Birds of Vietnam, Bird Species in Vietnam

Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh, Vietnam Let's join AdventureGreen on our bird quests to learn about the different birds and bird species in Vietnam. Here you can find out more about the birding spots that these bird species are found.

Slaty-Backed Forktail 
(Chích chòe nước trán trắng, Enicurus schistaceus)

The slaty-backed forktail (Enicurus schistaceus) is a species of forktail in the family Muscicapidae.

The slaty-backed forktail has a slaty color head and mantle.
The black-backed forktail has a black color head and mantle.
The spotted forktail has spotted mantle.

Enicurus : Greek word  henikos – singular or unique;  ouros -tailed.
schistaceus: Latin schistaceus slate-coloured, slate-grey.

Hume's Treecreeper 
(Certhia manipurensis)

Hume's treecreeper (Certhia manipurensis) was earlier included within the brown-throated treecreeper complex and identified as a separate species on the basis of their distinctive calls.

certhia is from the Ancient Greek kerthios, a word used by Aristotle for an unidentified small insectivorous bird.
manipurensis Manipur, India.

Certhia is the genus of birds containing the typical treecreepers, which together with the African and Indian spotted creepers make up the family Certhiidae.

certhia is from the Ancient Greek kerthios, a word used by Aristotle for an unidentified small insectivorous bird.

1/ Hume's Treecreeper (Certhia manipurensis)

The treecreepers are a family, Certhiidae, of small passerine birds, widespread in wooded regions of the Northern Hemisphere and sub-Saharan Africa.

certhia is from the Ancient Greek kerthios, a word used by Aristotle for an unidentified small insectivorous bird.

Red-Vented Bulbul
(Pycnonotus cafer, Bông lau đít đỏ)

The red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) is a member of the bulbul bird family Pycnonotidae of passerines.

Distinguished from the similar sooty-headed bulbul: sooty-headed bulbul has tan and pale front, some subspecies of the sooty-headed bulbul have yellow venter. The red-vented bulbul only has red-venter and has dark body color.

The genus name Pycnonotus is from Greek: puknos "thick" or "compact" and -nōtos "-backed".

Cafer: Jaʽfar meaning in Arabic "small stream/rivulet/creek". It may also be transliterated Jafar, Jaffar, Jafer, Jaffer, Jafur. The Turkish spelling of the name is Cafer, the Azerbaijani Cəfər, the Bosniak Džafer and the Albanian Xhafer.

Sooty-Headed Bulbul 
(Bông lau tai trắng, Pycnonotus aurigaster) 

The sooty-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster) is a species of songbird in the Bulbul family, Pycnonotidae.

Distinguished from the similar red-vented bulbul: by its tan and pale front, less extensive area of black on its head and gold-colored vent in certain subspecies.

The genus name Pycnonotus is from Greek: puknos "thick" or "compact" and -nōtos "-backed".
aurigaster Latin aurum gold; gaster belly, borrowing from Ancient Greek γᾰστήρ (gastḗr, “paunch, belly”).

Yellow-Billed Nuthatch 
(Trèo cây mỏ vàng, Sitta solangiae)

The yellow-billed nuthatch (Sitta solangiae), found in Hainan, Laos, and Vietnam, is a species of bird in the family Sittidae.


The term nuthatch refers to the propensity of some species to wedge a large insect or seed in a crack and hack at it with their strong bills.
Sitta, a name derived from sitte, Ancient Greek for the nuthatch bird.
Latin word meaning "frontal" (= relating to the forehead).

Velvet-Fronted Nuthatch 
(Trèo cây trán đen, Sitta frontalis)

The velvet-fronted nuthatch (Sitta frontalis) is a small passerine bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae.


The term nuthatch refers to the propensity of some species to wedge a large insect or seed in a crack and hack at it with their strong bills.
Sitta, a name derived from sitte, Ancient Greek for the nuthatch bird.
Latin word meaning "frontal" (= relating to the forehead).

Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker 
(Dicaeum cruentatum)
Chim sâu lưng đỏ

The scarlet-backed flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum) is a species of passerine bird in the flowerpecker family Dicaeidae.

- Male has a stripe of scarlet color extending from the crown down its nape and back to its rump. The rest of the face and wing are glossy black.
- Female: olive gray upper body with a red rump.

The name Dicaeum is from the Ancient Greek dikaion. Cuvier claimed that this was a word for a very small Indian bird.
cruentata / cruentatum / cruentatus Latin cruentatus: blood-stained.

Chestnut-Crowned Warbler
(Chích đớp ruồi đầu hung, Seicercus castaniceps or Phylloscopus castaniceps)

The chestnut-crowned warbler (Phylloscopus castaniceps) is a species of leaf warbler (family Phylloscopidae).

Phylloscopidae, Phylloscopus: The Ancient Greek phullon meaning "leaf" and skopos meaning "seeker" (from skopeo, "to watch").
castaniceps Latin castaneus chestnut-coloured; -ceps -headed (caput head).

Ashy-throated warbler, Grey-faced willow warbler
(Chích mày xám, Phylloscopus maculipennis)

The ashy-throated warbler (Phylloscopus maculipennis) is a species of leaf warbler (family Phylloscopidae). 

The name Phylloscopus combines the Ancient Greek phullon meaning "leaf" and skopos meaning "seeker" (from skopeo, "to watch").
maculipennis: Latin macula: spot, stain; -pennis: -winged (penna, pennae wing, feather).

Common Green Magpie 
(Cissa chinensis)
Giẻ cùi xanh

The common green magpie (Cissa chinensis) is a member of the crow family, Corvidae of the order Passeriformes.
The Yellow-crowned Green Magpie found in Da Lat Vietnam is considered a subspecies of the Common Green Magpie.

Corvina ( Coracina) / corvina Latin corvinus raven-like, raven-black (corvus raven).
The name Cissa is from the Ancient Greek kissa meaning a "jay" or "magpie".
The specific epithet chinensis was chosen by Boddaert in the mistaken belief that the specimen illustrated by Martinet had come from China.

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Golden rice terraces at Mu Cang Chai, Yen Bai

Vietnam Adventure Travel