The discovery was made through digital photography and camera traps analyzed with Wildlife Insight software, according to the Nam Quang Tri Special-Use Forest Management Board.

With the addition of these species, the total number of bird species in the reserve now stands at 210, up from the 201 previously documented across 43 families. 

The findings further emphasize the biological importance of the Truong Son Mountain Range, one of Vietnam’s four endemic bird areas.

The newly recorded species include the long-tailed shrike, mountain bulbul, white-eared bulbul, oriental magpie-robin, greater green leafbird, brown fish owl, white-browed scimitar babbler, white-browed woodswallow, and common hill myna.

Two of these species, the brown fish owl and the common hill myna, are of high conservation value and play a critical role in maintaining the health and balance of forest ecosystems, according to the board.

A board representative said the discovery reflects the value of science and technology in biodiversity conservation and offers a foundation for long-term strategies to protect and restore special-use forest ecosystems.

The management board plans to continue collaborating with scientific institutions and conservation groups, both in Vietnam and internationally, to enhance monitoring and protection of rare and endangered species.

Dakrong Nature Reserve is part of the Central Truong Son forest ecosystem and features a variety of vegetation zones and habitats. 

It is currently home to 1,576 plant species, 97 mammal species, 210 bird species, and 49 species of reptiles and amphibians, many of which appear in Vietnam’s Red Data Book.