Unlike Hanoi, Ninh Binh has a larger number of birdwatching spots and is easier to observe birds because it has more green spaces and diverse geographical locations, as well as richer habitats, resulting in a wider variety of species and distribution. At least 8-9 locations are suitable for birdwatching, including species living in high mountains, low forest canopies, swamps, rivers, lakes, streams, along embankments, in rice fields, or in side valleys.

Unlike previous years, recently, thanks to the attention of the government and nature-loving organizations working together to protect wild animals, especially birds in general and rare species in particular, the number of birds and bird species has increased and become more accessible, attracting many birdwatchers and photographers to Ninh Binh.

Besides birdwatching combined with tourism, many birdwatchers, including both professionals and amateurs, are also interested in Ninh Binh’s birding, and as well as wildlife photographers are very interested as well.

Over the past few years, based on observations from professional birdwatching platforms and lists on various websites, Ninh Binh has been estimated to have over 600 species of birds. These include both migratory and native species, primarily concentrated in Cuc Phuong National Park, Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve area, and Xuan Thuy National Park.

In addition, there are several smaller landmarks such as Thung Nham Bird Garden, around the Trang An area, Bai Dinh and the small valleys as well as temples where you can also observe some common bird species.

Overall, while Ninh Binh boasts a fairly diverse range of species, the number of individual birds is still quite limited. Therefore, birdwatching in Ninh Binh is not easy at certain locations, sometimes disappointing birdwatchers who cannot find the species they are interested in. Furthermore, birdwatching is highly dependent on weather, location, time, and circumstances. Consequently, the number and variety of species recorded at different locations are not uniform.

Therefore, we would like to present a list of some bird species that have been recorded in recent years. (See the list below flowing A to Z)

A.

• Accipitrine hawk sp. (former Accipiter sp.)
• Acrocephalus sp.
• Alström’s Warbler
• Amur Falcon
• Amur Stonechat
• Annam Limestone Babbler
• Apus/Tachymarptis sp.
• Arctic Warbler
• Ardea sp.
• Ashy Bulbul
• Ashy Drongo
• Ashy Minivet
• Ashy Woodswallow
• Asian Barred Owlet
• Asian Brown Flycatcher
• Asian Emerald Cuckoo
• Asian Emerald Dove
• Asian Fairy-bluebird
• Asian House-Martin
• Asian Koel
• Asian Openbill
• Asian Palm Swift
• Asian Stubtail
• Asian Tit

B.

• Baillon’s Crake
• Banded Bay Cuckoo
• Bar-bellied Pitta
• Barn Swallow
• Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike
• Bay Woodpecker
• bee-eater sp.
• Besra
• Bianchi’s Warbler
• Black Baza
• Black Bittern
• Black Drongo
• Black Eagle
• Black Kite
• black myna sp.
• Black Stork
• Black/Ashy Drongo
• Black-bellied Plover
• Black-breasted Thrush
• Black-browed Fulvetta
• Black-browed Reed Warbler
• Black-capped Kingfisher
• Black-crested Bulbul
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• Black-faced Bunting
• Black-faced Spoonbill
• Black-naped Monarch
• Black-naped Oriole
• Black-tailed Godwit
• Black-throated Sunbird
• Black-winged Cuckooshrike
• Black-winged Kite
• Black-winged Stilt
• Blue Rock-Thrush
• Blue Whistling-Thrush
• Blue-breasted Quail
• Blue-rumped Pitta
• Blue-tailed Bee-eater
• Bluethroat
• Blue-throated Bee-eater
• Blue-winged Leafbird
• Blyth’s Paradise-Flycatcher
• Bonelli’s Eagle
• Bronzed Drongo
• Brown Boobook
• Brown Fish-Owl
• Brown Shrike
• Brown Wood-Owl
• Brown-backed Needletail
• Brown-rumped Minivet
• Buff-breasted Babbler
• Buteo sp.

C.

