Rare Bird Round-Up - Winter 2026 (21 December - 20 March)


Siberian Stonechat (Photo credit: MS)

By Maurizio Saroli


The period between 21 December and 21 March was mostly dry, allowing for plenty of long-awaited birding after many weeks of near-interminable rain. Many notable species were recorded, including several firsts for Annam and Danang. 

Speech marks indicate field/submission notes. Records (or a lack thereof) refer to eBird. Contributors: Maurizio Saroli, Choi Jin Young, Wes Blauvelt, Tam Do.


Four Cotton Pygmy-Goose Nettapus coromandelianus were seen at Hoi An Paddy Fields on 2 January (CJY). This species has been recorded only twice before, in December 2022.

On 3 January at Cua Dai Beach three rare vagrants were photographed. A Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis was observed feeding on the mudflats (MS). This is the first record from Annam. "Brown rump separates from Eurasian."

Far Eastern Curlew (Photo credit: MS)

A Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris was seen on the shore (MS, CJY). This is the first record from Quang Nam. "Immature 2nd winter".

Black-tailed Gull (Photo credit: CJY)

A Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes was noticed standing motionless by the edge of a pool for a lengthy period of time (MS). The same individual was photographed at this site by numerous people between 23 December and 16 February. This bird forms the first record for Annam.

Chinese Egret (Photo credit: MS)

A small flock of ducks comprising two Northern Shovelers Spatula clypeata, two Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca and five Tufted Ducks Aythya fuligula were on the river at Hoi An Paddy Fields on 3 January (MS). The formermost and the lattermost were recorded in small numbers in Hoi An in the winters of 2023 through 2026.

A Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia was recorded flying over Marble Mountains on 05 January (MS).

A Baillon's Crake Zapornia pusilla was observed at New Embankment Wetlands on 06 January (MS). This is the first record from Danang. 

A Striated Grassbird Megalurus palustris was voice-recorded at New Embankment Wetlands on 17 Jan 2026 (MS).

A nocturnal observation of Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia was made at Marble Mountains on 18 January (WB). This is the first record from Danang. "Slightly larger than Collard Scops Owl; responded to playback. Rufous color around head with white scapula stripe."

A Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus was seen on the largest of the Marble Mountains on 20 January (MS, WB). This is the first record from Danang.

A highly unexpected Red-tailed Laughingthrush Trochalopteron milnei was seen at New Embankment Wetlands on 26 January (MS). This species, which is a central highland dweller, was doubtless briefly passing through in search of more suitable forest habitat. This is the first record from Danang. "Most immediately noticeable, vermillion tail and wings, orange cap, white cheeks. Otherwise grey below, black face/beak. Quite unexpected, flitting about on top of some bushes near water."

The same date and location saw seven Red-billed Starlings Spodiopsar sericeus (MS). Usually a winter visitor to E Tonkin, the earliest record of this species from Danang is 29 January 2020 when 24 individuals were seen by the same observer in the very same spot. "Females, black tail and primaries with white edge, brown head, slightly more mustard-yellowish cheeks, black moustachial, red bill, orange legs."

A Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus was closely observed at East  Embankment Wetlands on 10 February (MS). This is the first record from Annam. "Male; noticeably more prominent white collar, rump, larger wing patches, and duller breast than Amur." The same observer saw what may well have been the same individual one kilometre away at Hoa Xuan Stadium on 19 February. "Male; noticeably more prominent and very bright white collar, rump, larger wing patches, and smaller orange breast patch than Amur."

Siberian stonechat (Photo credit: MS)

Within one week at Son Tra Nature Reserve two eagle species were sighted and photographed. Both are first records from Danang. On 31 January one juvenile Changeable Hawk-eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus was seen flying above the ridgeline  at c. 500m asl where it perched long enough for the observers to see it through a telescope (MS, TD). 

Changeable Hawk-eagle (Photo credit: TD)

Then on 5 February two Grey-headed Fish-Eagles Icthyophaga ichthyaetus were closely observed for 10 minutes (MS, TD). "Very large raptor pair soaring on thermals. All over dark brown, with striking white tail and broad brown terminal band."

Grey-headed Fish-Eagle (Photo credit: TD)


To submit your rare bird records to the Club, fill out the form and send it to the DBC Rarities Committee via danangbirdclub@gmail.com

For ordinary bird records, Club members share their checklists with us on the eBird platform. All birders are welcome to join the Club and start contributing their records. The Danang Bird Club Official Bird List shows first records of all species observed in Vietnam which have been submitted to the Club and accepted by the Club's Records Committee.



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 (BTO) and took part in national bird surveys like the Nest Record Scheme (NRS) and the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) before bringing his passion for ornithology to Vietnam. 






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