#353 Vietnam...Thanks Nguyen!

This "Precious and Rare Birds of Vietnam Coastal Area" FDC was issued on May 25,2010 displaying 3 emigrating birds in the coastal area of Vietnam:

Nordmann's Greenshank (Tringa guttifer),which is an endangered species,breeds in eastern Russia along the south-western and northern coasts of the Sea of Okhotsk and on Sakhalin Island. Its non-breeding range is not fully understood, but significant numbers have been recorded in South Korea,China on passage, and in Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia in winter. It has also been recorded on passage or in winter in Japan, North Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (which may prove to be an important part of its wintering range), Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia. There are unconfirmed records from Nepal and Guam (to US). It probably has a population of 500-1,000 individuals.

Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Calidris pygmeus) is a small wader which breeds in northeastern Russia and winters in Southeast Asia.The most distinctive feature of this species is its spatulate bill.This bird is critically endangered, with a current population of fewer than 2500 - probably fewer than 1000 - mature individuals. The main threats to its survival are habitat loss on its breeding grounds and loss of tidal flats through its migratory and wintering range.

Saunders's Gull (Larus saundersi) is a species of gull in the Laridae family. It is found in China, , Japan, Korea,Russia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are estuarine waters and intertidal marshes. As many other gulls, it was traditionally placed in the genus Larus. It is the only member of the genus Saundersilarus. It is threatened by habitat loss. One of its few remaining strongholds are the Yancheng Coastal Wetlands, which hosts about 20% of the world's population. The Saunders' Gull is named after British ornithologist, Howard Saunders.