Biodiversity values

The vegetation of Cuc Phuong National Park is dominated by limestone forest. In some places, the forest is stratified into as many as five layers, including an emergent layer up to 40 m in height. Due to the steep topography, however, the canopy is often broken and stratification is unclear. Many individual trees show well developed buttress roots in response to the generally shallow soils (Anon. 1991). The national park contains particularly large specimens of certain tree species, including Terminalia myriocarpa, Shorea sinensis, and Tetrameles nudiflora, which are developed as tourist attractions. There is an abundance of timber trees and medicinal plants. Cuc Phuong National Park has an extremely rich flora. To date, 1,980 vascular plant species in 887 genera and 221 families have been recorded at the national park. In terms of number of species, the best represented families in the flora of Cuc Phuong are the Euphorbiaceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rubiaceae, Asteraceae, Moraceae, Lauraceae, Cyperaceae, Orchidaceae and Acanthaceae. The flora of Cuc Phuong contains elements of the Sino-Himalayan, Indo-Burmese and Malesian floras. The high known floral diversity at Cuc Phuong can be partly attributed to the high level of survey effort directed at the site Floral surveys at Cuc Phuong have, so far, identified three endemic vascular plant species: Pistacia cucphuongensis, Melastoma trungii and Heritiera cucphuongensis. Cuc Phuong National Park is also considered to be one of seven globally significant Centres of Plant Diversity in Vietnam. 

Cuc Phuong supports populations of several mammal species of conservation importance, including the globally critically endangered endemic primate Delacour's Leaf Monkey (Semnopithecus francoisi delacouri) and the globally vulnerable Owston's Banded Civet (Hemigalus owstoni). In addition, the nationally threatened Leopard (Panthera pardus) has been recently recorded at the national park. Furthermore, 38 bat species have been recorded at the national park, including 17 species from a single cave. Unfortunately, several large mammal species, including Tiger Panthera tigris, Sambar (Cervus unicolor) and White-cheeked Gibbon (Hylobates leucogenys), are believed to have become extinct at Cuc Phuong in recent times, mainly due to high hunting pressure and the relatively small size of the national park.

Bird fauna - Birding

To date, 248 species of bird have been recorded at Cuc Phuong National Park, including two globally threatened species, Chestnut-necklaced Partridge (Arborophila charltonii) and Red-collared Woodpecker (Picus rabieri), and 12 globally near-threatened species. The national park supports populations of Red-vented Barbet (Megalaima lagrandieri), and Bar-bellied Pitta (Pitta elliotii), which are endemics to Indochina and Thailand. Cuc Phuong National Park is situated at the northern end of the Annamese Lowlands Endemic Bird Area. However, none of the restricted-range bird species restricted to this EBA have yet been recorded at the national park.

Most highlights

Red-collared Woodpecker, Pied Falconet, Rachet-tailed Treepie, Bar-bellied, Blue-rumped and Eared Pittas, White-winged Magpie, Limestone Wren Babbler.

Birding routes

Main road from HQ to Bong is range for many species, if you go through in the early morning in winter thruses are encountered. Malaysian Nigh-heron is easy to see along the road in April-July.

Forest trails around Bong such loops trail, village trail are Eared Blue-rumped and bar-bellied Pittas, 

Pied Falconet, Red-collared Woodpecker, Limestone Warbler normally locating.

Botanical garden by gate HQ is a good spot for White-winged Magpie, Rachet-tailed Treepie and Blue-rumped Pitta 

Transportation

Car or motorbike. Cuc Phuong National Park is about 135 km by road from Hanoi.

Accommodations

Visitor accommodation is available at the park headquarters and inside the national park near the Bong ranger station. The forest is accessible on foot from both locations but some birding trails (such as the Cave of the Early Man for Limestone Wren Babbler) are only accessible by car.