• Caprimulgus sp.
• Caspian Tern
• Chestnut-crowned Warbler
• Chestnut-eared Bunting
• Chestnut-tailed Starling
• Chestnut-winged Cuckoo
• Chinese Blackbird
• Chinese Pond-Heron
• Chinese Sparrowhawk
• Cinnamon Bittern
• Citrine Wagtail
• Claudia’s Leaf Warbler
• Collared Kingfisher
• Collared Owlet
• Collared Scops-Owl
• Common Cuckoo
• Common Greenshank
• Common Hoopoe
• Common Iora
• Common Kingfisher
• Common Myna
• Common Pochard
• Common Redshank
• Common Sandpiper
• Common Shelduck
• Common Snipe
• Common Tailorbird
• Cook’s Swift
• Cotton Pygmy-Goose
• coucal sp.
• Crested Goshawk
• Crested Myna
• Crested Serpent-Eagle
• Crimson Sunbird
• Crow-billed Drongo
• cuckoo sp. (Cuculidae sp.)
• Cyornis sp.

D.

• dabbling duck sp.
• dark swiftlet sp.
• Dark-necked Tailorbird
• Dark-sided Flycatcher
• Daurian Redstart
• Daurian Starling
• Davison’s Leaf Warbler
• Dollarbird
• drongo sp.
• duck sp.
• Dunlin
• Dusky Crag-Martin
• Dusky Warbler

E.

• eagle sp.
• Eastern Barn Owl
• Eastern Buzzard
• Eastern Cattle-Egret
• Eastern Crowned Warbler
• Eastern Marsh Harrier
• Eastern Red-rumped Swallow
• Eastern Spot-billed Duck
• Eastern Yellow Wagtail
• Eurasian Bittern
• Eurasian Coot
• Eurasian Hobby
• Eurasian Kestrel
• Eurasian Moorhen
• Eurasian Sparrowhawk
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow
• Eurasian Wigeon
• Eurasian Woodcock
• Eurasian Wryneck
• Eyebrowed Wren-Babbler

F.

• Falcated Duck
• falcon sp.
• Ferruginous Duck
• Ferruginous Flycatcher
• Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
• flowerpecker sp.
• Forest Wagtail
• Fork-tailed Sunbird
• fork-tailed swift sp.
• Fujian Niltava
• fulvetta sp. (genus Fulvetta)

G.

• Gadwall
• Garganey
• Glossy Ibis
• Gray Bushchat
• Gray Heron
• Gray Nightjar
• Gray Wagtail
• Gray Wagtail
• Gray-backed Shrike
• Gray-backed Thrush
• Gray-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
• Gray-crowned Warbler
• Gray-crowned/Bianchi’s Warbler
• Gray-eyed Bulbul
• Gray-faced Buzzard
• Gray-headed Canary-Flycatcher
• Gray-headed Lapwing
• Gray-headed Swamphen
• Graylag Goose
• Gray-throated Babbler
• Great Crested Grebe
• Great Egret
• Great Iora
• Great Myna
• Greater Coucal
• Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
• Greater Spotted Eagle
• Greater Yellownape
• Greater/Lesser Coucal
• Green Sandpiper
• Green-backed Flycatcher
• Green-backed Tit
• Green-backed Tit
• Green-billed Malkoha
• Green-eared Barbet
• Greenish Warbler
• Greenish/Two-barred Warbler
• Green-winged Teal

H.

• Hainan Blue Flycatcher
• Hair-crested Drongo
• harrier sp.
• Himalayan Swiftlet
• Horornis sp.
• House Sparrow
• House Swift

I.

• Imperial Eagle
• Indian Cuckoo
• Indian Spot-billed Duck

J.

• Japanese Sparrowhawk
• Japanese Thrush
• Jerdon’s Baza

K.

• Kentish Plover

L.

• Large Hawk-Cuckoo
• Large Niltava
• Large Scimitar-Babbler
• Large Woodshrike
• Large-billed Crow
• Lesser Black-backed Gull
• Lesser Coucal
• Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo
• Lesser Whistling-Duck
• Light-vented Bulbul
• Limestone Leaf Warbler
• Little Grebe
• Little Heron
• Little Ringed Plover
• Little Spiderhunter
• Long-tailed Broadbill
• Long-tailed Minivet
• Long-tailed Shrike

M.

• Malayan Night Heron
• Mallard
• Manchurian Bush Warbler
• Maroon Oriole
• Marsh Sandpiper
• Medium Egret
• Microtarsus/Rubigula/Pycnonotus sp.
• Mountain Bulbul
• Mountain Hawk-Eagle
• Mountain Scops-Owl
• Mountain Tailorbird
• Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird
• Muscovy Duck

N.

