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Le Khac Quyen
The oars move gently, guiding our boat across a lotus swamp. The late afternoon light over Tram Chim is breathtakingly beautiful. Like a precious gem in the fertile Plain of Reeds, Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap Province preserves a unique wetland ecosystem. This enchanting landscape has long captivated nature lovers.
I have been visiting Tram Chim for years, every stay leaving me more enamored with the peaceful waterways of this southern region.
A new day in Tram Chim
Covering nearly 7,500 hectares of melaleuca forest interspersed with seasonally flooded grasslands, Tram Chim is one of the largest and most important wetlands both in Vietnam and the world. Its very name evokes a land of abundance, its verdant melaleuca groves and vast lotus swamps forming a haven for countless bird species.
The flood season brings nutrient-rich waters from upstream, transforming the grasslands and renewing the landscape. I always look forward to this time of year, when lotus blooms, less profuse than in the summer months, still bloom sporadically, filling the morning air with their fragrance. Dawn brings a symphony of birdsong. The calls of Gray-headed Swamphens resonate in the reeds, while Pheasant-tailed Jacanas tread lightly across the lotus leaves. Plain Prinias pause from weaving blades of grass into their nests to trill sharp notes. Another busy day for the birds has begun.
As our boat drifts along channels that lace through the melaleuca forest, I try to capture fleeting moments in these birds’ lives. Cotton Pygmy Geese, Spot-billed Ducks, Oriental Darters, Little Cormorants, and Great Cormorants feed along these waterways. Sometimes they vanish underwater, before bursting upward, their wings throwing up spray at the sight of intruders. At other times, they track my every movement from afar, only taking flight when I draw too near. Years of following birds have sharpened my senses. Often, I can draw so close that there is no room left for the lens to focus, only mutual exchanged glances.
Tales of the wetlands
To visit Tram Chim is to step into the wild, where rivers, canals, and melaleuca forests shelter countless natural wonders. Steeped in legends of water and wildlife, this southern land holds endless appeal for explorers and nature lovers.
The Sarus Crane, a symbol of Tram Chim, is renowned for its elegant posture, ritual dances, and lifelong fidelity. As the tallest flying bird, it is extraordinary in that most pairs remain together for life. When one partner dies, the other often shows signs of grief, even fasting to death. For this reason, the Sarus Crane has become a cultural symbol across Asia, embodying love and happiness.
The Bronze-winged Jacana tells a different story. Between June and September, fierce competition arises among males for access to females. After mating, the female leaves the duty of incubating and rearing the chicks entirely to the male. For a month, he incubates the eggs, and after hatching, cares for the chicks for ten weeks until they can survive on their own. Faced with danger, the chicks hide under their father’s wings, leaving only a bundle of tiny legs protruding from beneath his feathery shield.
Many more birds add their voices to the wetlands’ beauty: the Oriental Darter, gliding like a skilled pilot across watery runways; the Glossy Ibis, diligent as a farmer in the mudflats; the Black Bittern, motionless for hours in patient ambush; and the Great Cormorant, a master diver. Each species tells its own story, captivating those who come to birdwatch.
A sanctuary of biodiversity in the Mekong Delta
Beyond its beauty, Tram Chim carries the heavy responsibility of conserving invaluable natural resources. Since its designation as a national park nearly 28 years ago, it has become a center for bird conservation in the Mekong Delta.
Under pressure from hunting, shrinking habitats, and reduced feeding grounds across Indochina, many species are in alarming decline. Among them are the Greater Adjutant, Bengal Florican, White-shouldered Ibis, and even the iconic Sarus Crane. Although most Sarus Cranes seen in Vietnam nest in Cambodia, between 1988 and 1999, Tram Chim still saw flocks of up to 1,000 individuals, with no fewer than 271 even in low years. But numbers plummeted, and by 2000-2012, only about 100 cranes visited annually. From 2012 to 2020, sightings declined to around 30 per year, and in recent years, only three or four individuals have been recorded, with some years none spotted at all.
These numbers are stark reminders of the biodiversity loss we are facing today. Yet recent conservation initiatives bring hope. Some species have returned in greater numbers, including the Asian Openbill and the Painted Stork. Current projects aim to reintroduce Sarus Cranes to Tram Chim by creating suitable habitats for feeding and breeding, with birds sourced from Thailand.
The sunset of hope?
The evenings are my favorite time of day in Tram Chim. As the sun drapes golden ribbons across the wetlands, flocks of birds hurry back to their roosts, filling the forest with their calls. Storm clouds or heavy rains may end my photography sessions early, but the birds’ return remains unchanged – an eternal rhythm of life.
For me, visiting Tram Chim is about more than capturing photographs. Each journey is a chance to reconnect with nature and a reminder to cherish and protect wild places and their gifts for future generations.
