Danang Bird Club News

Late summer/early autumn is an exciting time of year for birding in central Vietnam. The resident bird population is much augmented by the arrival of winter visitors, and a further injection of passage migrants and a sprinkling of vagrants add to the overall excitement of the migration season . By Maurizio Saroli Between mid August and mid October 2025, I recorded a steady build-up of winter visitors (53 species in total) across several sites in Danang and Hoi An. The records span a range of habitats—wetland, coastal, forest edge—and reflect typical seasonal movement for the region. Monitoring ended in mid October with the arrival of the monsoon which put a halt to birding activity. The earliest observations came from wetland habitats. On 12 August, I recorded Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus) in fairly large numbers (55 individuals). By 21 August, Eastern Cattle Egret (Ardea coromanda) and White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) were present. Eastern Red-rumped Swallow (Cecropis daurica...

© William Hearn By Maurizio Saroli On 6 September 2025 at My Son Sanctuary, Quang Nam, I observed and made an audio recording of a male Purple Sunbird  Cinnyris asiaticus  which was singing in a tree amongst the ancient Cham ruins. This sighting represents the first record for Annam. C omparative plumage and v ocal analysis  are discussed below. Accompanied by a sharp, high-pitched call, the male Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus is compact and glossy, with deep violet-black plumage in breeding condition. In eclipse plumage, as observed on 6 September, the male appears duller, with brownish tones and faint iridescence visible only in direct light. Females are olive brown above and buff below, with a pale yellow throat. Both sexes share a short, decurved bill and rapid, darting flight. The Purple Sunbird is a fast-moving, nectar-feeding passerine typically found in open scrub and gardens across southern Asia. Foraging is quick and deliberate, with short hovering bouts and...

© Natthaphat Chotjuckdikul By Maurizio Saroli On 4th October 2025, I spotted two Asian Golden Weavers Ploceus hypoxanthus in the paddy fields near Hoi An. One was unmistakably male, the other likely a female or immature male. It was a brief encounter, but one that stirred a mix of excitement and curiosity—not just because of the sighting itself, but because of what it might mean for the species’ status in central Vietnam. The Asian Golden Weaver isn’t typically expected in this region. Its known range is largely confined to parts of Thailand, Cambodia and southern Vietnam. Yet this wasn’t my first encounter with the species here. I’d previously recorded a pair at Asia Park in Danang, with sightings dating back to 2019. The question remains: are these isolated individuals, or are we seeing the early signs of a return? One of the challenges in confirming range expansions—or even basic distribution—is the lack of consistent birding data in Vietnam. eBird statistics paint a stark picture:...

Cages hang in rows at a bird café in Danang where owners gather to compare birds over coffee and cigarettes. Photo credit: MS By Maurizio Saroli Once a familiar sight across central Vietnam’s lowlands, the Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus is now more often seen in cages than in the wild. Its fluting song more often heard in alleyways, verandas and bird cafés. After 90 checklists in 2025, I finally saw my first Red-whiskered Bulbul of the year, in Danang. That brief sighting made me reflect on why these birds are disappearing—and prompted me to write this post about the role the pet trade has played in their decline. Photo credit: Vikram S Conservation Snapshot IUCN Status: Least Concern globally, but declining in parts of Southeast Asia due to trapping. Habitat: Forest edges, gardens, lowland scrub. Threats: Pet trade, habitat loss, lack of regulation. Local Trends: Marked decline in sightings across Danang and Quang Nam.  Conserv...

By Maurizio Saroli On 25 September 2025, two exhausted-looking ducks were spotted in a gully near Hoi An—what I believed to be Vietnam’s first confirmed sighting of the critically endangered White-winged Duck in 22 years. With only two previous records—Cat Tien National Park in 1993 and Yok Don in 2003—the encounter felt historic, perhaps influenced by the approaching Typhoon Bualoi, whose turbulent weather was sweeping across central Vietnam. On the morning of 25 September, I set out for a routine survey of Hoi Aa Paddy Fields, just outside the historic centre. Conditions were perfect: still air, soft light, the usual promise of bitterns, bee-eaters and crakes. Then, against all expectation, two massive ducks seemed to wheel clumsily into a shallow gully. They were striking: large-bodied, black-and-white speckled heads, pale bills swollen with red skin at the base, and wings showing pale panels. They moved sluggishly, seemingly disoriented, even as motorbikes roared past. At the tim...