VIETNAM REP 12 - Birdquest

1 Birdquest: Vietnam 2012

VIETNAM

11 – 26 FEBRUARY/3 MARCH 2012

TOUR REPORT

LEADER: JÁNOS OLÁH Birdquest has been operating tours to Vietnam for over 20 years but as in most places nowadays the available information and number of birding locations is increasing rapidly. On the 2012 tour we had the exciting addition to our well-established itinerary of a visit to Ba Be National Park in the far north in search of White-eared Night-Heron. We managed to see this enigmatic species, which is certainly one of the rarest herons in the World! Our Vietnam tour itinerary will change again from 2013 as we try to make it as comprehensive as possible so please check out our website for more information! The weather was nice and warm in the south and also in the centre to start with. After arriving at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park a cold weather front moved in and the rest of the tour in the north was cold and often misty with slight drizzle. We had a hard-working group, however, and managed to find most of our targets amongst a good total of 377 species recorded. Highlights among the many regional or near-endemics included superb views of Germain’s Peacock-pheasant, several Red-vented and Annam Barbets (the latter split from Black-browed), stunning Blue-rumped and Bar-bellied Pittas, Dalat Shrike-babbler (split from White-browed), White-winged Magpie, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, the punkish Indochinese Green Magpie, Vietnamese Greenfinch, Grey-crowned Tit, Limestone Warbler (split from Sulphur-breasted), Indochinese Wren-babbler (formerly Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler), Sooty Babbler, Grey-faced Tit-babbler, Orange-breasted, Collared, Black-hooded and White-cheeked Laughingthrushes, Vietnamese Cutia (split from Himalayan Cutia), Grey-crowned Crocias, Black-crowned Fulvetta (split from Rufous-winged), Black-browed Fulvetta, Black-crowned Barwing, and Black-crowned Parrotbill. Other tour highlights included Siamese Firebacks, stunning Green Peafowls, Jerdon’s and Black Baza, Oriental Hobby, a stunning male Pied Harrier, Brown-cheeked Rail, Swinhoe’s Plover, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Cook’s Swift, Blyth’s Frogmouth, showy Banded Kingfishers, Green-eared Barbet, White-browed Piculet, Dusky and Silver-breasted Broadbills, an amazing pair of Eared Pittas, Swinhoe’s Minivet, Slender-billed Oriole, Indochinese Bushlark, Hume’s Treecreeper, skulking White-gorgeted, White-tailed and Hainan Blue Flycatchers, Fujian Niltavas, Vinous-breasted and Golden-crested Mynas, Grey-crowned, Bianchi’s, White-spectacled and Grey-cheeked Warblers, Short-tailed Parrotbill, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Orange-billed Scimitar, Limestone Wren and Spot-necked Babblers, Rufous-throated Fulvetta, Rufous-backed and Black-headed Sibias, Brown Prinia


and Fork-tailed Sunbird. We saw a total of 13 species of woodpeckers, seven species of barbets, 20 species of raptors, five species of broadbills and nine species of laughingthrushes just to mention some of the ‘family’ totals of this year’s tour. Non-avian highlights included several regionally endemic primates such as Black-shanked Douc Langur in Cat Tien NP, the Red-shanked Douc Langur and Hatinh Leaf Monkey in Phong Nha Ke Bang NP. Other monkeys were Buff-cheeked Gibbon and Silvered Langur (a mammal write-in). All in all we had an action-packed tour to this truly fantastic country again! The tour began with a longish drive from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) to Da Lat, which is situated on a highland plateau to the north and is home to some of Vietnam’s most famous endemic bird species. Few birds of note were seen along the way and we arrived to our hotel at the Da Lat not too long after dark. We were soon enjoying our first of many excellent Vietnamese meals. Our first full day’s birding was spent in a beautiful secluded forest at the end of Tuyen Lam reservoir, southwest of Da Lat. As soon as we stepped out of the bus a displaying pair of Oriental Hobby gave us good views, which were soon followed by Burmese Shrike and Slender-billed Oriole! Birding was rather slow but after some work we managed to find a fine selection of birds including the endemic Vietnamese Greenfinch. In the pine woodland along the lake edge we had Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, Brown Prinia, the annamensis race of Long-tailed Minivet, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, the legendrei race of Green-backed Tit, Silvered-eared Mesia, Dalat Shrike Babbler, Flavescent and Sooty-headed Bulbuls, Black-collared and Vinous-breasted Starlings and Grey-crowned Tit. Along the trail, which took us through some patches of nice broadleaved forest, we had Large Niltava, Black-browed Barbet, a showy party of Black-hooded Laughingthrushes, White-tailed Leaf and Chestnut-crowned Warblers, non-blue-winged orientalis Blue-winged Minlas, Mugimaki Flycatchers and leucotis Eurasian Jays. Some of us were lucky enough to get on a male Blue Pitta as well, although it remained out of sight for most of us. On the return walk we spotted a male of the chunky and isolated meridionalis race of Red Crossbill, a Siberian Blue Robin and a Grey-faced Buzzard in flight. In the afternoon, we had time to visit another good site near Da Lat, the well-known Ta Nung valley. It was afternoon ‘activity’ but we had excellent views of Black Eagles, Streaked Spiderhunter, Slaty-backed Forktail and Yellow-vented Green Pigeons. The absolute highlight of the afternoon was a stunning Indochinese Green Magpie on the top of a dead tree! It was not very productive at dusk but a Grey Nightjar flew over and we spotlighted an Indian Giant Flying Squirrel. Next day we climbed Mount Lang Bian, the third highest mountain on the Da Lat Plateau and home to a fine selection of birds. We took a quick jeep-ride up the steepest part of the road through pine forest and then we made our way to the broadleaved evergreen forest on foot. A drumming Bay Woodpecker was tracked down and a Red Crossbill pair gave us stunning views. Surely this isolated race will be split sooner or later! One of our main target birds on Lang Bian was the endemic and elusive Collared Laughingthrush. It was not an easy bird to see but after considerable time a total of five was seen. Most of our day was spent in this broadleaved forest, where we were able to add more notable birds to our list like Black-crowned Fulvetta, the langbianensis race of Lesser Shortwing, the annamensis subspecies of Chestnut-crowned Warbler, the ocularis race of White-spectacled Warbler, the auricularis race of Golden-throated Barbet and the robinsoni subspecies of Black-headed Sibia, most of which are endemic to the higher levels of the Da Lat Plateau. We also had Hume’s Treecreeper, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Grey-bellied Tesias, Ashy-throated Warbler, White-tailed Leaf Warbler, Yellow-cheeked Tit, several Dalat Shrike Babblers and a male Clicking Shrike Babbler. We heard several Hodgson’s Frogmouths at dusk but they were not co-operative this time. Our third day and final morning on the plateau was spent in the sheltered, well-forested Ta Nung valley again. We stumbled across a party of restricted range White-cheeked Laughingthrushes even before we got to the entrance of the site, allowing prolonged great views. This time we had superb morning activity in the broadleaved forest and it did not take long before we spotted a singing Grey-crowned Crocias! This area is probably the best site for this rare endemic and we saw at least six


birds in total. Amongst the other noteworthy birds here were Mountain Hawk Eagle, Red-vented Barbet, more Clicking Shrike Babblers, a Rufous-backed Sibias of the endemic non-rufous-backed eximia subspecies, Grey-cheeked Warblers and Rufous-browed Flycatcher for some. Good numbers of stunning red-breasted johnsi Black-throated Sunbirds were feeding on trackside bottlebrush trees along with Mrs Gould’s Sunbirds. A calling Orange-breasted Laughingthrush frustratingly denied us but we had a great look at a flowering Sapria himalayana (Rafflesia) in the forest and some of us had a male White-throated Rock Thrush on the walk back to our vehicle. After lunch we headed off in the mini-bus for Di Linh, which is a major coffee and tea producing area, and served as our base for day-trips to Deo Nui San, a beautifully forested pass along the old Phan Thiet road. When we first visited this site many years ago, the road was a dirt track however these days we can reach the site in half the original time along a fine road, though one hopes that this will not lead to the eventual degradation of the superb forest here. We made a short afternoon visit to the pass where we had a large flock of Swinhoe’s Minivets and a pair of Black-crowned Parrotbill, which interestingly turned out to be the sole sighting of this specialty on this year’s tour! Over the next day and a half we birded this lovely forest. We concentrated our efforts on finding two special endemic birds that occur at this elevation, the Orange-breasted Laughingthrush and the Vietnamese Cutia. The latter should be easier in the Da Lat area but we had no luck there so this was our last chance! The first morning was rather dull and windy with very little vocalisation. The best birding was along the road itself and we saw Wedge-tailed Green Pigeons and Barred Cuckoo-Doves, several Long-tailed Broadbills, a male Blue-throated Flycatcher of the klossi subspecies, a Chestnut-winged Cuckoo and some of us also had the first glimpses of Spot-throated Babbler. We soon heard the lovely song of the Orange-breasted Laughingthrush and after some careful positioning we had good views of this shy and elusive endemic! Also Black-hooded and White-cheeked Laughingthrushes were seen again. In the afternoon we explored a few forest trails where we had another Orange-breasted Laugher, Greater Yellownape, a party of Silver-breasted Broadbills, Red-headed Trogon, Orange-billed Scimitar Babblers and male White-throated Rock-Thrushes. We heard a distant Hodgson’s Frogmouth at dusk and seen several Large-tailed Nightjars. Next morning we were back to the Pass early morning where we had a good selection of bulbuls on a fruiting tree while we had breakfast, which included Grey-eyed and Ochraceous Bulbuls. Also a Besra came out to investigate a possibility of a bulbul breakfast but it was too quick for everybody to see it. We were getting desperate at this stage about our Vietnamese Cutia so most of the morning was spent looking for this most desired bird. Our hard work finally produced this great looking endemic just before we had to pull out from the area. We had good views of a singing female! It used to be an isolated race of Cutia but has been elevated to full species status a few years ago. It has entirely barred underparts and the female has an all dark brown head. After this we headed off for Cat Tien National Park, which is actually the largest remaining lowland forest block in northern Cochinchina and has recovered well after receiving a mauling during the Vietnam war of the sixties and early seventies. We arrived at this spectacular park in time for the afternoon bird activity, which started with Germain’s Swiftlets, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Pied Kingfisher and Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters on the short ferry crossing to the park entrance. After a quick check-in we were heading out in our jeeps for an introductory birding drive in the grassy part of the park. Some flowering Bombax trees held Red-breasted Parakeets, Hair-crested Drongos and two Hill Mynas. We managed to track down several Green Peafowls of both sexes and had a big flock of Orange-breasted Green Pigeon too. A Chinese Francolin was calling nearby but did not want to show. A huge thunderstorm was threatening and all aerial feeders were flying low so we had good look of Ashy Woodswallows and several Silver-backed Needletails. Early next morning we were back in our jeeps driving the main track cutting through the park towards Dac Lua. We soon spotted a female Siamese Fireback and could watch it for a few minutes before it disappeared into the forest. Our next stop yielded great looks at Asian Barred Owlet and four Golden-crested Mynas. These stunning birds used to be easy to see in this park but for some reason are becoming less numerous and we had no idea that this would be the only sighting of our stay. Along


