Ninh Binh (VNA) – 🤡Known as the “land of birds,” Thung Nham Bird Park, situated within the Thung Nham Ecotourism Area in Ninh Binh province, is the largest natural bird sanctuary in northern Vietnam and is actively managed and preserved.

The park lies within the core zone of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex – a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site inscribed in 2014.

Diverse bird species

Thung Nham Bird Park is located amid the serene Tien lake, covering about 18 ha within the Thung Nham Ecotourism Area. Nestled deep among the towering limestone mountains that form a natural protective wall, Thung Nham has become an ideal home for birds to settle and breed. Over the past 20 years, the park has welcomed an increasing number of bird species, including some rare wildlife, playing a crucial role in conserving and enhancing the biodiversity of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex. The birds at Thung Nham are accustomed to human presence, allowing visitors to observe them up close without causing fear or disturbance. At the park, guests have the unique opportunity to witness the wild beauty of flocks soaring freely across the sky, and enjoy the serene and pristine natural environment. Ngo Thi Minh, a visitor from Hanoi praised Thung Nham Bird Park for its pristine, fresh natural environment, noting that it is a rare ecotourism site that has preserved much of its wilderness and rich flora and fauna. During the peak breeding season, the number of birds at the park can reach tens of thousands. In winter, only a few birds migrate south, while the majority remain in the park and thrive during spring and summer.

Sustainable conservation

Thung Nham Bird Park is home to 46 bird species, including storks, herons, night herons, pheasants, parakeets, red-vented bulbuls, and mynas, with around 5,000 nests. Notably, it shelters two rare species listed in Vietnam’s Red Book - the sarus crane and the red-billed hornbill. Amid shrinking natural habitats, Thung Nham Bird Park is being actively conserved and sustainably managed by local authorities and the tourism site’s management board. The park is strictly managed, with an absolute ban on hunting, harming birds, or damaging their habitats. Signage and visitor regulations are in place to ensure proper conduct around bird habitats, while strict enforcement measures minimise impacts on the park’s ecosystem. Additionally, the management board works with local authorities to raise public awareness against hunting and to protect bird populations when they forage outside the park. Pham Lan Huong, head of the tourism division at Thung Nham Ecotourism Park, said the site offers safe eco-tours that bring visitors into close contact with wildlife. Combining scenic exploration with environmental education, these tours promote harmony with nature and raise community awareness of ecosystem protection, reflecting the park’s commitment to sustainable and conservation-focused tourism. In the coming period, Thung Nham Ecotourism Park will step up bird conservation by working with authorities and environmental experts to monitor behaviour and breeding, thus putting forth protection plans that preserve biodiversity and natural habitats./.