Rare birds, spot-billed pelicans return to Vietnam’s Tram Chim National Park

At times, thousands of birds have gathered densely across wetland areas of the park, according to Doan Van Nhanh, deputy director of the Center for Conservation and International Cooperation at Tram Chim National Park.

Nhanh said the spot-billed pelicans were first observed in the strictly protected A1 sub-zone deep inside the park’s core area and have since appeared in other areas for feeding and roosting.

“The pelican flock has now appeared in several other areas of Tram Chim National Park,” Nhanh said.

“After six years of absence, they have returned to the wetlands to feed, play, and roost.”

He said the return of the species indicates improving environmental conditions, with sufficient food and a safe habitat supporting their presence.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Vietnam agreed that the reappearance of spot-billed pelicans is a positive sign that the park’s ecosystem is recovering.

Habitat restoration efforts at the park have focused on improving conditions for wildlife, including forests, grasslands, open areas, and water bodies, particularly food sources.

Measures have included clearing vegetation, creating more open space, forming shallow-sloped ponds rich in fish and shrimp to support feeding, and building raised ground areas for resting.

Park authorities, in coordination with WWF-Vietnam and the Coca-Cola Foundation, have also conducted awareness campaigns to encourage local communities to protect the environment.

With support from residents in surrounding buffer zones, bird populations have gradually increased, from common species to rarer ones such as painted storks and black-headed ibises, and now the return of spot-billed pelicans, Nhanh said.