the track we saw several Ashy-headed Green Pigeons, the cognacqi race of Scaly-breasted Partridge, Great Iora and several Indochinese endemic Grey-faced Tit Babblers. The latter was quite common in mixed flocks, particularly along the forest edge. The rest of the morning was spent along the Crocodile Lake trail in search of the ground-dwelling specialties. The highlight of our first morning’s birding was undoubtedly a splendid male Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, which we managed to lure into sight and finally all of us had good views. Pittas were not performing well and although we heard several Bar-bellied Pittas singing they were not very interested in our tape. It was actually surprising how vocal they were for the time of the year! This must have been owing to the heavy rain in recent days. Still on the trails we had Orange-breasted Trogons, Siberian Blue Robin, Hainan Blue Flycatcher and Pale-legged Leaf Warbler. On our return journey to the headquarters we saw a superb male Siamese Fireback to round off this great morning! In the afternoon we tried the same place where our group was lucky enough to see the rare Orange-necked Partridge last year but unfortunately we did not even have a sniff. The forest was quiet but a Pale-headed Woodpecker was seen in a bamboo patch and this was the 200th woodpecker for our group member Jürgen and was properly celebrated with some red wine in the evening! We also had several Great Hornbills, a fine male Blue-bearded Bee-eater and two Silvered Langurs (a write-in mammal). As dusk fell a patrolling Great Eared Nightjar emerged early to give nice views. Next day we started along the forested track to Heaven Rapids in search of more Cat Tien specialities. Still in the half-light we watched a stunning male Blue-rumped Pitta standing on the side of the track. We could hardly believe to our luck but both of our cars managed to get on this rather difficult-to-see bird! A female Siberian Blue Robin was seen on the main track too. Following the heavy rain the previous evening activity was excellent and we had lots of goodies this morning like a nest-building party of Dusky Broadbills, a pair of Banded Broadbills, the amazingly coloured Black-and-red Broadbill, Lesser Yellownape, Green-eared and Blue-eared Barbets, a singing male Violet Cuckoo, the indochinensis race of Scaly-crowned Babbler, a male Van Hasselt’s Sunbird and a female White-throated Rock-Thrush. This latter one is a rather scarce visitor to the lowlands. Another star bird was a splendid male Bar-bellied Pitta, which was very obliging and gave us a fantastic show! This ‘iridipitta’ as some members of the genus were called in the past are considered to be the most beautiful of all the pittas by some! It is not often that birders get to see two new species of pittas in one morning but most certainly this was the case for all members of our group! After a quick but refreshing lunch we visited some paddyfields on the edge of the national park. We had several Green Peafowls along the track, a fine Grey-faced Buzzard, an Indochinese Bushlark, Chestnut-capped Babblers and a flock of Plain-backed Sparrows alongside more common open country birds like Brown Shrike, Pied Bushchats and Common Flameback. Our last morning in the field in this wonderful national park was spent at C6, a seasonally flooded area of freshwater swamp forest in the centre of the park. Along the way to the entrance of the trail we had a party of the very localized and rare Black-shanked Douc Langur. Along the short track to the wetland we saw Banded Kingfishers, a Drongo Cuckoo, males of both Hainan Blue and Tickell’s Blue Flycatchers and two Black-and-buff Woodpeckers. After the birdy forest trail we emerged from the darkness of the forest to a bright, wide vista. Unfortunately, the swathes of invasive Giant Mimosa Mimosa pigra scrub are taking over the edge of the wetland. A team of rangers were cutting some of these invasive bushes and we only had a few Little Cormorant, Grey-headed Fish Eagle and Purple Herons. Back along the main track we saw more woodpeckers such as Greater Flameback and a very welcome White-browed Piculet. This diminutive fellow gave us superb looks and was a real highlight for most of us. In the heat of the day we heard the call of a Germain’s Peacock-pheasant and as he walked through sunlit patches on the forest floor we could see the iridescent ‘eyes’ all over his tail. Terrific! Other notable birds included Crimson Sunbird, White-crested Laughingthrush and Abbott’s Babbler. After lunch we spent some time around the headquarters area where we found a fruiting tree with Thick-billed, Scarlet-backed and Yellow-vented Flowerpeckers and several Blue-winged and Orange-fronted Leafbirds. As dusk was approaching we positioned ourselves for a bit of night birding and we were soon watching a Blyth’s Frogmouth, which took the fourth place on the ‘Bird of the trip’


contest! Next morning sadly we had to say goodbye to this bird-filled lowland national park and visited a nearby bamboo-dominated area still in the search of the Orange-necked Partridge. All morning was spent in search of this enigmatic bird but despite hearing it very close once we could not lure it into view. Later we returned to Saigon and after an overnight at the renowned Rex Hotel, flew north to Da Nang to start the Central Vietnam part of the tour. From the airport we continued directly along the newly built Ho Chi Minh highway to Kham Duc and the LoXo Pass area in remote Quang Binh province. We had a coffee stop near the Vuzia River where a short birding session produced three River Lapwings, Common Greenshank, Plaintive Cuckoo, Little Green Bea-eater and White-shouldered Starling. After a quick lunch in Kham Duc we had time for some initial exploration of the LoXo Pass area. Most of the afternoon was spent in misty conditions and apart from Silver-eared Mesia, Spot-throated Babbler, Golden Babbler and Plumbeous Water Redstart we did not see much. Early next morning we were back at the Pass in search of our sole target here, the recently described and highly localized Black-crowned Barwing. After some climbing we finally located a singing pair of these superb birds. We watched them displaying for as long as we wanted! Without a doubt this was a very special sighting as this species was elected the ‘Bird of the trip’! Later in the morning we visited the Dak Blo Road. It was a sunny morning and we had great views of the superb forested surroundings, but activity waned surprisingly quickly and it became rather hot. The highlight of this area was a pair of the localised Indochinese Wren-babblers and the elusive Red-tailed Laughingthrush! Other notable birds were Jerdon’s Baza, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Small Niltava, Grey-cheeked Warbler, Blue-winged Sivas and new races for us of Black-throated and Mrs Gould’s Sunbirds. In late afternoon we drove to our hotel near Bach Ma National Park. Bach Ma National Park was closed due to road construction works so our options were rather limited. In the open areas around the headquarters we saw Ashy Minivets, Dusky and Pale-legged Leaf Warblers and Masked Laughingthrush. We spent most of the morning along a narrow trail where we had Rufous-tailed Robin, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, White-crested Laughingthrush but our prime target the Annam Partridge remained heard-only. In the afternoon we explored the garden of our hotel where two Swinhoe’s Plovers and nesting Grey-capped Greenfinches were the best birds. Early next morning we drove to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the quest to find the highly localized and poorly known Sooty Babbler and the recently described Limestone Warbler. It was late afternoon when we arrived to this limestone karst dominated national park but we soon located a feeding party of five restless Sooty Babblers. This strange bird is a real rock climber and they change location very quickly. Not surprising at all that they were placed into their own genus before! We also had several Grey-headed Lapwings and a large flock of Cook’s Swifts gathering to roost by a cave. Two Hatinh Leaf Monkeys were a nice bonus! Early next morning we were back in the national park but the weather changed significantly, a cold weather front arrived from the north. From this day it was cold and misty for the rest of the tour. We drove right into the park as far as the Hang 8 Co Temple and then followed the track towards the Laos border. We soon came close to limestone outcrops, and here we had magical views of the recently described Limestone Warbler. They were very actively defending territory and continuously singing. We continued along the track but mist was rolling in from time to time and hampered our birding. Mixed species flocks held Sultan Tits – unfortunately not the black-crested gayeti race – White-bellied Erpornis, Great Iora and Blue-winged Leafbirds. Both Bar-bellied and Blue-rumped Pittas were heard but in the steep limestone country we did not try to see them. We also heard Annam Partridge but despite getting very close to them they managed to stay frustratingly out of sight. We encountered more Sooty Babblers, a juvenile Mountain Hawk-Eagle, more Cook’s Swifts, Little Green Bee-eater, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, the philippensis race of Blue Rock Thrush, Puff-throated Bulbul, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler and Lanceolated Warbler. We had good luck with mammals too, getting superb close scope views of a party of eight Red-shanked Douc Langurs. We returned to the hotel for an early lunch, spotting Black and Black-eared Kites on the way. In the afternoon we drove to Dong Ha along


the highway one. A couple roadside stops produced Black-crowned Night-herons, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Black-backed Swamphen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana and White-vented Myna. We took an early flight from Hue to Hanoi next morning and started the Vietnam tour extension! After arriving in Hanoi we headed to the botanical garden in hope of an ‘easy’ Fujian Niltava but our twitch was not successful. Our next port of call was a ‘Red River Island’ close to town. The river backwaters were surprisingly devoid of people although most of the island ‘higher’ parts were converted into vegetable fields. Nevertheless there was some excellent habitat for migrants and we saw a fantastic male Pied Harrier, two Bluethroats, up to 250 Red-throated Pipits, a variety of wagtails were highlighted by a good number of Citrines in various plumages. We continued on to Cuc Phuong National Park, stopping for a couple of hours at Van Long Nature Reserve. It was a misty and cloudy afternoon and limestone country behind the marsh was not very visible. There was a roosting congregation of thousands of egrets but ducks were completely missing although after much search we finally spotted two Eurasian Coots. According to our guide Hung ducks and other wintering waterbirds are being eaten on a large scale in local restaurants. The highlight of the Van Long Marsh visit was a wintering Brown-cheeked Rail and several White-browed Crakes as they were feeding right out in the open. The weather was not good so no matter how hard we were scanning the rocky limestone terrain no Delacour’s Leaf Monkey appeared at dusk. We arrived to Cuc Phuong National Park in the dark. Cuc Phuong is the oldest and most famous of Vietnam’s National Parks another fine example of limestone karst. The following day and a half in the reserve were spent visiting the Bong substation and its surrounding paved trails in the heart of the park. The weather turned really cold now with constant low cloud and activity was almost non-existent. Next early morning on the way to Bong we drove slowly along the road and checked for wintering thrushes. Our very keen driver helped the thrush safari and we were able to get great views of Japanese, Grey-backed and Orange-headed Ground Thrushes and a few Chinese Blackbirds. As a great bonus we could watch a male Bar-bellied Pitta as long as we wanted as he was feeding in the roadside leaf litter. On the first morning we counted about 30 thrushes along the road! The open areas, scrub and grass bordering the forest around Bong were also quiet this year but we managed to find Mountain Hawk-Eagle, a White-browed Piculet, a Grey-backed Shrike, several Brownish-flanked Bush Warblers, Rufescent Prinia, Bianchi’s Warbler and a Common Green Magpie. In the forest itself highlights were a foraging pair of Eared Pittas, several White-tailed Flycatcher, three obliging Limestone Wren Babblers, several smart Rufous-throated Fulvettas, as well as the more sombre but regionally endemic Black-browed Fulvetta. In the evening our owling efforts were unrewarded with the weather still against us. On our last morning we tracked down a flock of White-winged Magpies and a ‘large’ bird party held several Greater and Lesser Yellownapes as well as four Ratchet-tailed Treepies. Other notable birds were Rufous-tailed Robin, Fork-tailed Sunbirds, Sultan Tits and a female Fujian Niltava for some. In the afternoon we drove to Mount Ba Vi. The next morning, we ascended Ba Vi with great anticipation. Although we had dense fog in the middle part of the mountain it was patchier towards the top. A female Blue-rumped Pitta, several Japanese thrushes and a Blue Whistling Thrush was an excellent start at dawn. We took the trail to the top and by the time we climbed to the shrine even the sun was out in full force! We had several Red-flanked Bluetails, a party of Silver-breasted Broadbills, a showy Asian Stubtail, an obliging female White-tailed Robin, a White’s Thrush, a Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Buff-breasted Babblers and a few Brown-backed Needletails. Unfortunately no Rufous-cheeked Laughingthrush were seen or heard! Moving lower down we were back to misty conditions but added Collared Babbler and Japanese Tit to our list. Back at the Tan Da Spa Resort we had a quick lunch at our hotel and later drove to Tam Dao National Park. We arrived at this old French colonial hill station by late afternoon and as the fog was patchy we attempted the transmitter steps for the last hour of the day but we had no luck. Tam Dao is often


