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Best group size: 6
Start: Hanoi Capital
Finish: Hanoi Capital
Destinations: Hanoi Capital – Cuc Phuong National Park – Mu Cang Chai (Che Tao forest) – Phia Oac-Phia Den National Park – Hanoi Capital
Below is a list of species that we will target on this tour - It is not an exhaustive list of species that we will look for but these are the main highlights due to them being rare, restricted ranges or the birds found only in Vietnam and some species may be more easily seen in other countries. Of course we cannot guarantee that we will see all of these birds, but we have a good chance of finding most of them based on the expeience of previous tours by VietBird Ltd.

A male of Bar-bellied Pitta (Hydrornis elliotii) at Cuc Phuong Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

A male of Bar-bellied Pitta (Hydrornis elliotii) at Cuc Phuong Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Blue-rumped Pitta (Hydrornis soror) at Cuc Phuong Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Blue-rumped Pitta (Hydrornis soror) at Cuc Phuong Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Blue-naped Pitta (Hydrornis nipalensis) at Phia Oac-Phia Den Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Blue-naped Pitta (Hydrornis nipalensis) at Phia Oac-Phia Den Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Tonkin Partridge (Arborophila tonkinensis) at Cuc Phuong Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Black-eared shrike-babbler (Pteruthius melanotis) at Mu Cang Chai Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Sultan Tit (Melanochlora sultanea) at Cuc Phuong Birding Trails. Photo by: Phuc Le

Gray-bellied Tesia (Tesia cyaniventer) at Da Lat Bird Hides. Photo by: Phuc Le

Slaty-bellied Tesia (Tesia olivea) at Phia Oac-Phia Den Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Chestnut-headed Tesia (Cettia castaneocoronata) at Phia Oac-Phia Den Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Chinese Golden-breasted Fulvetta (Lioparus chrysotis) at Mu Cang Chai Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Spot-breasted Parrotbill (Paradoxornis guttaticollis) at Mu Cang Chai Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Golden Parrotbill (Suthora verreauxi) at Mu Cang Chai Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Pale-throated Wren-Babbler (Spelaeornis kinneari) at Mu Cang Chai Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Greyish Limestone-babbler (Turdinus crispifrons) at Cuc Phuong Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Silver-eared Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron melanostigma) at Phia Oac-Phia Den Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Himalayan Shortwing (Brachypteryx cruralis) at Mu Cang Chai Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Grey treepie (Dendrocitta formosae) at Phia Oac-Phia De Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantail (Chelidorhynx hypoxanthus) at Mu Cang Chai Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Chestnut Bulbul (Hemixos castanonotus) at Phia Oac-Phia De Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Whiskered yuhina (Yuhina flavicollis) at Phia Oac-Phia De Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Stripe-throated Yuhina (Yuhina gularis) at Mu Cang Chai Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Coral-billed Scimitar-Babbler (Pomatorhinus ferruginosus) at Phia Oac-Phia Den Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler (Pomatorhinus ruficollis) at Phia Oac-Phia Den Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Spot-necked Babbler (Stachyris strialata) at Phia Oac-Phia Den Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Rufous-throated Fulvetta (Schoeniparus rufogularis) at Cuc Phuong Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Eyebrowed Wren-Babbler (Napothera epilepidota) at Phia Oac-Phia Den Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Chestnut-tailed Minla or Bar-throated Minla (Chrysominla strigula) at Mu Cang Chai Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Siberian Thrush (Geokichla sibirica) at Cuc Phuong Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien
Orange-headed Thrush (Geokichla citrina) at Cuc Phuong Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Japanese Thrush (Turdus cardis) at Cuc Phuong Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

White-gorgeted Flycatcher (Anthipes monileger) at Phia Oac-Phia Den Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

White-tailed Flycatcher (Cyornis concretus) at Cuc Phuong Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Fujian Niltava (Niltava davidi) at Cuc Phuong Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Rufous-tailed Robin (Larvivora sibilans) at Cuc Phuong Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Pygmy Blue Flycatcher (Ficedula hodgsoni) at Mu Cang Chai Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher (Ficedula strophiata) at Phia Oac-Phia Den Bird Hides. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Mrs.Gould's Sunbird (Aethopyga gouldiae) at Mu Cang Chai Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Green-tailed Sunbird (Aethopyga nipalensis) at Mu Cang Chai Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Fork-tailed Sunbird (Aethopyga latouchii) at Cuc Phuong Birding Trails. Photo by: Phuc Le

Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava) at Mu Cang Chai Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien

