MOUNT LANGBIAN & list 

VIETNAM

Region (Compass)

Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W 4,000ha topography 2,167m 

Protected/registered status 

Best Time for visit (15.04.1997)

 

Birding Site Guide

Situated some 10 kilometres north of Da Lat, Lang Bian is the second highest mountain in the Da Lat area. The area is approached from Lac Duong, and the easily accessible track leads through open pine forest with some degraded broad leafed forest in the gullies. From 1,900m to the higher of the twin peaks at 2,167m the terrain changes to dense montane evergreen forest. Following the map from Nick Dymond's report made it easy to find the mountain, and it is reproduced above. The area is quickly reached from Da Lat, and as there is no accommodation or any other facility on the mountain it is better to stay in Da Lat and travel. We followed Nick Dymond's advice and didn't buy permits in advance, and we encountered no problems. We were allowed to drive straight in and only paid as we left. $0.40 cents each ! We drove almost to the top of the track, and found the pine forest edges were good. Once we began our ascent through the rain forest, the going was tough and the birding was poor. Never the less. Black-collared Starling, Vietnamese Greenfinch, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Silver-eared Mesia, Cutia, Crossbill and White-browed Shrike Babbler were new birds for the trip. 


Species seen 

  • Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus ML, CT, VT
  • House Swift Apus nipalensis many places
  • Golden-throated Barbet Megalaima franklinii ML
  • Gray-faced Woodpecker Picus canus ML, CT
  • Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi ML, CT, NDL
  • Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni BL, ML
  • Gray Wagtail Motacilla cinerea ML
  • Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus ML
  • Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus many places
  • Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus DW, HTL, ML
  • Flavescent Bulbul Pycnonotus flavescens DW, ML
  • Mountain Bulbul Ixos mcclellandii HTL, ML
  • Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus BL, DW, HTL, ML
  • White-throated Rock-Thrush Monticola gularis ML
  • Blue Rock-Thrush Monticola solitarius BL, ML
  • Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius ML
  • Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla ML
  • Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni DW, ML
  • Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassinus DW, HTL, ML
  • Gray-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis DW, HTL, ML
  • White-tailed Robin Cinclidium leucurum ML
  • White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis DW, HTL, ML
  • Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense ML
  • Silver-eared Mesia Leiothrix argentauris ML
  • White-browed Shrike-Babbler Pteruthius flaviscapis DW, HTL, ML
  • Chestnut-fronted Shrike-Babbler Pteruthius aenobarbus ML
  • Chestnut-vented Nuthatch Sitta nagaensis DW, HTL, ML
  • Yellow-billed Nuthatch Sitta solangiae ML
  • Purple-throated Sunbird Leptocoma sperata ML
  • Gould's Sunbird Aethopyga gouldiae HTL, ML
  • Burmese Shrike Lanius collurioides DW, HTL, ML
  • Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus remifer ML
  • Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius HTL, ML
  • Vinous-breasted Starling Acridotheres burmannicus many places
  • Black-collared Starling Gracupica nigricollis many places
  • Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus M/CT, ML
  • Nutmeg Mannikin Lonchura punctulata many places
  • Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra ML
  • Vietnamese Greenfinch Carduelis monguilloti HTL, ML


Author: BSG, Geof Grafton

 

www.birdingsiteguide.com