Four bird species have been recently discovered in the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, the central province of Quang Tri, its management board announced on March 4.

The ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) found at Hac Hai Lagoon.

The findings provided updated species data and a scientific basis for wildlife management and conservation efforts in the locality and the wider region.

They were made as part of a provincial-level science and technology project that surveyed wild bird communities in the park and several key bird habitats in former Quang Binh province, now part of Quang Tri. The study aims to propose measures for biodiversity conservation and eco-tourism development.

During the research, field surveys were conducted using a multi-habitat approach, covering natural forests, inland wetlands and coastal – insular areas.

Through this process, researchers identified and added four bird species to the distribution data for the north-central region, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of bird communities associated with open habitats and inland wetlands.

The first species recorded is the Plain Prinia (Prinia inornata), observed in inland wetland habitats at Hac Hai Lagoon and in grassland interspersed with low shrubs in the Dong Chau – Khe Nuoc Trong area.

This small bird typically inhabits the lower vegetation layers, displaying discreet behaviour and moving quickly through dense vegetation in forested areas.

The second species is the Pacific reef heron (Egretta sacra), recorded in the Vung Chua – Dao Yen area, where coastal rocky habitats and low-tide zones converge. This coastal waterbird is adapted to salt and brackish environments and typically forages alone in shallow waters.

The third is the Green-backed tit (Parus monticolus), found in lowland evergreen forests within the national park. A characteristic forest bird, it usually occupies the middle to upper canopy layers and depends on multi-layered forest structures with dense coverage.

The fourth and most conservation-significant species recorded during the survey is the ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca), discovered in the inland wetland ecosystem of Hac Hai Lagoon.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the species is classified as “near threatened” globally and as “near endangered” in the Vietnam Red Data Book.

It is a diving duck that favours shallow freshwater or brackish wetlands with abundant aquatic vegetation, feeding by diving in nearshore waters.

Researchers from Phong Nha – Ke Bang noted that the discovery highlights the biodiversity and ecological connectivity among natural forest ecosystems, secondary habitats, coastal zones and inland wetlands.

The findings also affirm the national park’s ecological significance and species diversity, particularly its relatively intact tropical limestone forest ecosystem. At the same time, the research provides important scientific evidence to support the management and conservation of bird communities in the face of increasingly complex climate change impacts.

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