About Birding

Bird habitats and communities in Vietnam (23/10/2014 06:57 )
A large proportion of Vietnam's bird species, including nearly all of the endemic species, are associated with forests. In terms of bird community composition, forests in Vietnam may be divided into five broad categories: evergreen forest, semi-evergreen forest, deciduous forest, limestone forest and coniferous forest. Of these, the most widespread is evergreen forest, accounting for around 64% of the total natural forest cover of Vietnam.

Vietnam ornithological history (22/10/2014 13:23 - Bao Nguyen)
The first period began in the 1870s and continued until 1920. During this period significant, the first significant collection of Vietnamese birds was made by G. Tirant, who collected over 1,000 specimens in Cochinchina between 1875 and 1878. Other important collections were made by R. Germain in Cochinchina, N. Kuroda in Tonkin, and C. B. Kloss on the Da Lat plateau. Among the birds discovered by Kloss were Collared Laughingthrush Garrulax yersini and Black-hooded Laughingthrush G. milleti. Other, smaller collections were made by L Boutan and Dr. J. Vassal, who discovered White-cheeked Laughingthrush G. vassali. The most important academic study of the avifauna of Vietnam prepared during this period was Les Oiseaux du Cambodge, du Laos, de l'Annam et du Tonkin by E. Oustalet.

List of Birds of Da Lat (01/10/2014 21:02 )
The Dalat Plateau is one of the five endemic bird areas (EBAs) in Vietnam identified by BirdLife International. Eight of the eight restricted-range bird species that occur in this EBA, Crested Argus (Rheinardia ocellata), Yellow-billed Nuthatch (Sitta solangiae), Black-hooded Laughingthrush Garrulax milleti, White-cheeked Laughingthrush (G. vassali), Collared Laughingthrush (G. yersini), Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler / Indochinese Wren Babbler (Jabouilleia danjoui) and Vietnamese Greenfinch (Carduelis monguilloti). Grey-crowned Crocias (Crocias langbiansis).
The Dalat Plateau also supports distinctive and endemic sub-species of Rufous-backed Sibia, Black-headed Sibia, Blue-winged Minla, Black-throated Sunbird and Red Crossbill, Vietnamese Cutia, Black-crowned Fuvetta, Indochinese Fulvetta, Black-headed Parrotbill. The last four among them nowadays are recognised as split spcies and known to be endemics