

Vietnam Birdlist (Birdlife international)

Birding in Vietnam

A latecomer among birding destinations in Southeast- East Asia, it wasn't until the early 1990s that Vietnam opened up to tourism after many decades of conflict, and the first intrepid birders started arriving to explore the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Then, a remarkable flurry of ornithological discoveries and rediscoveries during the second half of the 1990s brought Vietnam's unique avifauna to world attention and birders  and international birding tour companies started to view Vietnam as an attractive new destination it is, with 19 endemic species and distinct subspecies groups found nowhere else on the earth, and another 39 species and subspecies groups found only in Vietnam and some neighboring countries, a total unparalleled among countries of mainland South-East Asia.