Broad-billed birds (Eurylaimidae) of Vietnam

The broad-billed bird family (Eurylaimidae) includes species in the Passeriformes order distributed mainly in evergreen and semi-evergreen forest habitats in tropical Southeast Asia and some species in Africa. They are beautiful birds with vivid colors but also difficult to observe due to their habit of living in high canopy floors. The main foods of birds of the Eurylaimidae family are insects and fruits. Birds of the broad-billed family are usually paired and breed between February and September, laying 2 to 4 eggs. The nest is usually made of twigs, garbage, and dried leaves in the shape like a sack hanging from the branches. According to the research results on the species composition of the bird fauna, there are currently 5 species recorded in Vietnam, including: Black-and-red Broadbill, Dusky Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, Silver-breasted Broadbill, and Long-tailed Broadbill. The article introduces some photos of birds of Vietnam's broad-billed family recorded by the Tropical Ecology Institute, Vietnam - Russia Tropical Center in a number of national parks and natural reserves nationwide.

Black-and-red Broadbill - Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos (Gmelin, 1788) is a sedentary species. Their habitats are evergreen and semi-evergreen forests in the Southeast region, at an altitude of 300m.

Black-and-red Broadbill - Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos  (Gmelin, 1788). Photo taken at Nam Cat Tien National Park

Dusky Broadbill -  Corydon sumatranus (Raffles, 1822) is sedentary species that is uncommon in the Central region but relatively common in the South. Their habitats are evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, at an altitude of 1,200m.

Dusky Broadbill - Corydon sumatranus (Raffles, 1822). Photo taken at Thac Mai Protection Forest - Dong Nai

Banded Broadbill - Eurylaimus javanicus  (Horsfield, 1821) is sedentary species that is uncommon in the South Central and Southern. Their habitats are evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, at an altitude of 1,100m .

Banded Broadbill - Eurylaimus javanicus (Horsfield, 1821).Photo taken at Song Hinh Protection Forest - Phu Yen

Silver-breasted Broadbill - Serilophus lunatus  (Gould, 1834) is a sedentary species that is from uncommon to common throughout the country. Their habitats are evergreen, semi-evergreen, mixed forests, and bamboo forests, at an altitude of 2,200m.

Silver-breasted Broadbill - Serilophus lunatus (Gould, 1834). Photo taken at Ba Vi National Park - Hanoi

Long-tailed Broadbill - Psarisomus dalhousiae  (Jameson, 1835) is a sedentary species that is from uncommon to common throughout the country. Their habitats are evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, at an altitude from 500m to 2,000m.

Long-tailed Broadbill- Psarisomus dalhousiae (Jameson, 1835). Photo taken at Phia Oac National Park - Cao Bang

Article and photo by Pham Hong Phuong/Institute of Tropical Ecology