Yok Don National Park is located on relatively flat terrain, with an average elevation of 200 m above the sea, at km38 of Provincial Highway 1, Krong Na Commune, Buon Don District, about 40 km north of Buon Ma Thuot City.
In the national park, there are more than 12 ranger stations, so the conservation of forest ecosystems is always concerned. In addition, the rangers here also focus on preventing forest leaf fires in the dry season.
Unlike tropical forests, evergreen forests, jungles or mangroves, Yok Don is the only remaining box forest in Vietnam, with green and deciduous seasons like temperate forests. According to forest rangers at the garden, the word "box" is read from Lao, meaning "misery, poverty", the box forest is "poor" in soil nutrition, so the tree is not large, the canopy is not dense and in the dry season, the tree sheds its leaves to minimize energy consumption.
Every 12 to 2 months, the forest dyes its leaves bright yellow, then in March, layers of dry leaves fall to cover the ground and it is not until May 5, when the rainy season begins, that the trees here sprout green shoots again. According to statistics, the fauna of Yok Don has more than 450 species, including 89 species of mammals, 305 species of birds, 48 species of reptiles, 16 species of amphibians, hundreds of species of freshwater fish and thousands of species of insects.
Watching the forest during the fall season and learning about birds are among the most popular ecotourism activities, with 500,000 VND/person/3-hour tour.
According to the management, Yok Don National Park has a rich bird system, which is a favorite object of nature-loving photographers. Typical species range from red-hipped bluewoodpecker, red-breasted parrot, forest lemongrass, small paddle, brown starling, crested swift, petty to rare waterfowl such as white-winged geese, large-winged gooseberries or white-necked cranes.
Vo Rin said that to see many birds, visitors should choose the time between February and the end of April, the peak of the dry season. Forest trees shed all their leaves to cope with the dry weather of the Central Highlands, making it easier to observe and photograph birds.
One of the rare species in Yok Don Garden is the white-necked crane, which has a wingspan of 75-91 cm, slightly smaller than other species in the crane family. The bird has a black head top, glossy black wings and body contrasting with a white neck, a black beak with a dark red beak. This species is settling, living in swampy areas, wetlands and forest edges, but only in open places.
One of the impressive birds in Yok Don is the white-browed huff. This is a small owl, the body of which is about 20 cm long, hunting during the day. Birds have thick white eyebrows, prominent golden eyes, a gray-brown upper body with many white spots, and a white lower body with many brown stripes on the chest.
The Burmese flower kite is a common settler in Yok Don, with a wingspan of 51 - 71 cm. Birds often perch high on dry trees and, when swooping to the ground, wag their tails from side to side, habitat in mountainous forest areas, have room to an altitude of nearly 2,500 m and nest from January to October.
Photographers shared that visitors who want to see and hunt bird photos must wake up early to pack and be ready at 5:30, the best birdwatching time of the day.
According to VnE