Bird fauna - Birding

About 350 species of birds have been recorded in the area, which are mainly waterbirds. Of which, many species are endangered or threatened such as Sarus Crane, Lesser Adjutant, Bangal Florican. Egrets and herons are the most common in reserved areas and birds sanctuaries. Waterfowls, cormorants, kingfishers and bee-eaters can be found almost everywhere. To the river mouths or muddy beaches, waders including Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Plovers, Greenshanks.

Most highlights

Sarus Crane, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Nordmann's Greenshank, Asian Golden Weaver and lots of waterbirds

Birding routes

Birding in Mekong delta is relative easy as the habitats are mainly open, grassland or cannals. Birders can visit these sites for 1 or 2 days.

Tram Chim National Park: Located near Tram Chim town, Tam Nong district, Dong Thap province. In dry season (January - May), the Sarus Crane can be seen easily. Numbers of bitterns, egrets, Painted and Asian Open-billed Storks, Darter, cormorants, Indian Spot-billed Duck... are among about 200 bird species recorded for this park.

Tan Thanh beach: Located in Go Cong district, Tien Giang province. This relative new site is the best for Spoon-billed Sandpiper, beside that, Nordmann's Greenshank, White-faced Plover with lots of Red-necked Stint, Red and Great Knots, Whimbrel, Far Eastern Curlew.

It is about 3 hours from Ho Chi Minh city, 1 hour from My Tho by private car so one day birding here is quite reasonable.

Tra Su malaleuca forest: The site is a bird sanctuary near Chau Doc city, An Giang province. For someone who live or work in Can Tho/Chau Doc, they can spend the weekend to enjoy the nature with some birding.

Bac Lieu bird sanctuary: It is not far from Bac Lieu city, the site support a great number of species, they make up for it in abundance. Thousand breeding waterbirds, most of which are egrets, cormorants and Black-crowned Night-heron. Other rare species are Spot-billed Pelican, Black Ibis, Painted Stork.

Transportations

There are many ways to reach Mekong delta, by private car, express bus, motorbike are applicable. Depends on where you live or stay, you can find route on this map

Accommodation

Hotels are found in almost towns in the area. For Tram Chim national park, a new hotel (Hoang Gia hotel) near the park, you also can stay at the guesthouse belong to headquarter. In My Tho, Chuong Duong hotel perhaps the best choice for Tan Thanh beach. As the tourist attraction town of Chau Doc, plenty of hotels range from standard to 5-star, recommending Pho Chau hotel, Victoria hotel... 

1. Lesser Whistling-duck

2. Cotton Pygmy-goose

3. Spot-billed Duck

4. Garganey

5. Common Teal

6. Buttonquail sp.

7. Common Kingfisher

8. White-throated Kingfisher

9. Pied Kingfisher

10. Green Bee-eater

11. Blue-tailed Bee-eater

12. Plaintive Cuckoo

13. Asian Koel

14. Green-billed Malkoha

15. Greater Coucal

16. Lesser Coucal

17. Asian Palm Swift

18. Grass Owl

19. Large-tailed Nightjar

20. Spotted Dove

21. Red Collared Dove

22. Pink-necked Green Pigeon

23. Bengal Florican

24. Sarus Crane

25. Ruddy-breasted Crake

26. Watercock

27. Purple Swamphen

28. Common Moorhen

29. Wood Sandpiper

30. Common Sandpiper

31. Greater Painted-snipe

32. Pheasant-tailed Jacana

33. Bronze-winged Jacana

34. Black-winged Stilt

35. Grey-headed Lapwing

36. Red-wattled Lapwing

37. Oriental Pratincole

38. Black-shouldered Kite

39. Eurasian Marsh Harrier

40. Shikra

41. Greater Spotted Eagle

42. Little Grebe

43. Darter

44. Little Cormorant

45. Indian Cormorant

46. Little Egret

47. Grey Heron

48. Purple Heron

49. Great Egret

50. Intermediate Egret

51. Cattle Egret

52. Chinese Pond Heron

53. Little Heron

54. Black-crowned Night Heron

55. Yellow Bittern

56. Cinnamon Bittern

57. Black Bittern

58. Black-headed Ibis

59. Black-faced Spoonbill

60. Painted Stork

61. Greater Adjutant

62. Lesser Adjutant

63. Golden-bellied Gerygone

64. Brown Shrike

65. Racket-tailed Treepie

66. Indochinese Cuckooshrike

67. Pied Fantail

68. Black Drongo

69. Common Iora

70. Oriental Magpie Robin

71. Pied Bushchat

72. Sand Martin

73. Barn Swallow

74. Yellow-vented Bulbul

75. Streak-eared Bulbul

76. Zitting Cisticola

77. Yellow-bellied Prinia

78. Plain Prinia

79. Oriental White-eye

80. Lanceolated Warbler

81. Rusty-rumped Warbler

82. Black-browed Reed Warbler

83. Oriental Reed Warbler

84. Common Tailorbird

85. Striated Grassbird

86. Striped Tit Babbler

87. Oriental Skylark

88. Olive-backed Sunbird

89. Plain-backed Sparrow

90. Eurasian Tree Sparrow

91. Paddyfield Pipit

92. Streaked Weaver

93. Baya Weaver

94. Asian Golden Weaver

95. White-rumped Munia

96. Black-headed Munia