HaNoi, North Vietnam, Winter 2019/20; 2022
HaNoi, North Vietnam Bird Surveys: December 24-28, 2022 Callyn Yorke
Four areas were visited and surveyed for birds: 1) Old Quarter HaNoi (QH), including Ho Hoan Kiem Lake (multiple visits and times 12/24-29; 2) HaNoi Botanical Gardens (HBG) (12/27: 0840-0940 hrs.); 3) Bai Da Song Hong, Red River, HaNoi (BDS) 12/26: 0820-1110 hrs.); 4) Vuong Than, Red River, HaNoi (VT) 12/28: 0800-0930 hrs.).
Observers: Callyn Yorke and Da Thao Le Ngyuen
Materials and Methods: Walking surveys, using binoculars (Zeiss 10×42 and 8×42), Nikon D3X camera with Nikon 200-500mm IF VR AF lens; pocket field notebook; field notes were recopied to a loose-leaf binder format later the same day. Photos and internet resources were used for bird identification assistance.
Weather: 13C to 16C; Partly cloudy to heavy overcast with intermittent light rain and wind.
Description of Areas Covered:
1) Old Quarter HaNoi (QH): Mature ornamental plantings of trees and shrubs; parkland, lake, buildings and roadways.
2) HaNoi Botanical Gardens (HBG): Ten hectares of native and exotic plantings; two large ponds, one with a vegetated island (see above photo; previous survey notes). Military exercises, parades and bands produced abundant acoustical challenges when listening for bird vocalizations. Generally, disturbances due to human activities were frequent, rendering bird observations difficult. Most birds remained hidden or partially obscured by the tree canopy foliage.
3) Bai Da Song Hong, Red River, HaNoi (BDS): About 30 hectares of flower gardens, farmland, horse pasture, picnic-camping areas, a large pond with water hyacinth, bordered by marsh and a narrow strip of riparian woodland; a small dump in the nw attracted a few opportunistic bird species. The river and shoreline, heavily trashed and bordered by shrubs and grasses, were surveyed briefly but largely devoid of birdlife. At least 100 people were visiting the park during our survey.
4) Vuong Than, Red River, HaNoi (VT): About 50-hectares of mostly open, grassy fields bordering the river and highway bridge. Fields contained multiple, water-filled depressions; the river shoreline (heavily trashed) and open water was largely devoid of birdlife. Most of the birds were found near an adjacent homestead with an overgrown garden and shrub margin.
Annotated Bird List: HaNoi December 24-29, 2022 Callyn Yorke
Systematics and Nomenclature used herein, is an amalgam of Avibase, International Ornithological Congress (IOC) and current (2023) online resources, i.e. Birds of the World, Cornell University, USA. Birds of uncertain specific identity are indicated by a ?
Numbers following each entry indicate the maximum count when multiple surveys were made.
- Eurasian Teal Anas crecca 1 flying over open area, BDS
- Feral Rock Pigeon Columba livia 40 vocal, greg. HBG, HQ, BDS
- Eastern Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis 4 usually in pairs, HBG, BDS
- Asian Palm Swift 3 greg. circling gardens at about 50m above ground level (agl), HBG
- Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis 1 on ground in garden next to the dump, BDS
- Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax 3 (ad, imm) perched on low tree limbs overhanging the lake, HQ
- Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus 1 flying over wetland and dump, BDS
- Little Egret Egretta garzetta 1 flying over fields; lakeside VT, QH
- Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 1 on mud at the edge of a water-filled depression, VT
- Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 1 on mud with nearby LRPL, as described in the previous entry, VT
- Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 2 river shoreline and shallows, low perch on snag, BDS
- White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis 4 active in gardens and second-growth, ubiquitous.
- Chinese Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach 1 on tall shrub at edge of a garden, VT
- Burmese Shrike Lanius collurioides 1 low perch (0.5 m agl) in farmland, BDS
- Gray-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis 1 in subcanopy of broad-leaved evergreen woodland, adjacent to HBG
- Japanese Tit Parus minor 3 greg. in subcanopy of broad-leaved evergreen trees, HBG
- Chinese Prinia Prinia sonitans 1 active in and around tall grass, VT
- Plain Prinia Prinia inornata 8 (ad, imm) marshy edge of wetland, BDS (photo).
- Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius 4 vocal, greg. in gardens, dense shrubs and grasses, HBG, BDS (photo).
- Asian Plain Martin Riparia chinensis 5 greg. flying 2-10 m agl over open areas and riverside, BDS, VT
- Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 5 greg. flying low, 1-3m agl over shore and shallows, BDS, VT
- Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus 1 in tree at edge of field, BDS
- Northern Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus chrysorrhoides 4 vocal, greg. in overgrown garden, VT
- Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis 1 in dense riparian thickets, BDS
- Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus 1 vocal (calls) on and near ground in garden and shrubby second-growth, BDS, VT
- Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus 1 in tall garden shrubs, VT
- Chinese White-eye Zosterops simplex 5 vocal, greg. in riparian woodland, subcanopy, BDS
- Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus 100 + vocal, greg. large, highly mobile flocks in orchard trees, BDS
- Puff-throated Babbler Pellorneum ruficeps ? 1 seen briefly, staying low in riparian thickets, BDS
- Common Myna Acridotheres tristis 1 in and around dump, BDS
- Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis 1 (f) at edge of dump, BDS
- Red-throated (Taiga) Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla 1 (f) subcanopy of deciduous trees, HBG
- Amur Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri 1 atop clump of tall grass, BDS
- Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura nisoria 8 (m,f) greg., VT, HBG
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 50 (m,f) vocal, greg. ubiquitous.
- Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi 1 on ground in open field of short grass, VT
- Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus 1 on ground in open, same areas as previous sp, account, VT
- Chinese Wagtail Motacilla leucopsis 5 (ad, imm) loosely greg. open fields with short grass; bare ground at dump, VT, BDS, HBG
- Kamchatka Rosefinch Carpodacus grebnitskii 6 (m,f) greg, in shrubs, in recently tilled and planted soil, gardens, BDS (photo).
- Oriental Greenfinch Chloris sinica 6 (m,f) greg. in tall grass at edge of pond, newly planted fields, BDS, VT
- Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola 5 (m,f, imm.) greg. in recently planted and adjacent fallow fields and utility lines, BDS (photo).
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Bird Surveys of Ha Noi Botanical Garden: December 2019 & January 2020 Callyn Yorke
During our visits to HaNoi while in transit to destinations in north Vietnam (see Xuan Thuy and Tam Dao (2019)) and prior to my departure for California in early February, 2020, Da Thao and I made four bird surveys of the HaNoi Botanical Garden. We walked the paved pathways throughout the park, observing and photographing free-ranging birds. Most of the bird life was found in the canopy and subcanopy of exotic trees, where shelter and food was available. Fairly heavy pedestrian traffic through the park (including with leashed and unleashed dogs), combined with loud music, ball games and maintenance (e.g. leaf blowers and chemical sprayers) tended to keep birds in the middle to upper levels of the many tall, broad-leaf trees. Ground-dwelling birds were largely absent. When the park was relatively undisturbed by human activities, birds would briefly descend to lower levels and occasionally to the ground. Very few small trees and shrubs are found in the park, that would in a natural forest setting, provide cover and foraging opportunities beneath the mature trees.
Reference was given to a summary list of eBird surveys of HaNoi Botanical Garden (HBG) published online (Cornell University, USA). A total of 106 bird species had been recorded there as of our last survey on 31 January, 2020. However, the accuracy of the eBird species list is questionable; several species on that list (assuming those species were naturally occurring and not escaped cage-birds) are likely to have been misidentified.
We also attempted to visit another eBird “Hotspot” in HaNoi known as Red River Island, located about 3 km northeast of HBG. However, we were unable to access this area on 31 January, 2020, due to a construction closure. Private boats can be hired to traverse the river and island banks, but such services are unreliable and probably unsafe. No information was available as to the length of time this birding site will remain closed to the public. Furthermore, the highway bridge connecting Hanoi to the Red River Island birding site is currently restricted to motorbike use only (photo).
Annotated Bird List for HaNoi Botanical Garden December 2019; January 2020 Callyn Yorke
Survey Dates: December 7 & 16, 2019; January 30 & 31, 2020.
Weather: Fair to hazy skies; 53F to 60 F; winds calm.
Time: 0830 – 1130 hrs.
Observers: Da Thao and Callyn Yorke
Area Covered: Pathways and grassy areas throughout the 50-acre park; exotic and native, tropical broad- leaf evergreen and deciduous trees (3 – 30m in height). Two large ponds, aerated with sprinklers, containing fish but devoid of bird life.
Equipment: Zeiss 8×42 and 10 x 42 binoculars; Nikon D 850 with Nikon 200-500mm lens; Google Pixel 3X cell phone.
BIRDS NOTED (Systematics and nomenclature largely follows Birdlife International (2018)). Numbers following each species entry indicate the maximum number of individuals found during any one survey.
- Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus) 2 captives in aviary at main entrance.
- Feral Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) 25 captives and free-ranging; gregarious.
- Eastern Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis) 2 a pair around main entrance.
- Asian Palm Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis) 10 a loose flock circling high above the ponds.
- Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) 1 calling repeatedly (unseen).
- Long-tailed Minivet (Pericrocotus ethologus) 3 (m,f) gregarious in canopy and subcanopy of large trees (photo).
- White-throated Fantail (Rhipidura albicollis) 1 flying through subcanopy.
- Gray-headed Canary Flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis) 1 following SWWI in lower-middle level of trees (photo).
- Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus) 4 vocal, gregarious, lower levels of trees (photo).
- Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) 4 vocal, active on ground and lower levels (photo).
- Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) 10 vocal, gregarious, canopy and subcanopy (photo).
- Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus) 6 vocal (calls) very active in subcanopy and lower middle levels; sometimes with SWWI, (photo).
- Pallas’s Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus proregulus) 1 subcanopy and lower middle levels of trees.
- Kloss’s Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus ogilviegranti) 1 vocal lower middle level of trees (photo).
- Swinhoe’s (Chinese) White-eye (Zosterops simplex) 12 gregarious, active in middle to lower level of flowering trees (photo).
- Chinese Blackbird (Turdus mandarinus) 1 ? seen briefly flying through subcanopy.
- Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis) 2 (m,f) in subcanopy and on ground.
- Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica) 1 aerial-hawking in lower middle level (photo).
- Chestnut-bellied Rock-thrush (Monticola rufiventris) 1 (m) lower middle perch on horizontal branch (7 December, 2019).
- Ruby-cheeked Sunbird (Chalcoparia singalensis) 1 (m -imm.) in upper canopy of Rain Tree near entrance (photo).
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 10 (m,f) gregarious, often on ground.