2. Bar-backed Partridge

3. Chestnut-necklaced Partridge*

4. Red Junglefowl

5. Silver Pheasant

6. Grey Peacock Pheasant

7. Garganey

8. Yellow-legged Buttonquail

9. Barred Buttonquail

10. White-browed Piculet

11. Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

12. Great Spotted Woodpecker

13. Rufous Woodpecker

14. Lesser Yellownape

15. Greater Yellownape

16. Red-collared Woodpecker

17. Common Flameback

18. Greater Flameback

19. Bay Woodpecker

20. Great Barbet

21. Red-vented Barbet

22. Green-eared Barbet

23. Oriental Pied Hornbill

24. Brown Hornbill

25. Common Hoopoe

26. Red-headed Trogon

27. Dollarbird

28. Common Kingfisher

29. Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher

30. Ruddy Kingfisher

31. White-throated Kingfisher

32. Black-capped Kingfisher

33. Blue-bearded Bee-eater

34. Chestnut-winged Cuckoo

35. Large Hawk Cuckoo

36. Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo

37. Indian Cuckoo

38. Oriental Cuckoo

39. Banded Bay Cuckoo

40. Plaintive Cuckoo

41. Drongo Cuckoo

42. Asian Koel

43. Green-billed Malkoha

44. Greater Coucal

45. Lesser Coucal

46. Red-breasted Parakeet

47. Silver-backed Needletail

48. Brown-backed Needletail

49. Asian Palm Swift

50. Fork-tailed Swift

51. House Swift

52. Oriental Bay Owl

53. Mountain Scops Owl

54. Oriental Scops Owl

55. Collared Scops Owl

56. Spot-bellied Eagle Owl

57. Collared Owlet

58. Asian Barred Owlet

59. Brown Hawk Owl

60. Spotted Dove

61. Barred Cuckoo Dove

62. Emerald Dove

63. Thick-billed Green Pigeon

64. Pin-tailed Green Pigeon

65. Yellow-vented Green Pigeon

66. White-breasted Waterhen

67. Eurasian Woodcock

68. Common Moorhen

69. Common Greenshank

70. Green Sandpiper

71. Common Sandpiper

72. Little Ringed Plover

73. Northern Lapwing

74. Grey-headed Lapwing

75. Osprey

76. Black Baza

77. Oriental Honey-buzzard

78. Black-shouldered Kite

79. Black Kite

80. Crested Serpent Eagle

81. Eurasian Marsh Harrier

82. Pied Harrier

83. Crested Goshawk

84. Shikra

85. Japanese Sparrowhawk

86. Black Eagle

87. Imperial Eagle

88. Mountain Hawk Eagle

89. Pied Falconet

90. Common Kestrel

91. Oriental Hobby

92. Little Grebe

93. Little Egret

94. Grey Heron

95. Great Egret

96. Chinese Pond Heron

97. Little Heron

98. Malayan Night Heron

99. Cinnamon Bittern

100. Eared Pitta

101. Blue-rumped Pitta

102. Bar-bellied Pitta

103. Silver-breasted Broadbill

104. Long-tailed Broadbill

105. Asian Fairy Bluebird

106. Blue-winged Leafbird

107. Orange-bellied Leafbird

108. Tiger Shrike

109. Brown Shrike

110. Burmese Shrike

111. Long-tailed Shrike

112. Grey-backed Shrike

113. Red-billed Blue Magpie

114. White-winged Magpie

115. Common Green Magpie

116. Indochinese Green Magpie

117. Racket-tailed Treepie

118. Ratchet-tailed Treepie

119. Large-billed Crow

120. Maroon Oriole

121. Large Cuckooshrike

122. Black-winged Cuckooshrike

123. Scarlet Minivet

124. Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike

125. White-throated Fantail

126. Black Drongo

127. Ashy Drongo

128. Crow-billed Drongo

129. Bronzed Drongo

130. Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo

131. Spangled Drongo

132. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

133. Black-naped Monarch

134. Asian Paradise-flycatcher

135. Common Iora

136. Great Iora