foggy this time of the year and it usually does not help birders. We were up early next morning and although it was misty and foggy we set out along the Three Peaks road and the trail through the ‘Bamboo Forest’. The birds were quiet but after hours and hours in the fog we eventually managed to find Red-headed Trogon, Streak-necked Scimitar Babblers, several flocks of David’s Fulvettas accompanied by Golden Babblers, three Spot-necked Babblers, a few Chestnut Bulbuls, small flocks of Black-chinned and Chestnut-collared Yuhinas, Pallas’s Leaf and Grey-crowned Warbler, a male White-tailed Robin and White-gorgeted Flycatcher and Fujian Niltavas. A male Blue-naped Pitta was flushed by our guide but frustratingly avoided most people. Grey Laughingthrush and Bar-backed Partridges were only heard distantly. We did not give up and were back to the three peaks road next morning too but the fog got even thicker and the birding was even more frustrating. The Blue-naped Pitta was calling briefly at the very same spot at dawn but did not want to play. Our best bird of the morning was a pair of Short-tailed Parrotbills in a mixed species flock and they allowed good views for everybody. We left Tam Dao behind with mixed feelings but we were all excited by the fact we were heading towards our last, but probably the biggest adventure of the trip. It took several hours to reach Ba Be National Park in the north but we arrived just in time to board our boat and set out for a short ride to a White-eared Night Heron nesting area. The short boat ride produced two rare ducks for Vietnam, a first-year male Tufted Duck and a party of five Mandarin Ducks. We arrived at the night heron area and this near mythical bird was seen for the first time in Birdquest history! This species has a very patchy distribution in China and just has been found breeding in Vietnam in 2009. The estimated number of breeding birds in Ba Be NP is a mere 3-4 pairs and the whole World population is believed to be a maximum of 1000 mature individuals. We had prolonged scope views of the both sexes and waited until dusk. The ‘guarding’ bird left quickly at dusk while the other one remained on the nest. Surprisingly four more birds were seen in flight at dusk. What a bird to finish such a great tour! All that was left now was an uneventful bus journey back to Hanoi, where our group dispersed. We had a keen group of Birdquesters who did a great job in finding birds from the very first moment to the last, and it was a real team effort throughout the three weeks through the magical country of Vietnam!


SYSTEMATIC LIST Species, which were heard but not seen are indicated by the symbol (H). Species, which were not personally recorded by the leader are indicated by the symbol (NL). Species, which were only recorded by the leader are marked with the symbol (LO) Conservation threat categories and information are taken from Threatened Birds of the World, BirdLife International’s magnificent book on the sad status of the rarest 10% of the world’s avifauna, and updates on the BirdLife website: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/index.html PHASIANIDAE Chinese Francolin Francolinus pintadeanus (H): We heard it distantly at Tuyen Lam and later

tantalisingly close at Cat Tien NP but they remained out of sight. Rufous-throated Partridge Arborophila rufogularis (H): We heard the annamensis race of this shy

species on our day-visit to Mount Lang Bian especially at dawn and dusk but they did not want to play!

Bar-backed Partridge Arborophila brunneopectus (H): Heard at Ta Nung, Deo Nui San and Tam Dao but always rather distantly.

Orange-necked Partridge Arborophila davidi (H): We tried hard at Cat Tien where this rare near-endemic was seen last year but we didn’t have a sniff. On our last morning we tried a new location where a pair called very close to us but refused to show!

Chestnut-necklaced Partridge Arborophila charltonii (H): Heard it fairly distantly in Cuc Phuong National Park on two occasions. This was one of the very few vocalisations we heard in the otherwise unusually silent forest where we had very cold weather with low fog and rain.

Annam Partridge Arborophila merlini (H): Bach Ma National Park was closed for visitors and we only heard it on the only accessible trail to the lower parts of the hills.

Scaly-breasted Partridge Arborophila chloropus: The South Indochinese cognacqi race was seen at Cat Tien National Park where it was commonly heard.

Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus: Small numbers were seen at Cat Tien National Park and a pair at Bach Ma National Park.

Siamese Fireback Lophura diardi: We had three sightings of this handsome ‘chicken’ at Cat Tien National Park. We got prolonged views of a female first then we had great views of superb males for everybody.

Grey Peacock-pheasant Polyplectron bicalcaratum (H): Heard distantly in Cuc Phuong National Park while we were watching Eared Pittas in the cold and misty forest.

Germain’s Peacock-pheasant Polyplectron germaini: This one is much more difficult to see nowadays then it was 15 years ago when they were frequently seen even on the jeep track at Cat Tien National Park. This year however we had two very good sightings of this shy forest-dweller and all of us got to see it! This near-endemic is classified as Near-threatened by Birdlife International.

Green Peafowl Pavo muticus: Several fantastic views of both stunning males and some shorter tailed females in grassy area at Cat Tien National Park. This species has a rapidly declining population throughout its shrinking and severely fragmented range and hence it qualifies as Endangered by Birdlife International.

ANATIDAE Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata: We saw a party of five birds – one drake and four females – at Ba

Be National Park in the north. This is a very rare bird in Southeast Asia and a vagrant to Vietnam with the last confirmed report dates back to 1967. It was certainly a write-in for this long established tour!


Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula: An immature male was seen at Ba Be National Park in the north. This is another scarce winter visitor to the country.

PODICIPEDIDAE Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis: Small numbers at Tuyen Lam, Phong-Nha Ke-Bang National Park,

the Red River Islands, Van Long Marsh, Tan Da Spa Resort, and Ba Be National Park. CICONIIDAE Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus: It was a very poor year for waterbirds at Cat Tien National

Park and this species was no exception with a singleton seen in a roadside pool. ARDEIDAE Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis (NL): One was flushed by the local workers at C6 in Cat Tien

National Park. Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax: Two were seen on our drive back from Phong

Nha to Dong Ha. White-eared Night-Heron Gorsachius magnificus: We saw an adult pair by their nest at Ba Be NP in

Bac Kan Province on two occasions. We also had four more birds at the very same spot in flight at dusk. This was amongst the tour highlight and not only a write-in for our checklist but also a Birdquest lifer! This species has a very patchy distribution in China and just has been found breeding in Vietnam in 2009. The estimated number of breeding birds in Ba Be NP is a mere 3-4 pairs and the whole World population is believed to be a maximum 1000 mature individuals. This species took the second place of the overall ‘bird of the tour contest’ with five nominations. This very rare heron is classified as Endangered by Birdlife International.

Chinese Pond-heron Ardeola bacchus: Common throughout - one of the most frequently recorded species.

Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus: This recent split was seen in suitable habitat throughout. A very impressive gathering of several thousand birds was seen at Van Long Marsh. Formerly, this form was lumped in Western Cattle Egret B. ibis using the name Cattle Egret for the enlarged species.

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea: Three on the way from Lang Co to Dong Ha and about 70 at Van Long Marsh.

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea: About eight were seen by all of us at Cat Tien NP and another at Van Long Marsh by some.

Great Egret (Great White E) Ardea alba: Several sightings but again the highest concentration was at least 50 plus at Van Long Marsh.

Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia: One at Cat Tien NP, and several in the north. Little Egret Egretta garzetta: Common throughout the tour. PHALACROCORACIDAE Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger: Three were seen at C6 in Cat Tien NP. FALCONIDAE Common Kestrel (Eurasian K) Falco tinnunculus: The first two were seen on our drive from Da Lat to

Di Linh and later singleton at the Vuzia River and two at Van Long Nature Reserve. Oriental Hobby Falco severus: A displaying pair was seen very well at Tuyen Lam in the south. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus: We had three sightings of wintering birds at Dong Ha, Van Long

Nature Reserve and near Hanoi. ACCIPITRIDAE Osprey Pandion haliaetus: A total of six sightings on the tour. Jerdon’s Baza Aviceda jerdoni: A flyover bird was seen along the Dak Blo road near Lo Xo Pass.


Black Baza Aviceda leuphotes: A distant soaring bird at Cat Tien NP. Oriental Honey-buzzard (Crested H-B) Pernis ptilorhyncus: Just two birds were seen at Cat Tien NP

in the south. Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus: We had a total of six sightings of this open country raptor

throughout the tour. This Eurasian and African species is sometimes lumped with the Australian Black-shouldered Kite E. axillaris and the White-tailed Kite E. leucurus of North and South America which together form a superspecies under the name Black-shouldered Kite.

Black Kite Milvus migrans: One was seen from the bus by some of us in the outskirts of Phong Nha – Ke Bang NP.

Black-eared Kite Milvus lineatus: One was seen over the river from the balcony of our hotel at Phong Nha while having lunch.

Grey-headed Fish-eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus: Excellent scope views of two at C6 in Cat Tien NP.

Crested Serpent-eagle Spilornis cheela: Regular records throughout the tour. Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos: Fantastic views of a fine male on a Red River Island near Hanoi

for everybody and a female at the same site for some of us. Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus: A displaying pair at Deo Nui San, two at Cat Tien NP, one at

Dak Blo and a total of five birds at Cuc Phuong NP. The sightings at Cuc Phuong were superb with a male displaying right in front of us!

