Birding highlights: Rufous-cheeked Laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush (Near Endemic), Indochinese Wren Babbler (Near Endemic), Red-vented Barbet (Near Endemic), Himalayan Golden-throated Barbet, Moustached Barbet, Collared Babbler, Blyth's Shrike-Babbler, Indochinese Yuhina, Spot-necked Babbler.
Gateway cities: Dong Hoi City (130km), Hue City (160km)
Airport: Dong Hoi Airport (130km), Phu Bai Airport - Hue City (160km)
Best time to visit Sa Mu Pass for a birding trip: December to May
Sa Mu Pass is one of the best birding hotspots in Central Vietnam. This is a mountain pass, located in western Quang Tri province, near the Laos Border. This pass belongs to Bac Huong Hoa Natural Reserve. Sa Mu Pass contains a variety of habitats including lowland evergreen forest and montane evergreen forest.
Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve is located in the low mountains, south of the North Truong Son range. This place has a mountain range about 1000m high running along the Southeast – Northwest direction, along the border of Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces. The climate in the reserve has an average annual temperature of about 24-25 degrees Celsius. Winters are quite cold, with high humidity and heavy rainfall. With such characteristics of topography and climate, it has brought about the unique nature of the nature reserve.
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Notes: *** Subspecies of a full species (above) have been recorded in Vietnam, with different traits and are defined by scientists - These subspecies may split into full species in future updates.
1. Mountain Hawk-Eagle
2. Collared Owlet
3. Red-headed Trogon
4. Red-vented Barbet (Near Endemic)
5. Golden-throated Barbet
***Himalayan Golden-throated Barbet
6. Moustached Barbet
7. Bay Woodpecker
8. Blyth's Shrike-Babbler
***Grey-breasted Shrike-babbler
9. Sultan Tit
***Common Sultan Tit
10. Indochinese Yuhina
11. Golden Babbler
12. Spot-necked Babbler
13. Collared Babbler
14. Short-tailed Scimitar-Babbler/Indochinese Wren Babbler (Near Endemic)
15. Silver-eared Mesia
16. Rufous-cheeked Laughingthrush
17. White-cheeked Laughingthrush (Near Endemic)