Cat Tien National Park is located 150 km north-east of Ho Chi Minh City. Today, the total area of the national park is currently 73,878 ha. The first government decision to protected Nam Cat Tien forest is decision No.360/TTg of the Prime Minister dated 7 July 1978.
Cat Tien National Park supports a variety of habitat types, including primary and secondary lowland evergreen forest dominated by species in the Dipterocarpaceae; primary and secondary lowland semi-evergreen forest, dominated by Lagerstroemia spp; freshwater wetlands with open lakes and seasonally inundated grasslands; flooded forest, dominated by Hydnocarpus anthelmintica mixed with Ficus benjamina; and a range of secondary habitat types, including grassland and areas dominated by bamboo.
The flora of Cat Tien National Park includes more than 1,300 species of vascular plants, among which are 34 species listed in the Red Data Book of Vietnam (Anon. 1996) and many valuable timber species.
To date, 76 mammals, 320 bird, 74 reptiles, 35 amphibia, 99 fish and 435 butterfly species have been confirmed to occur at the national park; and there are unconfirmed records of an additional 32 mammal, 19 bird, nine reptiles, four amphibia, 31 fish and four butterfly species.
Cat Tien National Park is situated in the South Vietnamese Lowlands Endemic Bird Area (EBA), and supports populations of all three bird species that characterized this EBA: Orange-necked Partridge Arborophila davidi, Germain's Peacock Pheasant Polyplectron germaini and Grey-faced Tit Babbler Macronous kelleyi. Cat Tien is also an important site for the conservation of water birds. Among the globally threatened water bird species that have been recorded at the site are White-shouldered Ibis Pseudibis davisoni, White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata and Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus (Polet and Pham Huu Khanh 1999a).
Orange-necked Partridge, Siamese Fireback, Germain’s Peacock- pheasant, Green Peafowl, White-bellied Woodpecker, Great slaty Woodpecker, Pale-headed Woodpecker, Black-and-buff Woodpecker, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Red-vented Barbet, Great Hornbill, Orange-breasted Trogon, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Banded Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Blyth’s Frogmouth, Great-eared Nightjar, Grey-headed Fish-eagle, Collared Falconet, Woolly-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Blue-rumped Pitta, Bar-bellied Pitta, Blue-winged Pitta, Black-and-red Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, Dusky Broadbill, Golden-crested Myna, Grey-faced Tit-babbler.
The good time for birding and bird photography in Cat Tien national park are from Dec to May when the dry season. For Pittas photography you should arrange your time around the end of Dec to middle Apr, from The end of Apr to July are also good time for bird photography in Cat Tien, this is the nesting season so birds are often easy to get the good shot near the nest.
For planning the birding trip or bird photography you may also learn more at Cat Tien tour