A Late-Summer Survey of Son Tra Nature Reserve

 

Viewpoint overlooking Hai Van Pass. Photo credit: MS


By Maurizio Saroli

Between 13 August and 1 September 2025, I conducted a seven-day survey of the avifauna of Son Tra Nature Reserve, Danang. The aim was to document late-summer birdlife across a range of habitats—coastal margins, forest edges, scrubland and urban fringe—while navigating increasingly restricted access routes. The result was a modest but revealing portrait of movement, presence and absence in one of central Vietnam’s most ecologically complex landscapes.

Access proved challenging. The northern road, blocked by military presence and alleged landslide risk, was impassable. Monkey Pass, the central route, was inconsistently open—guards at the port-side entrance enforced arbitrary restrictions, denying entry to foreigners before 7:30 AM, but allowing locals to pass through at the same time. The eastern road near the Intercontinental resort was similarly obstructed, with a makeshift wooden barricade erected by hotel security. These barriers shaped the survey route: a 37 km loop clockwise along the central road and back via the southern road. 

These constraints didn’t just affect movement—they influenced what could be seen, when and for how long. Species that might have been present deeper in the reserve were likely missed, while edge-dwellers and generalists became more prominent in the data. 

Despite these limitations, eight checklists were submitted, covering key sites including Green Lake viewpoint, South Beach, Monkey Pass, the area around Boom Boom Rock and the waterworks. A total of 42 species were recorded. Notably, three species—Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus, Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus and Black Bulbul Hypsipetes Ieucocephalus—were new additions to Danang Bird Club’s authoritative list for Son Tra. These and five others—Grey-eyed Bulbul Iole propinqua, Ashy Bulbul Hemixos flavala, Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus, Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Chalcoparia singalensis—have not been recorded on the eBird hotspot before.

Sunbirds were a highlight. Ruby-cheeked, Crimson, Ornate and Fork-tailed Sunbirds were all observed, often in flowering roadside vegetation. Bulbuls were abundant and diverse: Grey-eyed, Ashy, Black, Black-crested, Streak-eared, Stripe-throated and Sooty-headed were all recorded, with Stripe-throated being the most numerous. A single Forest Wagtail was seen moving through leaf litter on Rock Beach Road—an elegant, ground-level forager rarely encountered in the region. Bridled Terns and Black-naped Terns were observed offshore, resting on buoys and diving for fish, adding a coastal dimension to the inland-heavy checklist.

Forest Wagtail. Photo credit: MS
    

As autumn sets in, Son Tra enters a period of change. Migratory birds begin to arrive, resident species adjust their ranges, and patterns of activity shift across the peninsula. More details of the survey can be found in the eBird trip report.


Maurizio is the contributing editor of DBC News, part of Danang Bird Club, a non-profit organisation focused on citizen science, education and advocacy for the conservation of Vietnamese avifauna. He is the author of Birdwatching in Central Vietnam; a guide to the region’s rich avian diversity. Originally from London, Maurizio was a member of the British Trust for Ornithology and took part in national bird surveys like the Nest Record Scheme and the Breeding Bird Survey before bringing his passion for ornithology to Vietnam. 




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