Southern Vietnam: Birding with a Camera® (BwC)

In the early 2000s, Vietnam’s long-standing tradition of bird hunting and trapping made it one of the most challenging birding destinations in Asia. Though the country hosts a stunning array of endemics and Indochinese specialties, connecting with those was difficult because Vietnamese birds were notoriously shy and reclusive, self-preservation suggesting distance from humans.

Fast-forward twenty years. Vietnam’s birds are still wary, but the growing prevalence of hides offers birders a huge advantage. It’s now possible to have prolonged, jaw-dropping encounters with many of Vietnam’s signature species: Orange-necked Partridge, Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, Siamese Fireback, Indochinese Green Magpie, Black-headed Parrotbill, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Black-crowned and Mountain Fulvettas, Black-headed Sibia, Collared and Black-hooded Laughingthrushes, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, and Blue, Blue-rumped, Rusty-naped and Bar-bellied Pittas. And while we wait for those prizes to show, it’s possible we’ll enjoy Asian Emerald Dove, Laced Woodpecker, White-bellied Erpornis, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Racket-tailed Treepie, Gray-bellied Tesia, Orange-headed Thrush, Siberian Blue Robin, and Verditer, Hainan Blue, Mugimaki, Snowy-browed Flycatchers. The hides offer close views of whatever turns up, so the photographic prospects are excellent.

The catch? Patience. Encountering many of these species in the field is incredibly difficult, so we rely on hides to observe and photograph them. Days 4 and 5 of the tour are particularly ‘hide-heavy’; clients should expect to spend 5 to 6 hours a day in hides (in 1.5- to 2-hour sessions) while we are in Tan Phu. However, the following three days will feature much traditional birding in the protected swaths of Cat Tien National Park. The final, Da Lat leg of the trip will feature a balance of hides and walking. Photography outside the hides is very difficult on account of shy subjects, so some tolerance for general birding is needed during our in-field forays. Raptors, cuckoos, hornbills, bee-eaters, barbets, minivets, sunbirds, and leafbirds don’t visit hides, so we must beat bushes and scour treetops for them!

All of this is to say that the hide portions of the itinerary will feel like a photo tour and the in-field portions will feel like a birding tour. Rather than mis-advertise the tour as either pure photo or pure birding , we split the difference with the BwC designation. For those with less interest in photography or less patience for hides, we suggest our Thailand: Birding Mythical Asia tour. Thailand is a more general birding destination and functions as a wonderful introduction to southeast Asia’s avifauna. For those who have already visited Thailand and are looking to build upon that experience — or for those who naturally lean towards the camera — Southern Vietnam BwC offers excellent opportunities to view/photograph Vietnamese endemics and Indochinese specialties that aren’t possible or likely in Thailand.

Last, if you like history/culture or enjoy ‘collecting countries’, be sure to consider our five-day pre-trip extension to Angkor Wat in neighboring Cambodia.