Birds of Vietnam, Bird Species in Vietnam

Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh, Vietnam

Let's join AdventureGreen on our bird quests to learn about the different birds and bird species in Vietnam. Here you can find out more about the birding spots that these bird species are found.

Eurasian woodcock 
(Rẽ gà , Nhát bà, Scolopax rusticola)

The Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) is a medium-small wading bird found in temperate and subarctic Eurasia.


The term Charadriiformes comes from New Latin, combining the Greek word kharadrios ("a bird of river valleys" or "a bird of ravines") and the Latin suffix -formes meaning "forms" or "shaped like". Therefore, Charadriiformes translates to "birds shaped like or resembling the charadrius," which is a type of plover or stone curlew historically found in dry river beds or ravines. 

The word Scolopacidae is New Latin, derived from the genus name Scolopax (Latin for "snipe" or "woodcock") and the common zoological suffix for family names, -idae.
The genus name Scolopaxis Latin for a snipe or woodcock.
The specific epithet rusticola is derived from Latin and refers to a "country dweller" or "rural inhabitant", stemming from the Latin words rusticus (rural) and colere (to live or cultivate).

Eurasian coot 
also known as the common coot, or Australian coot
(Sâm cầm, Fulica atra)

The Eurasian coot (Fulica atra), also known as the common coot, or Australian coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. 

Gruiformes, Gruidae: from the Latin word grus meaning "crane".
Rallidae: from rallus new Latin for rail, an aquatic bird.
Fulica: Latin term for "coot".
atra: Latin ater black, dark, dull black 
niger: shining black.

Common moorhen
also known as the waterhen or swamp chicken, Eurasian Moorhen
(Gallinula chloropus)

The common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), also known as the eurasian moorhen, waterhen or swamp chicken, is a bird species in the rail family (Rallidae).


Rallidae: from rallus new Latin for rail, an aquatic bird.
Gallinula: Latin for "little hen or chicken".
The Greek chloropus: Chloris ("Khloris" or from "Khloros"), meaning "greenish-yellow," "pale green," "pale," or "fresh";
pous foot.

Western swamphen 
(Xít, Porphyrio porphyrio)

The western swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) is a species of swamphen in the rail family Rallidae, one of the six species once referred to as the purple swamphen. 

Gruiformes, Gruidae: from the Latin word grus meaning "crane".
Rallidae: from rallus new Latin for rail, an aquatic bird.
The genus name Porphyrio is the Latin name for "swamphen", meaning "purple".

Ruddy-breasted crake 
or ruddy crake
(Cuốc ngực nâu, Zapornia fusca)

The ruddy-breasted crake (Zapornia fusca), or ruddy crake, is a waterbird in the rail and crake family Rallidae.


Gruiformes, Gruidae: from the Latin word grus meaning "crane".
Rallidae: from rallus new Latin for rail, an aquatic bird.
The genus name Zapornia is an anagram of the genus Porzana which is from the specific name of a crake.
fusca: Latin fuscus brown.

White-breasted waterhen 
(Cuốc ngực trắng, Amaurornis phoenicurus)
The species name phoenicurus is from Ancient Greek phoinix, "red", and -ouros -"tailed".

The white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) is a waterbird of the rail and crake family, Rallidae, that is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia. 


Gruiformes, Gruidae: from the Latin word grus meaning "crane".
Rallidae: from rallus new Latin for rail, an aquatic bird.
Amaurornis: the Greek amauros, meaning "dusky" or "brown", and ornis, meaning "bird".

Slaty-breasted rail (Gà nước vằn, Lewinia striata) 

The slaty-breasted rail (Lewinia striata) is a rail species native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

Gruiformes, Gruidae: from the Latin word grus meaning "crane".
Rallidae: from rallus new Latin for rail, an aquatic bird.
striata: striated, striped.

Thick-Billed Green Pigeon 
(Cu xanh mỏ quặp, Treron curvirostra)

The thick-billed green pigeon is a species of bird in the family Columbidae.


Columbidae, Columba: Latin columba (“dove, pigeon”). Ancient Greek κόλυμβος (kólumbos, “a diver”), from κολυμβάω (kolumbáō, “dive, plunge headlong, swim”).
Pigeon is a French word that derives from the Latin pīpiō, for a "peeping" chick;
Dove is an ultimately Germanic word that refers to the bird's diving flight.
The genus name Treron is from the Ancient Greek trērōn meaning "pigeon" or "dove".
curvirostra is Latin for "curved bill".

The common emerald dove (Emerald Dove, Chalcophaps indica, Cu luồng), also called Asian emerald dove and grey-capped emerald dove, is a widespread resident breeding pigeon native to the tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

Red collared dove 
(Cu ngói, Streptopelia tranquebarica), also known as the red turtle dove

The red collared dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica), also known as the red turtle dove, is a small pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in the tropics of Asia.

Columba, Columbidae: Latin columba (“dove, pigeon”). Ancient Greek κόλυμβος (kólumbos, “a diver”), from κολυμβάω (kolumbáō, “dive, plunge headlong, swim”).
The genus name Streptopelia is from Ancient Greek: streptos meaning "collar" and peleia meaning "dove". 
The specific epithet is from the town Tranquebar, now Tharangambadi, on the Coromandel Coast in southern India.

Spotted dove (Cu gáy, Cu đất, Spilopelia chinensis)
Another name was Streptopelia chinensis.
Formerly included in the genus Streptopelia with other turtle-doves, but studies suggest that they differ from typical members of that genus. 

The spotted dove or eastern spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) is a small and long-tailed pigeon, a common resident across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in East and Southeast Asia.

Columba, Columbidae: Latin columba (“dove, pigeon”). Ancient Greek κόλυμβος (kólumbos, “a diver”), from κολυμβάω (kolumbáō, “dive, plunge headlong, swim”).
The name Spilopelia combines the Ancient Greek spilos meaning "spot" and peleia meaning "dove".

Oriental turtle dove or rufous turtle dove 
(Cu sen, Streptopelia orientalis)

The Oriental turtle dove or rufous turtle dove (Streptopelia orientalis) is a member of the bird family Columbidae.

The species has a wide native distribution range from Central Asia east across Asia to Japan.

Columba, Columbidae: Latin columba (“dove, pigeon”). Ancient Greek κόλυμβος (kólumbos, “a diver”), from κολυμβάω (kolumbáō, “dive, plunge headlong, swim”).
The genus name Streptopelia is from Ancient Greek: streptos meaning "collar" and peleia meaning "dove". 

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