Shikra Accipiter badius: Just two sightings in Cat Tien NP. Besra Accipiter virgatus: A singleton of this rather shy forest raptor was seen by some of us at Deo

Nui San as it was trying to catch some bulbuls on a fruiting tree. This is the affinis race here.

Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus: Three sightings this year. Fly over birds were seen at Tuyen Lam and at Bach Ma NP. Our best views however were obtained at Cat Tien NP where one was showing well in flight and also perched.

Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis: Several sightings of this well-fingered under-canopy specialist in the southern and central highlands. Our best views were at Ta Nung and at Dak Blo.

Rufous-bellied Eagle Hieraaetus kienerii: We had very nice flight views of one circling at Dak Blo. Mountain Hawk-eagle Nisaetus nipalensis: Very good year with four different sightings! The first one

was seen flying overhead at Ta Nung Valley, a hunting bird at Phong Nha-Ke Bang, and one perched at Bong, in Cuc Phuong NP.

RALLIDAE White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus: One was seen at the Vuzia River on our way to

Kham Duc followed by a few at the Red River island and also at Van Long Marsh. Brown-cheeked Rail Rallus indicus: An excellent find by Kevin at Van Long Marsh where one of this

rather scarce wintering bird was seen very well by all of us! This species is a recent split from the Water Rail R. aquaticus and was a write-in for the Vietnam Birdquest tour.

White-browed Crake Porzana cinerea: We had a total of six birds at Van Long Marsh. Black-backed Swamphen (Purple S) Porphyrio indicus: We had three sightings of 14 birds in total.

Our best views were on a roadside stop on the way back from Phong Nha and at Van Long Marsh. This is the viridis race of the ‘indicus group’.

Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus: Regularly seen in the north with up to 15 at Van Long Marsh.

Common Coot Fulica atra: We struggled for two at Van Long Marsh. They are getting more and more rare as they are eaten as a delicacy like most wintering water birds!

TURNICIDAE Barred Buttonquail Turnix suscitator (NL): A singleton was flushed by Jürgen on the Red River island

but nobody else got to see it.


VANELLIDAE River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii: It was a nice surprise to see three birds on the sand bars of the

Vuzia River on our way to Kham Duc in Central Vietnam. This is a rather scarce winter visitor to the country and was a write-in for this long established Birdquest tour!

Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus: A total of five was seen on the river by the west gate at Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP at the very same spot (rock) as last year! We also saw three birds in Cuc Phuong NP.

Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus: Several sightings at Cat Tien NP in the south and a singleton with the previous species at Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP.

CHARADRIIDAE Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius: Six were seen on the sand bars of the Vuzia River on our way

to Kham Duc in Central Vietnam and three more at the Red River island near Hanoi. Swinhoe’s Plover (White-faced P) Charadrius dealbatus: Two were seen on the beach at Lang Co

Beach Resort. This species is considered to be a race of Kentish Plover. JACANIDAE Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus: The first two were seen on a roadside stop from

Phong Nha to Dong Hoi, two more at the Red River island near Hanoi and at least 10 at Van Long Marsh. They were all in non-breeding plumage.

SCOLOPACIDAE Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura: Just three were seen near the Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP on the paddy

fields. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos: The first one was seen by Jürgen at Tuyen Lam, Later we had

a few at the Vuzia River sand banks and also on the Red River island and Ba Be lake. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus: Singletons were seen on our drives to and back from Phong Nha

and two more on the Red River island near Hanoi. Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia: Just a single bird on the sand banks of the Vuzia River. COLUMBIDAE Rock Pigeon (R Dove) Columba livia: Common near human habitation throughout. Red Collared-dove Streptopelia tranquebarica: It was commonly seen at Cat Tien especially near the

rice fields on the edge of the park where up to 400 were counted. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis: Regularly seen throughout the tour. Barred Cuckoo-dove Macropygia unchall: Just a few sightings in the southern highlands. We had two

fly by birds at Ta Nung on two different occasions and one was seen at Deo Nui San. Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica: A few individuals were seen at Cat Tien and Cuc Phuong NP’s. Orange-breasted Green-pigeon Torreon bicincta: A large flock of 50 birds was seen in the grassy

area of Cat Tien NP. Ashy-headed Green-pigeon Treron phayrei: We had several very good views at Cat Tien NP in the

south. This was formerly Pompadour Green-pigeon T. pompadora, but Rasmussen & Anderton (2005) have carved the former species into at least four, with three endemic to the Indian subcontinent and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Thick-billed Green-pigeon Treron curvirostra: It was fairly common at Ta Nung Valley this year but we also saw a few at Cat Tien NP and heard it at Phong Nha.

Yellow-vented Green-pigeon Treron seimundi: Six were seen at Ta Nung and two more at Deo Nui San. This is the Indochinese race modestus.

Wedge-tailed Green-pigeon Treron sphenura: We had great views of a pair at Tuyen Lam and one at Deo Nui San. This is the South Indochinese race delacouri.

Green Imperial-pigeon Ducula aenea: Good numbers again this year at Cat Tien NP, with over 35 seen. The numbers of this large pigeons are increasing again after being poached heavily in during the park’s early years.


Mountain Imperial-pigeon Ducula badia: Frequently recorded in the Southern and Central Highlands.

PSITTACIDAE Vernal Hanging-parrot Loriculus vernalis: First encounters were at Deo Nui San and later it was

common at Cat Tien NP where we had great views of perched individuals. Red-breasted Parakeet Psittacula alexandri: Common at Cat Tien NP, particularly in afternoon flights

on the outskirts of the park. CUCULIDAE Chestnut-winged Cuckoo Clamator coromandus: This very handsome cuckoo was seen at Deo Nui

San as it was quietly foraging in the roadside bushes. Large Hawk-cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides: A juvenile bird was seen at Cat Tien NP. Banded Bay Cuckoo Cacomantis sonneratii: One was seen at Ta Nung Valley fairly early on the tour

so we did not look for it later but heard it regularly. Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinus: Scattered throughout, but the only one seen was a male at

the Vuzia River on our way to Kham Duc. Violet Cuckoo Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus: Regularly heard and finally a nice male was seen at

Cat Tien NP. Square-tailed Drongo Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris: One was seen at C6 in Cat Tien NP and others

heard at Bach Ma NP. Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus (H): One was calling on the southwest edge of Cat Tien NP. Green-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus tristis: Commonly seen throughout the tour. Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis: Regularly recorded throughout the tour. Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis: The first one was seen at Ta Nung Valley in its preferred

grassy habitat and later several more were seen at Cat Tien National Park. STRIGIFORMES Mountain Scops-owl Otus spilocephalus (H): It must have been the unusually cold weather but we

only heard a distant individual at Cuc Phuong NP and not a sniff anywhere else. Collared Scops-owl Otus lettia: Fleeting views in the bus headlights at Cuc Phuong and Ba Be NP’s.

It was regularly heard at Cat Tien NP but did not want to play. Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodiei (H): A commonly heard species but despite spending

considerable time looking for it we could not see one! Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides: Scope views of one at Cat Tien NP and heard it at Cuc

Phuong and Ba Be NP’s. Brown Boobook (B Hawk Owl) Ninox scutulata (H): It was heard at Cat Tien NP but did not show. PODARGIDAE Hodgson’s Frogmouth Batrachostomus hodgsoni (H): Four birds were heard at Mount Lang Bian and

although one called very close to us, it just wouldn’t call long enough. Another was heard at Deo Nui San distantly but we were out of luck with this species.

Blyth’s Frogmouth Batrachostomus affinis: Absolutely superb ‘walk-away’ views of this one at Cat Tien NP this year. This bird achieved the third place of the overall ‘bird of the tour contest’ with four nominations.

CAPRIMULGIDAE Great Eared-nightjar Eurostopodus macrotis: This harrier-like night bird was usually out and about

well before dusk allowing several great views at Cat Tien NP. Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus jotaka: One flew over us at dusk, at Ta Nung Valley but we also had a

few at Mount Lang Bian and one at Deo Nui San.


Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus: Great looks at this one at several occasions. First we had one briefly at Mount Lang Bian, then a few at Deo Nui San and it was common at Cat Tien NP.

APODIDAE Himalayan Swiftlet Aerodramus brevirostris: About ten were seen around Bao Loc on our first day

while travelling towards Da Lat. Germain’s Swiftlet Aerodramus germani: A few were seen at Cat Tien NP and later at Lang Co and

on our travel to Ba Be as well. Silver-backed Needletail Hirundapus cochinchinensis: It was fairly common at Cat Tien this year and

we had some fantastic low flying birds before the afternoon storms! We found out that the ID was the easiest from images.

Brown-backed Needletail Hirundapus giganteus: About five birds were circling over the shrine on the top of Mount Ba Vi. They were making big circles and allowed great views when flying against the strong wind!

Asian Palm-swift Cypsiurus balasiensis: It was fairly common at Cat Tien NP in the south but we also had a few at Bach Ma, Phong Nha and on our way to Ba Be NP.

Cook’s Swift Apus cooki: It was commonly seen at Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP. This resident limestone loving form has just been recently re-split from the Fork-tailed Swift complex (accepted by IOC).

House Swift Apus nipalensis: Scattered sightings of this widespread swift. TROGONIDAE Orange-breasted Trogon Harpactes oreskios: We had two encounters with this handsome bird in Cat

Tien NP. Red-headed Trogon Harpactes erythrocephalus: Many sightings of this stunner this year! The first

was seen at Deo Nui San but later many more sightings at Cuc Phuong, Mount Ba Vi and Tam Dao.

CORACIIDAE Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis: Common encountered in the open areas at Cat Tien NP. Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis: Just a single one was seen at Cat Tien NP. ALCEDINIDAE Banded Kingfisher Lacedo pulchella: We all had wonderful views of a nice pair at Cat Tien NP, and

several others were heard. White-throated Kingfisher (W-breasted K) Halcyon smyrnensis: Regular sightings throughout the tour. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis: A common winter visitor and it was particularly numerous in the

north. We saw up to 15 at Van Long Nature Reserve. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis: Just one this year as we were entering Cat Tien NP. MEROPIDAE Blue-bearded Bee-eater Nyctyornis athertoni: Three sightings of this handsome, large bee-eater in

Cat Tien NP. Little Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis: About 15 birds of the resident ferrugeiceps race were seen

at the Vuzia River where they were breeding in the sand banks. Two more were seen at the Dak Blo road as well.

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaulti: Common along the river at Cat Tien NP. We also had a few at the Vuzia River on our way to Kham Duc.

BUCEROTIDAE Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris: Daily sightings of this common and noisy species at

Cat Tien NP.


Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis: A flock of seven were seen flying low overhead at Cat Tien NP. This large bird now classified as Near-Threatened by Birdlife as its population is declining throughout its range.

MEGALAIMIDAE Red-vented Barbet Megalaima lagrandieri: A few were seen at Ta Nung Valley and Deo Nui San. This

large bird is a regional endemic. Lineated Barbet Megalaima lineate (H): I am not sure why this common bird was not seen but it was

heard continuously in Cat Tien NP. We must have been looking more to the forest floor than into the top of trees?

Green-eared Barbet Megalaima faiostricta: Several good looks at Cat Tien and Cuc Phuong National Parks.

Golden-throated Barbet Megalaima franklinii: The distinctive violet-eared auricularis race was seen very well in the southern highlands. It was especially numerous at Mount Lang Bian.

Indochinese Barbet (Annam B) Megalaima annamensis: This common bird was regularly seen around Da Lat and at Deo Nui San. It’s a recent split from the Black-browed Barbet complex (accepted by IOC).

Blue-eared Barbet Megalaima australis: At least two were seen through the scope at Cat Tien National Park.

Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala (NL): Heard several times in Cat Tien National Park but seen only once by Terry.

PICIDAE Speckled Piculet Picumnus innominatus (NL): Yet another non-leader bird by Terry but this time at

Deo Nui San. We were motionless while watching the Orange-breasted Laughingthrush and were unable to look for this tiny woodpecker.

White-browed Piculet Sasia ochracea: This neat little orange blob with an eyebrow was seen a few times at Cat Tien and Cuc Phuong NP’s and even at Tam Dao! It was a much wanted bird for most people and a new one even for Jürgen (the 201st woodpecker on his list)!

Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos canicapillus: The first was seen at Tuyen lam and then small numbers at scattered locations. Those at Cuc Phuong National Park were of the distinctive northern race kaleensis.

White-bellied Woodpecker Dryocopus javensis: We only managed flight views at Cat Tien National Park this year.

Greater Yellownape Picus flavinucha: Just a few of the resident archon subspecies were seen at Deo Nui San and Cuc Phuong National Park.

Lesser Yellownape Picus chlorolophus: Good prolonged looks of the Southern Indochinese annamensis race at Cat Tien NP and several more of the citrinocristatus race at Cuc Phuong NP.

Laced Woodpecker Picus vittatus: Regularly heard at Cat Tien National Park but only three sightings. Common Flameback Dinopium javanense: A single was seen by some of us at Cat Tien National

Park. Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus: Regularly heard and seen at Cat Tien National park and

also seen fleetingly at Cuc Phuong NP. Pale-headed Woodpecker Gecinulus grantia: This elusive species gave us a hard time but we

managed some kind of a view at Cat Tien NP! This was Jürgen’s 200th woodpecker! Bay Woodpecker Blythipicus pyrrhotis: We heard this ‘nervous’ woodpecker throughout the tour but

our best views were at Mount Lang Bian. Black-and-buff Woodpecker Meiglyptes jugularis: Two birds were seen by some of us along the C6

trail at Cat Tien NP. They were moving fast in the canopy and not everybody was able to get on it.

Heart-spotted Woodpecker Hemicircus canente (LO): A pair was seen by János along the C6 trail but they quickly disappeared. Later we heard some more but no luck.


EURYLAIMIDAE Dusky Broadbill Corydon sumatranus: Fantastic views of this amazing bird at Cat Tien NP. We had

prolonged looks at three birds as they were collecting nest material! Long-tailed Broadbill Psarisomus dalhousiae: Small numbers of this striking species were found in the

southern and central highlands plus we also heard it at Cuc Phuong National Park. The best views were at Deo Nui San.

Silver-breasted Broadbill Serilophus lunatus: We first saw a flock of 12 birds at Deo Nui San and then we encountered a group of seven birds at Mount Ba Vi.

Black-and-red Broadbill Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos: Really good views of a pair at Cat Tien NP. Banded Broadbill Eurylaimus javanicus: Three were seen and others heard at Cat Tien National Park.

This fine looking bird even made it into Kevin’s top five birds! PITTIDAE Blue Pitta Pitta cyanea: A male of the Southern Indochinese willoughbyi race was seen briefly by

Jürgen at Tuyen Lam and several heard at Deo Nui San but no luck for others. Rusty-naped Pitta Pitta oatesi (H): A single bird was heard calling at Deo Nui San but did not want to

play. Blue-rumped Pitta Pitta soror: We were very lucky to get superb looks at this shy and difficult-to-see

pitta both at Cat Tien National Park (male) and at Mount Ba Vi (female) this year. It was the nominate soror in Cat Tien and the petersi race at Ba Vi.

Blue-naped Pitta Pitta nipalensis (H): One adult male was seen by our local guide Hung as we were walking back on the jeep track at Tam Dao. All of us passed it as it was standing just half meters away in the roadside scrub by a steep bank. Hung was last in the queue and the bird lost its nerves and flew across the jeep track. We were back next day but we only heard it singing at dawn.

Bar-bellied Pitta Pitta ellioti: Our first experience was a fine male at Cat Tien National Park for everybody. But in Cuc Phuong National Park we all had a stunning male out in the open by the roadside for several minutes. Even the blue belly-patch was very visible! It took the second place of the overall ‘bird of the tour contest’ with four nominations (being the best bird for two people).

Eared Pitta Anthocincla phayrei: Another tour highlight was seeing a foraging pair at Cuc Phuong NP. Although the weather was not cooperative with mist and fog, we still managed pretty good views although at some point we had to spotlight the bird (which might suggest the light conditions!). This is not an easy bird to get, and it is only the third time that it has been seen on the Birdquest Vietnam tour.

VIREONIDAE Blyth’s Shrike-babbler Pteruthius aeralatus: Subspecies ricketti was seen at Tam Dao through the fog.

This is the most widespread form in the reformed ‘White-browed’ Shrike-babbler, ranging from east Nepal to China and south to Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah. Recent genetic studies have clearly shown that shrike-babblers are vireos, and not remotely related to babblers. Other studies (summarized in Rheindt & Eaton 2009: Species limits in Pteruthius (Aves: Corvida) shrike-babblers: a comparison between the Biological and Phylogenetic Species Concepts) have clearly demonstrated the need to split-up of the former White-browed Shrike-babbler P. flaviscapis.

Dalat Shrike-babbler (Annam S-b) Pteruthius annamensis: It was fairly common in the Southern Highlands.

Clicking Shrike-babbler Pteruthius intermedius: A total of four were seen including some fine males at Mount Lang Bian and Ta Nung Valley. These were endemic indochinensis race. This species is a recent split from Chestnut-fronted Shrike-babbler P. aenobarbus.

White-bellied Erpornis Erpornis zantholeuca: Regularly seen throughout the tour, but particularly in the centre and north of the country. We saw the distinctly dark tyrannula race in the north,


and southern Indochinese sordida race in the south. Formerly called White-bellied Yuhina, it has recently been demonstrated that it is not a yuhina, or even a babbler, being related instead to vireos.

CAMPEPHAGIDAE Large Cuckooshrike Coracina macei (NL): We heard it calling at Tuyen Lam while we were looking

for Blue Pitta and later Jürgen saw one at Lo Xo Pass. Indochinese Cuckooshrike Coracina polioptera: Just a few were seen this year in the mixed bird

parties at Deo Nui San. Black-winged Cuckooshrike Coracina melaschistos: Two were seen at the Dak Blo road by half of the

group and then two at Cuc Phuong. Swinhoe’s Minivet Pericrocotus cantonensis: We saw several at Deo Nui San on our first afternoon

there and a few at Cat Tien NP. Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus: Two were seen in cultivated areas by Bach Ma NP and

another two at Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP. Grey-chinned Minivet Pericrocotus solaris: A few were seen at Mount Lang Bian and on the Dak Blo

road. This is the endemic deignani race of the Southern and Central Highlands. Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus: This distinctive local annamensis race was frequently

seen in or near the pine forests of the Southern Highlands. Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus speciosus: We had scattered sightings throughout the tour but it was

particularly numerous at Cuc Phuong NP this year. Note the name change, following the separation of the nominate race in the Indian Subcontinent.

ORIOLIDAE Slender-billed Oriole Oriolus tenuirostris: We had excellent views in the pine forest at Tuyen Lam.

This is the endemic South Vietnamese invisus race. Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis: We only had two sightings at Cat Tien NP, mainly on

flowering Bombax trees. Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus: Almost daily sightings at Cat Tien NP. Maroon Oriole Oriolus traillii: Locally common in the Southern and Central Highlands, particularly

at Deo Nui San and Lo Xo Pass; two at Cuc Phuong NP. ARTAMIDAE Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus: Regularly encountered in small congregations in the south and

centre all the way to Lo Xo Pass. It was common in Cat Tien NP. GENERA INCERTAE SEDIS (in 2012) Large Woodshrike Tephrodornis gularis: Small numbers in the south and we had a flock of 30 at Cuc

Phuong NP in the north. The race in the south was mekongensis, while in the north we saw hainanus.

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus picatus: Regular sightings throughout the tour. AEGITHINIDAE Common Iora Aegithina tiphia: Just two were seen at Cat Tien NP on a fruiting tree by the reception. Great Iora Aegithina lafresnayei: Commonly found in bird-waves at Cat Tien NP and a couple at

Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Cuc Phuong NP’s. RHIPIDURIDAE White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis: Regular sightings of southern Indochinese cinerascens

race in the Southern Highlands and a few observations in the north. DICRURIDAE Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus: Scattered observations in open areas all along the tour.


Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus: The most widespread drongo species, which was very common in the south and centre. A single pale grey migrant salangensis was noted at Deo Nui San.

Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus: A few were seen at Ta Nung Valley, Cat Tien and Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP’s.

Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus remifer: Small numbers in the Southern Highlands and two at the Dak Blo road in the centre.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus: Regular sightings at lowland forest sites, and particularly common at Cat Tien. Bigger, with a larger crest in the north.

Hair-crested Drongo (Spangled D) Dicrurus hottentottus: A good number around flowering Bombax trees at Cat Tien NP.

MONARCHIDAE Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea: Frequently recorded, mainly in the lowlands. Asian Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone paradise (LO): Just a single sighting of one at Bach Ma NP

when we were taping Annam Partridge and János was away from group. CORVIDAE Southern Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos: Small numbers were seen throughout the tour,

mainly on the drives. Crows are rare in Vietnam, and presumably heavily persecuted. The old Large-billed Crow has now been carved-up into several species, following Rasmussen & Anderton (2005), Birds of South Asia. Although it is thought to be this taxon in Indochina, the situation is not 100% clear, and Eastern Jungle Crow C. levaillantii may occur.

Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius: Common in the southern highlands, and very conspicuous. This is the highly distinctive and very handsome black-capped leucotis race in the south.

