Bang Lang Stork Garden

The stork garden at Bang Lang is a private plot of bamboo and fruit trees where, from the early 1980s, the owner Nguyen Ngoc Thuyen stopped hunting the birds that came in and began protecting them instead; the colony grew from a few pairs to several tens of thousands of birds - egrets and pond herons mostly, along with other waterbirds - roosting and nesting in a few hectares of trees. The family still runs it, with a viewing tower and a modest entry fee. Birds leave to feed in the paddies in the morning and come back in numbers around dusk, which is the time to be there.

What's there

• A private garden turned colony - after the owner stopped hunting in the 1980s.
• Tens of thousands of birds - egrets, pond herons and others.
• A viewing tower - built into the family's plot.
• Birds returning at dusk - the time worth being there.

When to go

November to April, arriving in the late afternoon. Half a day.

Practical notes

Go at dusk or there will be very little to see. It is a small private site with basic facilities. The smell and noise of a large roost are considerable. Binoculars help.

Nearby

Can Tho and the Cai Rang market are south; Long Xuyen is north-west.