The image of a flock of pigeons flying above Notre Dame Cathedral (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) every morning has become familiar in many people’s minds. Usually at 6 a.m., squirrels, pigeons, and sparrows will gather in front of the church to wait for breakfast including rice, beans, breadcrumbs or fruit from the people. For the people here, perhaps taking care of these animals has become their daily habit.
Mrs. Hong Thanh (45 years old) always walks from home to this place every morning to feed the pigeons. “I spent a few hundred thousand out of pocket to buy rice and fruit to take care of pigeons and squirrels. I come to feed them every day, whether it’s sunny or rainy. This makes me feel light and peaceful. “, she shared. It is known that the number of pigeons is less than before due to the impact of the epidemic. They also no longer stayed behind Notre Dame Cathedral but moved to the green trees next to it.
On weekends, birds become the focus of residents and tourists. Especially for young children, many parents bring their children here to play, watch birds and practice observing nature. Ms. Nguyen Thi Quy (Go Vap district) said: “Our family rarely has time to rest on weekends. So, even though my home is far away, I still bring my children here to breathe fresh air in the morning and play with the pigeons.”
In addition, people often bring fruit home for the squirrels to eat. These squirrels live on top of the ancient black star tree. When necessary, they can jump from tree to tree. It is known that in addition to bananas, mangoes, dragon fruits, kiwis, squirrels can also eat passion fruit and some other sweet fruits.
In addition to Notre Dame Cathedral, Tao Dan Park (District 1) is also considered the “green lung of the city”. The park is about 10 hectares wide with more than 1,000 shady trees. This is also where many wild animals live, attracting many nature enthusiasts. The most common in the city are sparrows, followed by brown starlings, black starlings or cuckoos. In the photo is a sparrow, plump body with brown, black, white feathers and round wings.
If you observe closely, many people will see many other beautiful and rare birds. They live interspersed in the heart of the city, on streets, parks or temples. In the photo is a hornbill (also known as a land phoenix) taken at Tao Dan park. Currently, this bird is considered a near (near) endangered species on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list. Vietnam puts hornbills on the list of prohibited trade, even just one bird can be prosecuted for criminal liability. However, their hornbeak trade still takes place underground and is difficult to control. The value of this species is estimated at 6,150 USD/kg.
One of the most beautiful, rare and impressive migratory birds is the blue-winged bird in Tao Dan park. They often reside and feed in the forests of Indonesia. The breeding season usually starts in April every year, they will return to Vietnam to pair, nest and give birth to a new generation of young birds.
According to a photographer specializing in taking pictures of animals, birds and reptiles also gather in Ky Hoa Lake Park (District 10), District 7 and District 12. On the tall oil trees in Ky Hoa Park is the birthplace life of the yellow-backed flycatcher (illustration) ), the yellow-backed flycatcher is also known as the rower. However, these birds usually do not stay for too long, they appear here for a few weeks and then fly elsewhere to feed. Birds in the park forage in the wild and are sometimes fed by bird photographers.
In addition, the park is also home to reptiles. In the photo are termite snakes taken at Anh Sao bridge (District 7) and at Tao Dan park.
Far from the city center is the Can Gio mangrove forest, recognized by UNESCO as the first world biosphere reserve in Vietnam in 2000, covering more than 75,000 hectares, located on the vast delta of the Dong Nai River. , Saigon and Vam Co Dong, Vam Co Tay.
Over the past 20 years, the forest has acted as the green lung of the city. Ho Chi Minh City, home to hundreds of species of wild animals. In particular, there are more than 130 bird species here, including migratory species in different habitats, creating a vivid natural picture.
Here, people build raft houses on the river to make a living from aquatic species. Today, many people still weave between the intertwined cork trees and mangrove trees of Sac forest to hunt octopus, carp, carp…