Common Green Magpie Cissa chinensis: One was seen and a few others heard at Cuc Phuong NP. Indochinese Green Magpie Cissa hypoleuca: Usually a tricky bird to see well but this year we had

good looks of one at Ta Nung Valley. This should be the nominate race here in the south though it looked very much like the chauleti race in Central Annam with very yellow under part and back colouration.

Red-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha: We saw three of this very handsome corvid at Tam Dao NP’s.

White-winged Magpie Urocissa whiteheadi: This specialty was finally tracked down in Cuc Phuong NP.

Racket-tailed Treepie Crypsirina temia: A small number at Cat Tien NP and a singleton at Cuc Phuong NP.

Ratchet-tailed Treepie Temnurus temnurus: It was rather tricky this year. We had multiple encounters at several locations but best views were at Cuc Phuong NP.

LANIIDAE Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus: Regular sightings throughout, mainly along roadsides. It was much

more common in the north. In the garden of Lang Co we saw a fine male of the lucionensis race.

Burmese Shrike Lanius collurioides: Small numbers of the distinctive, dark endemic nigricapillus race was seen at Tuyen Lam in the Southern Highlands.

Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach: Commonly seen roadside bird especially in central Vietnam. Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus: A single bird at Cuc Phuong and one at Tam Dao. NECTARINIIDAE Van Hasselt’s Sunbird Leptocoma brasiliana: A singing male of this split from Purple-throated Sunbird

N. sperata was seen well at Cat Tien NP. Olive-backed Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis: A few were seen at Cat Tien NP and at Phong Nha-Ke Bang

NP.


Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja: A single male of the mangini race was seen at Cat Tien NP and then small numbers of tonkinensis race at Phong Nha, Ba Vi and Cuc Phuong.

Mrs Gould’s Sunbird Aethopyga gouldiae: Fantastic views of this stunning bird. It even made it into the top five birds for some! The south Indochinese annamensis race was common in the Southern and Central Highlands.

Black-throated Sunbird Aethopyga saturata: The distinctive red-breasted johnsi race, was found in small numbers in the Southern Highlands, while the more typical-looking ochra race was seen on the Dak Blo road.

Fork-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga christinae: A few sightings in the north at Cuc Phuong NP, Mount Ba Vi and Tam Dao.

Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Chalcoparia singalensis: Amazingly often heard but only seen once at Cat Tien NP.

Purple-naped Sunbird Hypogramma hypogrammicum (NL): Another one, which was heard but only seen by Jürgen at Cat Tien NP.

Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra: Typically fleeting sightings at Cat Tien NP. Streaked Spiderhunter Arachnothera magna: Regularly recorded throughout the tour. The endemic

remota race was encountered in the south. A fantastic bird if seen well! DICAEIDAE Thick-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum agile: Several great views of this active bird at Cat Tien NP. We

had our best views on a fruiting tree in the headquarter area. Yellow-vented Flowerpecker Dicaeum chrysorrheum: One was seen at Ta Nung Valley and later

several encountered around the headquarters area at Cat Tien National Park. Plain Flowerpecker Dicaeum concolor: Singletons in Hanoi and at Cuc Phuong NP. Fire-breasted Flowerpecker (Buff-bellied F) Dicaeum ignipectus: Small numbers of this widespread

species in montane areas, especially at Ta Nung Valley and Tam Dao. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum: Just a few at Cat Tien NP on the fruiting tree by

the headquarters where all other species were seen too! CHLOROPSEIDAE Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis: A few were seen in Cat Tien NP and two more at

Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP. Golden-fronted Leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons: Excellent views of several at Cat Tien NP, the best

looks of a pair at the ‘flowerpecker tree’. Orange-bellied Leafbird Chloropsis hardwickii: A fine male at Mount Lang Bian, and a pair on a

flowering Bombax tree at Lo Xo Pass. The subspecies in central and north Vietnam is melliana, with the green-bellied female. The taxon in the south has not been described, but females there are also green-bellied.

IRENIDAE Asian Fairy-bluebird Irena puella: Scattered sightings, particularly at Ta Nung Valley and Cat Tien

NP. ESTRILDIDAE White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata: We had most sightings this year at Ta Nung and Deo Nui

San. Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata: Quite a few at Tuyen Lam and at the Vuzia River on our

way to Kham Duc. PASSERIDAE Plain-backed Sparrow Passer flaveolus: This superb-looking bird was seen at some paddy fields near

Cat Tien NP. Eurasian Tree-sparrow Passer montanus: Frequently seen around habitation.


MOTACILLIDAE Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus: We saw about 250 on the Red River island near Hanoi. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni: Regular sightings of this common winterer from Siberia. Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus: Usually encountered whenever we birded open cultivation. Amur Wagtail Motacilla [alba] leucopsis: Common on the Red River Island near Hanoi and also one

on the drive to Ba Be NP. Swinhoe’s Wagtail Motacilla [alba] ocularis: About eight were seen on the Red River island near

Hanoi. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea: Many sightings of wintering cinerea. Manchurian Wagtail Motacilla [flava] macronyx: About 15 were seen on the Red River island near

Hanoi. Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola: Around six on the Red River island near Hanoi for the second

consecutive year. FRINGILLIDAE Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra: Great views again this year, with a single male at Tuyen Lam and

excellent close-ups at Mount Lang Bian. With the nearest crossbill populations in North Myanmar, this large meridionalis race must be one of the most isolated in the world, and a good bet for a future split.

Grey-capped Greenfinch Chloris sinica: It was rather elusive at Lang Co Beach Resort but we had good scope views of one after spotting its nest with three downy chicks on the top of a Casuarina tree.

Vietnamese Greenfinch Chloris monguilloti: A very poor year for this species as we only saw a pair at Tuyen Lam. At least we had great views of this only sighting.

CERTHIIDAE Hume’s Treecreeper (Manipur T) Certhia manipurensis: We managed to see two of this scarce

species at Mount Lang Bian. This is the endemic meridionalis race in the Southern highlands. This species used to be lumped in Brown-throated Treecreeper.

SITTIDAE Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis: Amazingly we only had a single sighting of one at Deo Nui

San. Chestnut-vented Nuthatch Sitta nagaensis: Frequently seen in the pine forests of the Da Lat Plateau. It

is the isolated grisiventris race here. STURNIDAE Crested Myna Acridotheres cristatellus: Two were seen by János on the way from Phong Nha to

Dong Ha and then two at the very end of the tour just outside Ba Be NP. White-vented Myna Acridotheres grandis: We all had good views of nine birds in cultivation around

Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis: Two sightings of this Vietnamese scarcity this year. Five were

seen at Lang Co on the cost and two more on the way from Phong Nha to Dong Ha. Vinous-breasted Myna Acridotheres burmannicus: This most attractive starling was first seen at

Tuyen Lam and then at least ten at Cat Tien NP. Black-collared Starling Gracupica nigricollis: Several were seen at Tuyen Lam and Cat Tien NP. White-shouldered Starling Sturnus sinensis: First we had about 15 on a flowering Bombax tree at the

Vuzia River and then about 12 in the garden at Lang Co Beach Resort and a singleton around Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP.

Golden-crested Myna Ampeliceps coronatus: A rather poor year with only four birds seen at Cat Tien NP. Somehow this attractive species seems less and less numerous at this location. At least we had ‘walk-away’ views of these four!


Common Hill-myna Gracula religiosa: We saw a pair at Cat Tien NP on our first afternoon on a flowering Bombax tree.

TURDIDAE Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrina: We had many excellent views of the aurimacula race at Cuc

Phuong NP, allowing prolonged looks for all of us. White’s Thrush Zoothera aurea (LO): One was seen by János at Mount Ba Vi. This, the migrant

Siberian form, is now considered distinct from the mainly sedentary forms in the region (Scaly or Small-billed Scaly Thrush Z. dauma).

Chinese Blackbird (Mandarin B) Turdus mandarinus: Scattered sightings from Central Vietnam northward. The first birds were seen on our way to Kham Duc. A split from Eurasian or Common Blackbird T. merula, following Rasmussen & Anderton (2005) Birds of South Asia.

Grey-backed Thrush Turdus hortulorum: Just n immature was seen on our ‘thrush ride’ at Cuc Phuong NP.

Japanese Thrush Turdus cardis: We had as many as 25 in a day at Cuc Phuong NP and others seen at Mount Ba Vi as well.

Green Cochoa Cochoa viridis (H): Frustratingly we only heard one calling at Deo Nui San but it was not responding.

MUSCICAPIDAE Lesser Shortwing Brachypteryx leucophrys: Commonly heard singing in the southern and central

highland sites and the endemic langbianensis race was also seen at Mount Lang Bian. Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope: Several heard in the north and it was seen at Lang Co and at

Cuc Phuong NP by some of us. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica: We had excellent views of at least two on the Red River island near

Hanoi. Siberian Blue Robin Luscinia cyane: At least six sightings on the tour from Tuyen Lam to Cat Tien NP. Rufous-tailed Robin Luscinia sibilans: One was seen at Bach Ma by János and then two were seen at

Cuc Phuong NP - for those that managed to get onto them! White-tailed Robin Myiomela leucura: Fantastic views of a female at Mount Ba Vi and a male for

some of us at Tam Dao NP. Plumbeous Water-redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosa: Two males and a female were seen at the large

waterfall at Lo Xo Pass. White-throated Rock Thrush Monticola gularis: Four different birds were seen this year. We had

single males at Ta Nung Valley and Deo Nui San and a female at Cat Tien NP. It is rather scarce bird at the latter site!

Blue Rock-thrush Monticola solitarius: A male of the philippensis race was seen Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP and it obliged in the scope.

Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea: We had about 14 on our first day birding at Tuyen Lam and then a few more at Cuc Phuong NP.

Eastern Stonechat (Siberian S) Saxicola maurus: Scattered sightings of this recently split winter visitor. It was numerous at Cat Tien NP and also in the north.

Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata: At least four in grassland and cultivation at Cat Tien NP. Northern Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus: We saw about four female/first winter type birds at

Mount Ba Vi. Slaty-backed Forktail Enicurus schistaceus: Excellent views on the stream at Ta Nung Valley and then

at Deo Nui San as well. Some of us also had one at the Dak Blo road. Blue Whistling-thrush Myophonus caeruleus: Two of the black-billed nominate race was seen at

Mount Ba Vi. Hainan Blue Flycatcher Cyornis hainanus: Several sightings at Cat Tien National Park. Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher Cyornis tickelliae: A few were seen at Cat Tien NP and also had a fine male

at Bach Ma NP.


Blue-throated Flycatcher Cyornis rubeculoides: We eventually had good views of a single male at Deo Nui San. This was the very distinctive subspecies klossi, which is endemic to S Laos and southern Vietnam.

White-tailed Flycatcher Cyornis concretus: We had excellent views of two different males at Cuc Phuong NP. An excellent mimic and gave us a nice selection of local songs.

Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassinus: Occasional sightings throughout. A tricky immature was seen at Cuc Phuong very low down on a fruiting bush but the scaly under tail gave it away.

Fujian Niltava Niltava davidi: A female was seen by Jürgen at Cuc Phuong NP and then a female and male was seen at Tam Dao NP.

Large Niltava Niltava grandis: A few in the Southern Highlands. Small Niltava Niltava macgrigoriae: Common along the Dak Blo Road where we had at least five

different males. Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki: Commonly seen in the Southern highlands. White-gorgeted Flycatcher Ficedula monileger: A singing male was seen at Tam Dao NP in thick

bamboo forest. Rufous-browed Flycatcher Ficedula solitaris: Some of us got onto one singing from rather dense

understorey at Ta Nung Valley. Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni: The subspecies langbianis, of South Laos and South

Annam, was seen in the Southern Highlands. Taiga Flycatcher (Red-throated F) Ficedula albicilla: A poor year, with only a single one seen at Ta

Nung Valley. Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher Muscicapa strophiata: A single male was seen at Mount Ba Vi by some of

us but it disappeared without a trace! Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica: A few at Cat Tien NP, and one at Lang Co Beach

Resort. Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis: Regular sightings, but more so in the north. White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus: Common at lowland sites. It has a very nice song! PARIDAE Japanese Tit Parus minor: Small numbers of commixtus from Lang Co northwards; a recent split from

Great Tit P. major. Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus: Quite common in the pine forests of the Southern Highlands.

This is the distinctive endemic legendrei race, with much black below. Yellow-cheeked Tit Parus spilonotus: We saw about six birds at Mount Lang Bian and three at the

Dak Blo road. These were all the South Indochinese basileus race. Sultan Tit Melanochlora sultanea: This stunner was seen well at Phong Nha-Ke Bang, Cuc Phuong

and Tam Dao NP’s. These were all the sultanea race. STENOSTIRIDAE Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher (Grey-h F) Culicicapa ceylonensis: Regularly seen throughout. ALAUDIDAE Indochinese Bushlark Mirafra erythrocephala: A single displaying bird was seen well on the outskirts

of Cat Tien NP. PYCNONOTIDAE Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus flaviventris: Regular sightings. In the south, we saw the johnsi race,

of eastern Thailand and south Indochina, while in the north we saw the vantynei race. Stripe-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus finlaysoni: Occasional sightings at Cat Tien and Cuc Phuong NP’s. Flavescent Bulbul Pycnonotus flavescens: Common in the Southern Highlands, with the race

sordidus being endemic to S Laos and South Annam. We saw a few in the Central highlands as well where presumably the more widespread vividus race occurs.

Streak-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus blanfordi: Small numbers at Cat Tien NP.


Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus: Regularly recorded throughout the tour and we had the large dark hainanus race in the north.

Light-vented Bulbul (Chinese B) Pycnonotus sinensis: We had a singleton at the Vuzia River and up to 15 at Lang Co and they all appeared to be the hainanus race.

Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster: Common bulbul of disturbed areas. In the south we saw the germaini race with yellow under tail-coverts, while in the north they were the resurrectus race, with red under tail-coverts.

Grey-eyed Bulbul Iole propinqua: Just two sightings this year. In the south we saw the South Indochinese simulator race at Deo Nui San, while at Cuc Phuong NP they were the aquilornis race.

Puff-throated Bulbul Alophoixus pallidus: We saw several from Phong Nha-Ke Bang onwards. Ochraceous Bulbul Alophoixus ochraceus: Small numbers of endemic hallae race (which most

closely resembles Puff-throated) in the south at Deo Nui San and Cat Tien NP. Ashy Bulbul Hemixos flavala: A few were seen in the Southern Highlands. This was the remotus race,

which is endemic to S Laos and South Annam. Chestnut Bulbul Hemixos castanonotus: Despite the fog we saw two of these striking bulbuls at Tam

Dao National Park. The resident nominate race. Mountain Bulbul Ixos mcclellandii: Small numbers in the Southern Highlands were of the endemic

subspecies griseiventer. Himalayan Black Bulbul (Black B) Hypsipetes leucocephalus: Widespread in montane areas

throughout the tour. This was the resident concolor race. HIRUNDINIDAE Asian House Martin Delichon dasypus: We saw a flock of about 30 birds in a large hirundine flock

around the summit at Mount Lang Bian. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica: A very common and widespread winter visitor. Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica: The wintering japonica race was identified near Bao Loc and

at Cat Tien National Park. Several pale rumped swallows were either this or the next species at various locations without confirmed ID.

Striated Swallow Cecropis striolata: Small numbers were identified at Deo Nui San and at Cat Tien NP.

CETTIDAE Yellow-bellied Warbler Abroscopus superciliaris: A singleton was seen at Cat Tien NP and another

one on a roadside stop on our way to Ba Be NP. They were the Vietnamese euthymus race of this bamboo-loving warbler.

Mountain Tailorbird Phyllergates cucullatus: Small numbers of the coronatus race in montane areas from Mount Lang Bian to Tam Dao. DNA research has clearly shown that this species is not a tailorbird, not that this will come as any surprise to those who know the bird.

Brownish-flanked Bush-warbler Cettia fortipes: The davidiana race was seen very well at Cuc Phuong NP.

Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps: Two were heard at Cuc Phuong NP but refused to show itself but later we had fantastic views of one at Mount Ba Vi.

Grey-bellied Tesia Tesia cyaniventer: Several good views at Mount Lang Bian in the south and heard it at the Dak Blo road near Lo Xo Pass.

AEGITHALIDAE Grey-crowned Tit Aegithalos annamensis: Common in the Southern Highlands, and a singleton

along the Dak Blo road near Lo Xo Pass. This Indochinese endemic, was formerly lumped in Black-throated Tit A. concinnus.

PHYLLOSCOPIDAE


Bianchi’s Warbler Seicercus valentini: Frequently encountered at Cuc Phuong NP and also seen it at Mount Ba Vi and Tam Dao NP.

Grey-crowned Warbler Seicercus tephrocephalus: Just a single was seen at Tam Dao NP. White-spectacled Warbler Seicercus affinis: Two were seen on Mount Lang Bian. This is the endemic

ocularis race, which differs genetically and vocally from Himalayan birds, and will eventually be split-off.

Grey-cheeked Warbler Seicercus poliogenys: Small numbers in the Southern and Central Highlands, and also at Ba Vi NP. The populations in the south and centre of Vietnam have different vocalizations from Himalayan birds (Ba Vi), and are likely to be split in future.

Chestnut-crowned Warbler Seicercus castaniceps: A few in the Southern and Central Highlands. Limestone Warbler Phylloscopus calciatilis: Amazing views of this karst specialist at Phong Nha-Ke

Bang NP. This is a recent split from Sulphur-breasted Warbler P. ricketti. White-tailed Leaf-warbler Phylloscopus ogilviegranti: Endemic klossi was quite common in the

Southern and Central Highlands. A recent split from Phylloscopus davisoni, but retaining the common name. The latter is now Davison’s.

Blyth’s Leaf-warbler Phylloscopus reguloides: Two of the ticehursti race were seen at Deo Nui San and two of the assamensis race at Mount Ba Vi.

Pale-legged Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes: This rather elusive understorey-inhabiting warbler was commonly heard at Cat Tien NP where only a few of us managed to see it. Later we all had a few more at Bach Ma NP.

Two-barred Warbler Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus: Small numbers were seen at Cat Tien and Bach Ma NP’s.

Ashy-throated Warbler Phylloscopus maculipennis: Two were seen very well on Mount Lang Bian. Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus: The most frequently recorded warbler species on

the tour, and one of the most widespread birds in Vietnam in the winter. Pallas’s Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus: Just a few through the fog at Tam Dao. Radde’s Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi: Best views we had were at Ta Nung Valley where one was

feeding by the roadside. A few more scattered sightings later on the tour. Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus: The first two birds were seen at Bach Ma NP and then a few

more usually close to water. TIMALIIDAE Black-crowned Parrotbill Psittiparus margaritae: This attractive near-endemic parrotbill was only

seen on our first afternoon at Deo Nui San when two birds were tracked down in a mixed flock. A recent split from Grey-headed Parrotbill and it is considered Near Threatened by Birdlife International because of habitat loss!

Short-tailed Parrotbill Neosuthora davidianus: Excellent views of this hyper-active little bird on our last morning at Tam Dao NP.

Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus: Two were seen at Ta Nung Valley and a singleton at Deo Nui San.

Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonica: Quite common from Phong Nha northwards and our best views were at the red River island near Hanoi.

Black-chinned Yuhina Yuhina nigrimenta: We had excellent views of this neat bird at Tam Dao NP. Chestnut-collared Yuhina Yuhina torqueola: This recent split from Striated Yuhina Y. castaniceps was

seen at Tam Dao NP. David’s Fulvetta (Schaeffer’s F) Alcippe davidi: A very common bird at Tam Dao NP. A recent split

from Grey-cheeked Fulvetta A. fratercula. Mountain Fulvetta Alcippe peracensis: The Indochinese annamensis race was common in the

Southern Highlands and also seen in the Central Highlands. Black-browed Fulvetta Alcippe grotei: Small numbers were seen at Cuc Phuong NP. This distinctive

lowland species is a fairly recent split from Mountain Fulvetta. Rufous-throated Fulvetta Alcippe rufogularis: We had excellent views of this smart little babbler at

Cuc Phuong NP. This is the North Indochinese stevensi race here.


Sooty Babbler Stachyris herberti: We had excellent looks of this rock-climbing babbler at Phong Nha Ke-Bang NP. We had a total of 10 birds in two flocks. A limestone specialist that is restricted to this region of Vietnam, and adjacent Laos and certainly a very special bird!

Spot-necked Babbler Stachyris striolata: It was first heard often at Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP and but it was not until Tam Dao we managed to see the tonkinensis race. Finally we all had superb views in the bamboo forest.

Grey-throated Babbler Stachyris nigriceps: We had several sightings throughout the tour but never had a bird which showed fro all of us! We saw the endemic rileyi race at Deo Nui San in the Southern Highlands.

Large Scimitar-babbler Pomatorhinus hypoleucos (H): We got very close to a calling pair at Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP but they did not show.

White-browed Scimitar-babbler Pomatorhinus schisticeps: We saw the endemic annamensis race on Mount Lang Bian.

Streak-breasted Scimitar-babbler Pomatorhinus ruficollis: We saw about four and heard lots more Tam Dao NP.

Orange-billed Scimitar-babbler (Red-billed S B) Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps: Four of the alius race showed pretty well at Deo Nui San in the south and a singleton of the nominate was seen at Mount Ba Vi with the Collared Babbler flock.

