Birdwatching reaches new heights in VietNam

In a country that supports nearly 900 species of birds, the members of the Ha Noi Birdwatching Club (HBC) should have no trouble keeping themselves busy.

The recently formed group has plans to organise a birding trip every three months, with the next birding trip planned for the Cuc Phuong National Park in August.

"We hope more and more members will join in our upcoming activities," said Le Manh Hung, the club leader.

The HBC is the brainchild of several young scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources and the Ha Noi National University. With some technical support from the BirdLife International Viet Nam Programme, the initial idea for the HBC emerged in 2000, but only this year has it become a reality.

The club enjoyed successful first birding trips to the Xuan Thuy National Park in Nam Dinh Province and to the Van Long Nature Reserve in Ninh Binh Province, and by the end of April, the HBC had attracted quite a few young enthusiasts. Many bird species were recorded, but the most notable observations were 11 co thia, black-faced spoonbills (Platalea minor), a species considered globally endangered.

According to BirdLife International, bird watchers of all skill levels, areas of interest and ages can find something interesting in observing wild birds. Some birders travel the world just to look for a few rare species that they wish to see once in their lives. Other enthusiasts simply enjoy watching birds at feeders in their gardens.

Bird watching has become a popular hobby in a number of countries, and many foreign bird watchers have begun to visit Viet Nam.

Though the concept of bird watching is entirely new to most local people, the country has developed a reputation for its wide range of habitats sheltering a variety of beautiful and rare species.

Winging it: Black-faced spoonbills in Xuan Thuy National Park, Nam Dinh Province. — Photo by Duc Tu

"BirdLife is now seeking funds from the business sector in Viet Nam with the aim of organising a series of events this October to join the World Bird Festival 2006 – Asia events," said Jonathan C Eames, programme manager of BirdLife International in Indochina.

Eames said that events will be organised for the first weekend of that month, centered around the theme, "Connecting People and Nature." "BirdLife hopes that the fund-raising will be successful and that these events will attract participation from a lot of bird and nature lovers nationwide," Eames said.

...to see beautiful and rare birds is a sight in deed...

Viet Nam News

technorati tags:birdwatching, vietnam, Ha, Noi, Birdwatching, Club, HBC, Birdlife, International, World, Bird, Festival, 2006

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