Hoang et al., J Adv Biotechnol Exp Ther. 2020; 3(1): 29-42 www.bsmiab.org/jabet 29 Birds from Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Thanh Hoa Province, North Vietnam: an update on biodiversity and checklist Hung Ngoc Hoang 1,2 , Son Hung Lan Nguyen 2, *, Cu Nguyen 3 1 Hong Duc University, 565 Quang Trung Street, Dong Ve Ward, Thanh Hoa City, Vietnam. 2 Faculty of Biology, Hanoi National University of Education, 136 Xuan Thuy Road, Cau Giay District, Ha Noi, Vietnam. 3 Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay District, Ha Noi, Vietnam. *Corresponding author. Son Hung Lan Nguyen, Associate Professor, Faculty of Biology, Hanoi National University of Education, 136 Xuan Thuy Road, Cau Giay District, Ha Noi, Vietnam, Email: sonnlh@hnue.edu.vn, Tel.:+84-903212615. Academic Editor: Dr. Md Jamal Uddin, Ewha Womans University, South Korea. Received: 01 October 2019; Accepted: 15 November 2019; Published: 19 January 2020. ABSTRACT: Combining use of various methods of bird study from line transect observations, birds capture and release by mist-nets, collection of specimens from local people and analysis of samples kept at Pu Luong Nature Reserve (NR) office throughout the time from 2015 to 2018 and inherit the results of previous studies, we provide an updated list of 252 species of bird belonging to 58 families and 15 orders from Pu Luong NR, Thanh Hoa Province, North Vietnam.. A total of 216 species of birds were recorded during four years. In which, 74 species are reported for the first time from this nature reserve, and 41 species are first records for the avifauna of Thanh Hoa Province. Additional, the data of distribution characters of avifauna in each study site are also provided. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2019), five species were in the Near Threatened category and three species were in the vulnerable category. Compared to 6 other National Park (NP) and NR in the North Central Coast of Vietnam, the avifauna in Pu Luong NR is close to the avifauna in Pu Hu NR. There are 89 common bird species recorded in all 7 NP and NR, while there are 15 species recorded only in Pu Luong NR. Birds are considered as good bio-indicators of the degree of human disturbance to the forest ecosystem. Observing changes in bird community can assess the status of the forest in the future. KEYWORDS: Birds, updated list, distribution, Pu Luong Nature Reserve, conservation. INTRODUCTION Vietnam is one of the countries with the richest of avifauna in Southeast Asia. The total number of birds recorded from 828 in 1999 [1] to 887 in 2011 [2] and may be up to 943 species in 2019 [3]. Vietnam is home to 19 endemic bird species and subspecies groups, and another 27 near-endemic species, the largest number of any country in mainland South-East Asia [4]. The Government of Vietnam has planned a national special- use forests system to conserve and develop sustainably important natural ecosystems and endangered, precious and rare wildlife including 34 NP, 58 NR, 14 habitat and species conservation areas, 61 ecological landscape protection areas, nine forest scientific experiment sites [5]. The investigation of the updated list of species in protected areas has important implications in the management, protection and sustainable development of forest resources. Pu Luong NR was established in 1999 to conserve typical ecosystems, flora and fauna species of lowland areas on Limestone Mountains. These are located in North Central Coast of Vietnam with a total area of 17,171.53 ha (according to the adjusted plan of 2013), the Pu Luong NR is divided into three functional subdivisions: strict protection subdivision (12,561.60 ha), forest rehabilitation subdivision (4,300.40 ha) and administrative and service subdivision (216.03 ha), other land (93 ha). With the beautifully and typically ecological landscape of high mountains ranging from 60 to 1,667m above sea level, the highest peak is Pu Luong ORIGINAL ARTICLE J Adv Biotechnol Exp Ther. 2020; 3(1): 29-42 eISSN: 2616-4760, https://doi.org/10.5455/jabet.2020.d104 Published by www.bsmiab.org