Vietnam January 2011, Da Lat

After visiting Di Linh we spent three days in Da Lat, birding several areas in this very rich area. Many endemic and near-endemic species can be seen here and therefore it might be one of the best birding areas in entire Vietnam. During the three days we spent here we saw a total of over 100 species! Da Lat can be easily reached by public transport from Ho Chi Minh City and there are even direct flights going there, making it not only a good, but also an easily accesssible birding spot.

The first site we visited is Ta Nung valley, which is famous for being probably the best spot to see the endemic Grey-crowned Crocias. We birded the area for an afternoobn and a morning. On the first afternoon we only heard the Crocias, but the next morning we managed to see three of these splendid birds. Other good birds recorded in this area included two Orange-breasted Laughingthrushes (seen!), Vietnamese Greenfinch, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Indochinese Green Magpie, Grey-crowned Tit, Annam Barbet, Rufous-backed Sibia and Red-headed Trogon. Ta Nung valley can be reached from Da Lat by a short (15 km) motorbike or car ride.

Vietnamese Greenfinch (Chloris monguilloti)

White-cheeked Laughingthrush (Garrulax vassali)

The second site we visited is Mount Lang Bian, which is famous for being the best spot to see another stunning endemic: Collared Laughingthrush. We saw this species surprisingly quickly, for we stumbled upon a small group after just an hour of birding! Other good birds seen here included: White-throated Rock Thrush, Vietnamese Greenfinch, Red Crossbill (of the endemic meridionalis subspecies, which should probably be elevated to species level), Black-crowned Fulvetta and Lesser Shortwing. This site is also easily reached by a short (12 km) motorbike or car ride from Da Lat.

Black-crowned Fulvetta (Alcippe klossi), picture made by Nguyen Hoai Bao

White-throated Rock Thrush (Monticola gularis), picture made by Nguyen Hoai Bao

The last site we visited was Ho Tuyen Lam, which is a man-made lake, just outside of the city. Our main target here was another endemic: Vietnamese Cutia, but try as we may for two days at several sites, this bird did not want to play. We still recorded other good birds like Black-hooded Laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Vietnamese Greenfinch, Dalat Shrike-babbler, Black-headed Parrotbill, Blue Pitta, Rufous-browed Flycatcher and Burmese Shrike.

Rufous-browed Flycatcher (Ficedula solitaris)

I can highly recommend this birding site for the endemism is high and many species are challenging to find, which makes the birding very rewarding. The area is apperantly getting more and more open and I hope that one day a good site for Indochinese Fulvetta will be found, so I can return and still get to see that damn Cutia!