Crested bunting (Melophus lathami) at Mu Cang Chai Birding Trails. Photo by: Bui Duc Tien
Welcome to VietBird Ltd! We'll meet and welcome by Noi Bai airport or your hotel in Hanoi Capital. You will be transferred to Cuc Phuong National Park. We will arrive in time for some initial exploration this wonderful park and have a welcome dinner in the evening. Night at Cuc Phuong.
We will have two full days to explore this beautiful, unique and fascinating park. We will spend most of time at Bird Hides, our main photographic targets will be the stunning Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-rumped Pitta and Tonkin Partridge. If time permits we will try our luck on some other beautiful species on birding trails such as "Greyish Limestone-babbler" and "Fork-tailed Sunbird". Night at Cuc Phuong.
Expected birds in Cuc Phuong Bird Hides: Bar-bellied Pitta (Near Endemic), Blue-rumped Pitta (Near Endemic), Tonkin Partridge (Endemic - Subspecies), Rufous-throated Fulvetta, Siberian Thrush, Orange-headed Thrush, Japanese Thrush, White-tailed Flycatcher, Fujian Niltava, Rufous-tailed Robin,…and more.
Expected birds on Cuc Phuong Birding Trails: Pied Falconet, Sultan Tit, Greyish Limestone-babbler, Fork-tailed Sunbird, bulbuls, flycatchers, warblers,…and more.
After an early morning birding at Cuc Phuong National Park, we will depart for the long drive to Mu Cang Chai, a new birding site that VietBird Ltd recently discovered that gives us a great opportunity to see the near-endemic "Pale-throated Wren Babbler", seen by only a handful of birders. Night at Mu Cang Chai.
We will have two full days to explore this excellent birding site. We will spend most of time walking along the roads and birding trails (*One mountain trail to the bird hide*). Our main photographic targets will be the near endemic Pale-throated Wren Babbler, Spectacled Barwing, Golden Parrotbill, Red Avadavat and Crested Bunting. If we are really lucky we will have a chance to get the rarest endemic "White-throated Wren-babbler". Nights at Mu Cang Chai.
Expected birds in Mu Cang Chai Bird Hides: Pale-throated Wren-Babbler (Near Endemic), Himalayan Shortwing, Pygmy (Blue) Flycatcher,…
Expected birds on Mu Cang Chai Birding Trails: Black-eared Shrike-Babbler, Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantail, Crested Finchbill, Collared Finchbill, Black-faced Warbler, Chinese Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Manipur Fulvetta, Spot-breasted Parrotbill, Golden Parrotbill, Pale-billed Parrotbill, Whiskered Yuhina, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Black-streaked Scimitar-Babbler, White-throated Wren-Babbler (Endemic), Chestnut-tailed Minla/Bar-throated Minla, Spectacled Barwing, Red-tailed Minla, Green-tailed Sunbird, Red Avadavat, Crested Bunting,…and more.
Note extensions: You can spend time for capturing the beautiful landscapes of rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai, the land of the most beautiful rice terraces in the world.
Today we will depart Mu Cang Chai in the early morning and take a long drive to Phia Oac-Phia Den National Park, located in Cao Bang province. During our journey to Cao Bang, we will take some stopping off for birds and wonderful landscapes of Northwest Vietnam. Night at Cao Bang.
We will have two full days to explore Phia Oac-Phia Den National Park (located in Cao Bang province), this is a new birding site that VietBird Ltd recently discovered that gives us a great opportunity to see the rare and shy "Blue-naped Pitta". We also hope to get photos of other specialties such as Gray Laughingthrush, Silver-eared Laughingthrush and the cutest species of "Tesias". Nights at Cao Bang.
Expected birds in Phia Oac-Phia Den Bird Hides: Blue-naped Pitta, Gray-bellied Tesia, Slaty-bellied Tesia, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Coral-billed Scimitar-Babbler, Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Spot-necked Babbler, Tonkin Streaked Wren-babbler (Near Endemic - Subspecies), Eyebrowed Wren-Babbler, Silver-eared Laughingthrush, White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Large Niltava, Fujian Niltava, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher,…and more.
Expected birds on Phia Oac-Phia Den Birding Trails: Western Grey Treepie, Chestnut Bulbul, Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Short-tailed Parrotbill, Golden Parrotbill, Whiskered Yuhina, Gray Laughingthrush, Russet Sparrow,…and more.
After some final birding at Phia Oac-Phia Den National Park before going to Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport for departure flights.
Physical difficulty: Mostly easy walking along tracks, roads, and trails, but there will be a few inclined sections in the mountains.
Habitats Covered: Broadleaved evergreen forest, Evergreen forest, Secondary forest, Dry dipterocarp forest, Wetland, Rice field, Mountain forest, Pine forest, Bamboo forest, Shoreline.
Accommodation: Comfortable hotel and Guesthouse at the Parks. All accommodations have hot water, free Wi-Fi and most have air-conditioning.
Climate: Temperatures typically vary between 20°C-25°C (68-77°F). At higher altitudes we may encounter some small rain at times and colder temperatures 10°C- 20°C (50-68°F).