A Sad Year for Birds and Birders in Danang As Seven Wetland Sites Almost Simultaneously Give Way to Urban Development
By Maurizio Saroli
The wetlands around Danang have long been a refuge for migratory and resident birds. They provide food, shelter and breeding grounds in a landscape otherwise dominated by concrete and tarmac. Yet these habitats are now under severe pressure. Rapid urban expansion, driven by tourism and real estate development, is consuming the few remaining habitats left to birds.
Wetlands are more than incidental patches of waterlogged ground. They are complex systems that regulate water flow, filter pollutants and support a wide range of species. For birds, they are indispensable. Waders, herons, kingfishers, and ducks rely on shallow pools and reed beds. Migrants crossing from northern Asia to southern wintering grounds stop here to rest and feed. Without these vital sites, their journeys become much more difficult.
In Danang, the pace of construction has accelerated. Hotels, apartment blocks, shopping malls and recreational parks are spreading into areas once considered marginal. Developers see wetlands as vacant land, ripe for reclamation. The ecological value is overlooked, or dismissed as secondary to economic growth. The result is fragmentation: small pockets of habitat cut off from one another, unable to sustain viable populations.
The situation in Danang reflects a broader pattern across Southeast Asia. Coastal cities are expanding rapidly, and wetlands are among the first casualties. However, these ecosystems provide natural defences against flooding and storm surges, hazards that urbanisation itself exacerbates. By destroying wetlands, cities increase their vulnerability to climate impacts. The short-term gains of construction undermine long-term resilience.
The wetlands around Danang have long been a refuge for migratory and resident birds. They provide food, shelter and breeding grounds in a landscape otherwise dominated by concrete and tarmac. Yet these habitats are now under severe pressure. Rapid urban expansion, driven by tourism and real estate development, is consuming the few remaining habitats left to birds.
Wetlands are more than incidental patches of waterlogged ground. They are complex systems that regulate water flow, filter pollutants and support a wide range of species. For birds, they are indispensable. Waders, herons, kingfishers, and ducks rely on shallow pools and reed beds. Migrants crossing from northern Asia to southern wintering grounds stop here to rest and feed. Without these vital sites, their journeys become much more difficult.
In Danang, the pace of construction has accelerated. Hotels, apartment blocks, shopping malls and recreational parks are spreading into areas once considered marginal. Developers see wetlands as vacant land, ripe for reclamation. The ecological value is overlooked, or dismissed as secondary to economic growth. The result is fragmentation: small pockets of habitat cut off from one another, unable to sustain viable populations.
The situation in Danang reflects a broader pattern across Southeast Asia. Coastal cities are expanding rapidly, and wetlands are among the first casualties. However, these ecosystems provide natural defences against flooding and storm surges, hazards that urbanisation itself exacerbates. By destroying wetlands, cities increase their vulnerability to climate impacts. The short-term gains of construction undermine long-term resilience.
On top of this, resident birdwatchers (admittedly very few at the moment) and future generations who are more like to take up the hobby than the current generations, will find themselves with very few options when it comes to good birding sites in the city.
The list of wetland sites within the city of Danang which have been lost to urbanisation within the past year or so is getting longer and longer. A recent surge in construction has seen the destruction of two more sites in the past few weeks.
Nam O Beach was once the largest coastal wetland area in the city. Species observed here include the vulnerable Pale-capped Pigeon Columba punicea. It is now the construction site of a holiday resort or residential complex.
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| Nam O Beach as it was in 2020 |
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| The future of Nam O Beach depicted in 2026 |
Stadia Marshes was once the largest riverine wetland area in the city, capable of supporting large birds such as Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans in significant numbers. It is now the construction site of an enormous shopping mall.
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| Stadia Marshes in May 2026 |
Embankment Wetlands used to be a haven for wetland birds. It has now been drained and is being converted into a recreational park where few birds will be enticed to visit.
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| Embankment Wetlands as it was in 2019 |
Asia Park Scrubland used to be an important habitat for such species as the near-threated Great Thick-knee Esacus recurvirostris, the near-threated Asian Golden Weaver Ploceus hypoxanthus and the critically endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola. It is now a bus depot and a place where bird trappers operate.
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| Asia Park Scrubland as it was in 2019 |
Northern Field was an especially good site for rare vagrants such as Japanese Grosbeak Eophona personata. It is now a restricted area and soon-to-be construction site.
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| Northern Field in 2025 |
New Embankment Wetlands is the best remaining wetland site in the city of Danang. It is an important wintering/breeding ground for species such as Baillon's Crake Zapornia pusilla, Black Bittern Botaurus flavicollis, and the vulnerable Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata. Rare vagrants such as Dusky Thrush Turdus eunomus and Grey-streaked Flycatcher Muscicapa griseisticta have also been seen here. Yet the habitat is badly destroyed by excavation work on the south side. It is currently unclear what the intended purpose of this activity is or how extensive it will be.
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| New Embankment Wetlands in May 2026 |
If wetlands continue to be drained and built over, the decline will accelerate. Species that depend on these habitats will vanish from the city forever. Migrants will bypass Danang altogether as the global network of stopover sites is compromised. Protecting remaining wetlands, restoring degraded areas and integrating ecological considerations into urban planning are all possible. They require commitment, resources and a shift in perspective.
Update
Since first publishing this blog post last week, already one more prime birding locations has been destroyed by construction work. East Embankment Wetlands was home to an array of species as well as being host such rare migrants as the first recorded Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus in Central Annam. It is now the construction site of yet another bland recreational park.
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| East Embankment Wetlands in May 2026 |
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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