137. Large Woodshrike

138. White-throated Rock Thrush

139. Blue Rock Thrush

140. Blue Whistling Thrush

141. Orange-headed Thrush

142. Siberian Thrush

143. Scaly Thrush

144. Black-breasted Thrush

145. Japanese Thrush

146. Eurasian Blackbird

147. Lesser Shortwing

148. Asian Brown Flycatcher

149. Yellow-rumped Flycatcher

150. Narcissus Flycatcher

151. Mugimaki Flycatcher

152. Red-throated Flycatcher

153. Snowy-browed Flycatcher

154. Blue-and-white Flycatcher

155. Verditer Flycatcher

156. Fujian Niltava

157. White-tailed Flycatcher

158. Hainan Blue Flycatcher

159. Pale Blue Flycatcher

160. Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

161. Rufous-tailed Robin

162. Siberian Rubythroat

163. Siberian Blue Robin

164. Orange-flanked Bush Robin

165. Oriental Magpie Robin

166. White-rumped Shama

167. White-tailed Robin

168. Slaty-backed Forktail

169. White-crowned Forktail

170. Common Stonechat

171. Grey Bushchat

172. Chestnut-tailed Starling

173. White-shouldered Starling

174. Black-collared Starling

175. White-vented Myna

176. Crested Myna

177. Golden-crested Myna

178. Hill Myna

179. Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

180. Great Tit

181. Sultan Tit

182. Black-throated Tit

183. Barn Swallow

184. Red-rumped Swallow

185. Black-crested Bulbul

186. Red-whiskered Bulbul

187. Light-vented Bulbul

188. Sooty-headed Bulbul

189. Stripe-throated Bulbul

190. Puff-throated Bulbul

191. Grey-eyed Bulbul

192. Black Bulbul

193. Rufescent Prinia

194. Yellow-bellied Prinia

195. Plain Prinia

196. Japanese White-eye

197. Asian Stubtail

198. Pale-footed Bush Warbler

199. Japanese Bush Warbler

200. Aberrant Bush Warbler

201. Russet Bush Warbler

202. Brown Bush Warbler

203. Lanceolated Warbler

204. Rusty-rumped Warbler

205. Blunt-winged Reed Warbler

206. Thick-billed Warbler

207. Common Tailorbird

208. Dark-necked Tailorbird

209. Dusky Warbler

210. Yellow-streaked Warbler

211. Yellow-browed Warbler

212. Arctic Warbler

213. Greenish Warbler

214. Eastern Crowned Warbler

215. Sulphur-breasted Warbler

216. Golden-spectacled Warbler

217. Yellow-bellied Warbler

218. Masked Laughingthrush

219. White-crested Laughingthrush

220. Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush

221. Black-throated Laughingthrush

222. Buff-breasted Babbler

223. Puff-throated Babbler

224. Scaly-crowned Babbler

225. Large Scimitar Babbler

226. White-browed Scimitar Babbler

227. Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler

228. Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler

229. Limestone Wren Babbler

230. Streaked Wren Babbler

231. Eyebrowed Wren Babbler

232. Rufous-fronted Babbler

233. Grey-throated Babbler

234. Spot-necked Babbler

235. Striped Tit Babbler

236. Chestnut-capped Babbler

237. Yellow-eyed Babbler

238. Rufous-throated Fulvetta

239. Mountain Fulvetta

240. White-bellied Yuhina

241. Plain Flowerpecker

242. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

243. Olive-backed Sunbird

244. Fork-tailed Sunbird

245. Crimson Sunbird

246. Streaked Spiderhunter

247. Forest Wagtail

248. White Wagtail

249. Grey Wagtail

250. Richard's Pipit

251. Paddyfield Pipit

252. Olive-backed Pipit

253. White-rumped Munia

254. Scaly-breasted Munia

255. Common Rosefinch

256. Chestnut Bunting