• Northern Lapwing
• Northern Pintail
• Northern Shoveler

O.

• old world oriole sp.
• Olive-backed Pipit
• Oriental Darter
• Oriental Greenfinch
• Oriental Hobby
• Oriental Honey-buzzard
• Oriental Magpie-Robin
• Oriental Pied-Hornbill
• Oriental Pratincole
• Oriental Reed Warbler
• Oriental Turtle-Dove
• Ornate Sunbird
• Osprey

P.

• Pacific Reef-Heron
• Pacific Swift
• Pacific/Cook’s Swift
• Paddyfield Pipit
• Pale Blue Flycatcher
• Pale-footed Bush Warbler
• Pale-legged Leaf Warbler
• Pale-throated Wren-Babbler
• Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler
• Pallas’s Leaf Warbler
• passerine sp.
• peep sp.
• Peregrine Falcon
• Pheasant-tailed Jacana
• Phylloscopus sp.
• Pied Bushchat
• Pied Falconet
• Pied Harrier
• Pied Kingfisher
• Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
• Pin-tailed Snipe
• pipit sp.
• Plain Flowerpecker
• Plain Prinia
• Plaintive Cuckoo
• pond-heron sp.
• prinia sp.
• Puff-throated Babbler
• Puff-throated Bulbul
• Purple Heron
• Purple-naped Spiderhunter

R.

• Racket-tailed Treepie
• Radde’s Warbler
• rail/crake sp.
• Ratchet-tailed Treepie
• Red Collared-Dove
• Red Junglefowl
• Red-collared Woodpecker
• Red-flanked Bluetail
• Red-headed Trogon
• Red-necked Stint
• Red-throated Pipit
• Red-vented Barbet
• Richard’s Pipit
• River Lapwing
• Rock Pigeon
• Rosy Minivet
• Ruddy-breasted Crake
• Rufescent Prinia
• Rufous Woodpecker
• Rufous-tailed Robin
• Rufous-throated Fulvetta
• Russet Bush Warbler

S.

• Sanderling
• Scaly Thrush
• Scaly-breasted Munia
• Scaly-breasted Partridge
• Scaly-crowned Babbler
• Scarlet Minivet
• Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
• Shikra
• shorebird sp.
• shrike sp.
• Siberian Blue Robin
• Siberian Rubythroat
• Siberian/Amur Stonechat
• Slaty-breasted Rail
• Slaty-legged Crake
• snipe sp.
• Snowy-browed Flycatcher
• Sooty-headed Bulbul
• Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl
• Spot-necked Babbler
• Spotted Dove
• Spotted Redshank
• Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo
• Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler
• Streaked Spiderhunter
• Streaked Wren-Babbler
• Striated Bulbul
• Striated Grassbird
• Stripe-throated Bulbul
• Sulphur-breasted Warbler
• Sultan Tit
• swallow sp.
• swift sp.
• Swinhoe’s White-eye

T.

• Taiga Flycatcher
• tailorbird sp.
• Thick-billed Green-Pigeon
• Thick-billed Warbler
• thrush sp.
• Tibetan Sand-Plover
• Tufted Duck
• Two-barred Warbler

V.

• Verditer Flycatcher

W.

• wagtail sp.
• Watercock
• Whiskered Tern
• white egret sp.
• White Wagtail
• White-bellied Erpornis
• White-bellied Green-Pigeon
• White-bellied Sea-Eagle
• White-breasted Waterhen
• White-browed Crake
• White-browed Piculet
• White-browed Shrike-Babbler
• white-eye sp.
• White-nest Swiftlet
• White-rumped Munia
• White’s Thrush
• White-shouldered Starling
• White-tailed Flycatcher
• White-tailed Robin
• White-throated Fantail
• White-throated Kingfisher
• White-winged Magpie
• Wood Sandpiper
• woodpecker sp.

Y.

• Yellow Bittern
• Yellow-bellied Prinia
• Yellow-bellied Warbler
• Yellow-breasted Bunting
• Yellow-browed Warbler
• Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
• Yellow-vented Flowerpecker

Z.

• Zebra Dove
• Zitting Cisticola
• Zosterops sp.

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