Important Bird Area found in Van Ban District

During March 2002, the Birdlife International Vietnam Programme, the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources and Fauna & Flora International Vietnam Programme conducted a survey in Van Ban district, Lao Cai province. The survey was part of the Danida-funded project Improved conservation planning through institutional strengthening in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

During the fifteen-day survey in Van Ban district, 156 bird species were recorded, including two species listed in the 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Red Beautiful Nuthatch Sitta formosa and Yellow-billed Nuthatch S. solangiae. Van Ban district is known to support populations of two of the four restricted range species that define the Fansipan and Northern Lao Secondary Endemic Bird Area: Yellow-billed Nuthatch and Broad-billed Warbler Tickellia hogdsoni. The site also supports suitable habitat for the third and fourth restricted-range species, Ward's Trogon Harpactes wardi and Red-winged Laughingthrush Garrulax formosus, however, these species were not recorded during the field survey.

Van Ban district supports a range of natural habitats (lowland forest, lower montane forest and upper montane forest), which, together, support a high diversity of bird species. Van Ban supports 58 species restricted to the Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forests Biome, including Green Cochoa Cochoa viridis, Grey Laughingthrush Garrulax maesi and Black-headed Shrike Babbler Pteruthius rufiventer. Van Ban also supports a further 20 species restricted to the Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forests Biome, including: Hill Partridge Arborophila torqueola, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa flavirostris and Streaked Barwing Actinodura souliei.

The presence of the above species means that Van Ban district qualifies as an Important Bird Area (IBA) - an international important site for the conservation of birds. In addition, the result of the survey indicate that Van Ban district is worthy of protected area status. One option, given the areas' high biodiversity value and ecoturism potential, would be to combine Van Ban district with forest areas in Sa Pa and Than Uyen districts to form a national park. Habitat loss, selective timber extraction and hunting continue to threaten the biodiversity of the area. However, with continued support from all levels, the site has every possibility to become one of the key protected areas in Vietnam.

For more information about this area, click here to go to the report entitled A Rapid Field Survey of Van Ban District, Lao Cai province, Vietnam. Unpublished report to the BirdLife International Vietnam Programme, the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, and the Fauna and Flora International Vietnam Programme, with financial support from Danida.