Top birding spots in Vietnam include national parks, nature reserves and wetland reserves in southern Vietnam, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, in northern Vietnam and in the Central Coast of Vietnam.
Vietnam is a small country which experienced devastated wars for decades recently and for millennium during the course of its amazing history. Yet it is not much known that Vietnam is among the only few countries in the world that offer the richest diversities of wild species, be it floral or fauna, in the world.
An incomplete list includes more than 13,200 terrestrial plant species, more than 10,000 animal species, over 3,000 freshwater species, more than 11,000 marine species in the country's coastal waters. Some researchers have found that Vietnam has as many species of animals as in the famed destinations Kenya and Tanzania. Yet, it is again a small country and several hundreds new-to-science floral and fauna species have been discovered in Vietnam from after its reunification in 1975.
But Vietnam does have its own serious problems related to wildlife conservation: lack of funds, low awareness for wildlife protection among the local populations, poor local populations making a living from exploiting produce from the wild, erratic belief of making elixirs out of wildlife animals, brutal interests in hunting by the corrupt officers and officials who have powers...
But slow progress has been observed in the government enforcing tougher laws in practice and higher awareness in the general public for wildlife protection in recent years. In many places, local communities are engaged in wildlife protection which also brings incomes to the local households. Wildlife tourism has also contributed a great deal to wildlife conservation in Vietnam recently.
For birders, you should find it an amazing experience which may often surpass your expectations making a bird watching trip to Vietnam, provided you get the right birding guide with good knowledge of where and when to spot what bird species. AdventureGreen has quite a number of in-depth articles which you may find of interest and help related to birding in Vietnam. Below is a list of key birding sites in Vietnam that could be of help to your bird quest in the country.
Southern Vietnam
1/ Cat Tien National Park
Cat Tien National Park for lowland forest species in southern Vietnam. Cat Tien is among the best national parks in Vietnam for conservation of wild species. Cat Tien is no doubt the best place for birding and wildlife spotting in Vietnam.
Central Highlands of Vietnam
2/ Da Lat and Bidoup Nui Ba National Park
Bidoup Nui Ba National Park, Lam Dong
Da Lat and Bidoup Nui Ba National Park for species in mixed forest and pine forest on high altitudes. Da Lat and the surrounding area in the Lang Biang Plateau and Di Linh Plateau are Endemic Bird Area with high number of endemic bird species.
3/ Di Linh
Birdwatching in Di Linh Vietnam
Di Linh is on the Di Linh Plateau with amazing number of bird species.
4/ Yok Don National Park
The Yok Don National Park is on the Dak Lak Plateau, unique for its decidous forest. And the national park has a wide number of species in deciduous forest on high altitudes. The Serepok River around the national park, no doubt, contributes to a rich number of bird species here. The national park is right on the Cambodian border and this is part of the reasons that it is well protected.
Northern Vietnam
5/ Cuc Phuong National Park
6/ Van Long Nature Reserve
7/ Xuan Thuy National Park
8/ Ba Vi National Park
9/ Tam Dao National Park
10/ Sapa
11/ Mu Cang Chai
Central Coast of Vietnam
12/ Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