Coral-billed Scimitar-babbler Pomatorhinus ferruginosus (H): Just heard at Mount Ba Vi. Pygmy Wren-babbler Pnoepyga pusilla (H): It was only heard in the Southern and Central Highlands. Golden Babbler Stachyridopsis chrysaea: The first two were seen at Lo Xo Pass and then it was

common at Tam Dao NP. Rufous-capped Babbler Stachyridopsis ruficeps: The endemic pagana race was seen in the Southern

Highlands, and it was also seen at Cuc Phuong NP in the north. Pin-striped Tit-babbler (Striped T B) Macronus gularis: Common throughout the tour. We had the

South Indochinese versuricola race at Cat Tien, and the lutescens race in the north. Grey-faced Tit-babbler Macronus kelleyi: Good showing of this Indochinese endemic at Cat Tien NP

this year. Chestnut-capped Babbler Timalia pileata: Excellent views of several birds at Cat Tien NP. Subspecies

was dictator, of eastern Thailand and south Indochina. Buff-breasted Babbler Pellorneum tickelli: Just two were seen at Mount Ba Vi. Puff-throated Babbler Pellorneum ruficeps (H): Frequently heard at Cat Tien and Cuc Phuong NP’s

but somehow eluded us. As the late Paul Coopmans used to say ‘we usually had a bigger fish to fry!’

Spot-throated Babbler Pellorneum albiventre: We had three different sightings but some of us had better views then others! A real skulker in its preferred roadside fern habitat and despite being very vocal usually not easy to see. We had some at Deo Nui San and at Lo Xo Pass.

Scaly-crowned Babbler Malacopteron cinereum: Small numbers of the indochinense race at Cat Tien NP.

Abbott’s Babbler Malacocincla abbotti: The nominate race was seen really well at Cat Tien NP. Limestone Wren-babbler Gypsophila crispifrons: Commonly heard and great views of three at Cuc

Phuong NP. This was the annamensis race and our views were so good that it even made John’s top five!

Indochinese Wren-babbler (Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler) Rimator danjoui: It was not easy to get it this year with Bach Ma NP being closed for visitors! Finally we had a calling pair along the Dak Blo road. Certainly one of the star birds of the Central Highlands. It is considered Near Threatened by Birdlife International.

Collared Babbler Gampsorhynchus torquatus: A party of three of the luciae race was seen at Mount Ba Vi. This is a recent split from White-hooded Babbler G. rufulus.

Black-crowned Fulvetta Pseudominla klossi: Surprisingly we only saw two on Mount Lang Bian. This is a recent split from Rufous-winged Fulvetta A. castaneceps. It is larger than the latter, shows a blackish base colour to the crown, lacks the rufous wing-panel and has mostly blackish wing-coverts.


Vietnamese Cutia Cutia legalleni: We had to work hard for this fabulous endemic this year. Finally a female was seen well at Deo Nui San. This is a recent split from Himalayan Cutia C. nipalensis. It is considered Near Threatened by Birdlife International.

Black-throated Laughingthrush Dryonastes chinensis (H): We only heard it distantly in Tam Dao NP on our last morning.

White-cheeked Laughingthrush Dryonastes vassali: Three sightings of the highly gregarious laughers in the south. First we saw it at Ta Nung Valley and then at Deo Nui San. It is an Indochinese endemic.

Grey Laughingthrush Dryonastes maesi (H): This year we only managed to hear it through the fog at Tam Dao NP.

Black-hooded Laughingthrush Dryonastes milleti: We had great views at Tuyen Lam first then brief looks at Deo Nui San. A very attractive Lao-Vietnamese endemic. It is considered Near Threatened by Birdlife International.

White-crested Laughingthrush Garrulax leucolophus: Commonly heard at Cat Tien where only some of us managed to get on a flock. Later all of us saw it at Bach Ma NP.

Masked Laughingthrush Garrulax perspicillatus: A few were seen in the garden at the Lang Co Beach Resort and at Bach Ma NP.

Orange-breasted Laughingthrush Stactocichla annamensis: It was heard in the Ta Nung Valley and after much effort we finally all had good looks at this shy endemic at Deo Nui San.

Collared Laughingthrush Trochalopteron yersini: This fantastic looking endemic gave us a hard time this year but finally we tracked down at least five at Mount Lang Bian. It is known from only eleven localities in South Vietnam, with recent records from eight of these. It is considered Endangered by Birdlife International.

Red-tailed Laughingthrush Trochalopteron milnei: Another superb-looking but shy laugher, which was seen in thick bamboo along the Dak Blo road.

Blue-winged Siva (B-w Minla) Siva cyanouroptera: Small numbers seen in the Southern Highlands were of the endemic orientalis race, which has no blue on the wings or head! Several real blue-winged birds of the wingatei race were seen near Lo Xo Pass.

Silver-eared Mesia Mesia argentauris: The first birds of the cunhaci race were seen at Tuyen Lam in the south. Later it was common around Lo Xo Pass and also seen at Mount Ba Vi. These were the ricketti race.

Grey-crowned Crocias Crocias langbianis: We all had brilliant views of at least six birds at Ta Nung Valley. This endemic bird has been rediscovered in 1994 after 55 years. Nowadays it is known from three sites and is likely to have a very small, declining range as a result of the destruction and degradation of its montane evergreen forest habitat. It is considered Endangered by Birdlife International.

Black-headed Sibia Malacias desgodinsi: Several were seen on Mount Lang Bian, at Ta Nung Valley and Deo Nui San. This is the robinsoni race with bold white eye ring and ear-covert streaking.

Rufous-backed Sibia Leioptila annectens: The dark-backed South Annam endemic eximia race was seen at Ta Nung Valley and Deo Nui San.

Black-crowned Barwing Actinodura sodangorum: This restricted range Lao-Vietnamese endemic was seen very well at Lo Xo Pass. The fantastic prolonged views of this recently discovered species resulted the first place of the overall ‘bird of the tour contest’ with six nominations (six out of nine people included it in the top five!). It is considered Vulnerable by Birdlife International.

ACROCEPHALIDAE Lanceolated Warbler Locustella lanceolata: A single sighting at Phon Nha-Ke Bang NP of this

widespread but skulking wintering species. Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis: A few were seen on a roadside stop close to Dong Ha and then

several more at the Red River island near Hanoi.


Dark-necked Tailorbird Orthotomus atrogularis: Quite common throughout tour. Those in the north may be of an undescribed race.

Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius: Those seen in the centre and north were subspecies longicauda, while one at Tuyen Lam was the inexpectatus race.

Rufescent Prinia Prinia rufescens: It was common at Cuc Phuong NP. Yellow-bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris: One of the delacouri race was seen at Cat Tien NP and then

a few of the sonitans race, with their buffy underparts, were seen at the Red River island near Hanoi.

Plain Prinia Prinia inornata: Scattered sightings of this widespread prinia. Brown Prinia Prinia polychroa: Just two were seen at Tuyen Lam in the south. Hill Prinia Prinia superciliaris: The South Indochinese klossi race was seen in the Southern and

Central Highlands. Note the scientific name change, after the departure of atrogularis (includes khasiana) of the Indian subcontinent and W Myanmar.

MAMMALS Black Giant Squirrel Ratufa bicolor: One was seen by some of us at Cuc Phuong NP. Pallas’s Squirrel (Belly-banded) Callosciurus erythraeus: Commonly seen. A very widespread and

variable species. The races included flavimanus with pale hands and feet in the south, and chestnut-bellied erythraeus in the north. This latter subspecies was seen at Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP both dead and alive (caught by local lady for dinner).

Maritime Striped Squirrel (Indochinese S S, Eastern S S) Tamiops maritimus: It was commonly seen in the Southern Highlands.

Indochinese Ground Squirrel (Berdmore’s S) Menetes berdmorei: Just a singleton was seen at Cat Tien NP.

Indian Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista philippensis: Great views of one at Ta Nung Valley at dusk as it was ‘flying’ from tree to tree.

Hatinh Leaf Monkey (H Langur) Trachypithecus hatinhensis: This rare primate was seen well near the West Gate at Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP.

Silvered Leaf Monkey (S Langur) Trachypithecus cristatus: We had great views of the koratensis race at Cat Tien NP and it was a write-in for the BQ Vietnam tour.

Red-shanked Douc Langur Pygathrix nemaeus: A group of eight were seen at Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP. It was through the fog first and then much better views an hour later. This fantastic looking primate was one of our best mammal experiences of the tour!

Black-shanked Douc Langur Pygathrix nigripes: Four of these rare south Indochinese endemic were seen at Cat Tien NP.

Long-tailed Macaque (Crab-eating M) Macaca fascicularis: Three were seen at Cat Tien NP. Northern Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca leonina: About seven were noted at Cat Tien NP. Stump-tailed Macaque Macaca arctoides: This big and ape-like monkey was seen at Cat Tien NP.

Later we found out that some individuals escaped a few years ago from the cage and we saw those.

Buff-cheeked Gibbon Nomascus gabriellae: Two were seen at Deo Nui San by most of us. The fantastic vocalisation was also heard at Cat Tien NP.

Indian Muntjac (Barking Deer) Muntiacus muntjak (H): One was heard at Cat Tien NP. Sambar Cervus unicolor: Two were seen at Cat Tien NP along the road through grassy habitat.


APPENDIX: overall results of the ‘Bird of the tour’ contest Species Points Nominations 1st Black-crowned Barwing 38 6 2nd White-eared Night-Heron 38 5 3rd Bar-bellied Pitta 32 4 4th Blyth’s Frogmouth 30 4 5th Orange-breasted Laughingthrush

Banded Kingfisher, Cat Tien National Park

Limestone Warbler, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (all images by János Oláh)

Dusky Broadbill, Cat Tien National Park (all images by János Oláh)

Black-and-red Broadbill, Cat Tien NP Banded Broadbill, Cat Tien

Blyth’s Frogmouth, Cat Tien NP Black-crowned Barwing, Lo Xo Pass

Red (Vietnamese) Crossbill, Mount Lang Bian (all images by János Oláh)

Indochinese Wren-Babbler, Dak Blo Road (all images by János Oláh)

Green Peafowl, Cat Tien NP Rufous-throated Fulvetta, Cuc Phuong NP

White-browed Piculet, Cat Tien NP Japanese Thrush, Cuc Phuong NP

Red-shanked Douc Langur, Phong Nha Bar-bellied Pitta male, Cat Tien NP

Sapria himalayana, Da Lat Jerdon’s Baza, Dak Blo Road

White-eared Night-Heron, Ba Be National Park (all images by János Oláh)

Asian Stubtail, Mount Ba Vi

Orange-fronted Leafbird, Cat Tien NP (all images by János Oláh)

Blue-winged Siva (orientalis race), Mount Lang Bian

Grey-crowned Crocias, Da Lat (all images by János Oláh)

Documents

VIETNAM REP 12 - Birdquest