Story: Thuan Vo
Photos: Thuan Vo, Bui Trong Hieu

Join us in celebrating spring with photos of Vietnam’s glorious wild sunbirds

Spring, when myriads of flowers bloom and fill the air with their fragrance, is when sunbirds flock together to sing delightful songs. It is also the time when sunbirds become full-fledged and clothe themselves in their most beautiful plumage to celebrate the arrival of spring. To capture these beautiful moments, two photographers, Thuan Vo and Bui Trong Hieu, embarked on a spring odyssey across Vietnam to take stunning photos of these wild birds, which herald the coming of spring.

Fourteen species in the Nectariniidae family can be found all over Vietnam. Some species inhabit small areas while others occupy a wide range of habitats, from plains to mountains. They feed mainly on nectar. These bird species have long, downward-curving bills with long, thin tongues that suit their nectar-feeding lifestyles. Male birds are often cloaked in iridescent feathers, while female birds don darker-colored coats.

Ruby-cheeked sunbirds, olive-backed sunbirds, crimson sunbirds, little spider-hunters, black-throated sunbirds, and purple-naped sunbirds mostly reside in the lowlands from the South to the Northern midlands. Meanwhile, Van Hasselt’s sunbirds and purple sunbirds can be found in regions from Nghe An and Binh Dinh down to the South.

It is easy to locate copper-throated and brown-throated sunbirds along the coast of the Central area, from Phan Thiet and Binh Thuan, to Ha Tien and Kien Giang. Some species can only be found on the plateaus and in highland forests. Streaked spider-hunters, Mrs. Gould’s sunbird, green-tailed sunbirds, and fork-tailed sunbirds can be found in Lam Dong, Kon Tum, and along the Annamite range.