Bird List in Phnom Penh By Vana Adventure Travel, 2025

Bird List in Phnom Penh

By Vana Adventure Travel, 2025

Phnom Penh, the vibrant capital of Cambodia, is more than just a bustling city of culture and history. It also serves as an exceptional birdwatching destination, home to a wide variety of residential and migratory bird species.

Among its most notable residents is the Cambodian Tailorbird — an endemic species found only in Cambodia — along with a rich diversity of wetland and woodland birds.

At Vana Adventure Travel, our birding experiences in Phnom Penh have revealed that birds can be spotted throughout the year. While residential species are observable year-round, the presence of migratory birds varies by season and climate conditions. Based on our field observations, we’ve compiled a categorized list of birds found in Phnom Penh and included the most common locations to spot them.

Categories of Birds in Phnom Penh

We’ve divided the bird species into two main categories:

1. Residential Birds (Year-Round Species)

These species are commonly seen throughout the year in various habitats, such as wetlands, rice fields, gardens, lakes, and forest patches.

Notable Locations: Phnom Penh’s outskirts, Boeung Cheung Ek Wetlands, Silk Island (Koh Dach), Boeung Trabek wetlands, Chroy Changvar, and nearby agricultural fields.

  1. Cambodian Tailorbird (Endemic)
  2. Indochinese Roller
  3. Black-winged Kite
  4. Yellow-vented Bulbul
  5. Zebra Dove
  6. Spotted Dove
  7. Indian Spot-billed Duck
  8. Black-winged Kite
  9. Plain Prinia
  10. Yellow-bellied Prinia
  11. Asian Green Bee-eater
  12. Blue-tailed Bee-eater
  13. Black Drongo
  14. Racket-tailed Treepie
  15. White-breasted Waterhen
  16. Grey-headed Swamphen
  17. Chestnut Munia
  18. Scaly-breasted Munia
  19. Common Kingfisher
  20. Pied Kingfisher
  21. Collared Kingfisher
  22. White-throated Kingfisher
  23. Coppersmith Barbet
  24. Asian Koel
  25. Plaintive Cuckoo
  26. Greater Coucal
  27. Lesser Coucal
  28. Watercock
  29. Javan Pond Heron
  30. Yellow Bittern
  31. Cinnamon Bittern
  32. Little Ringed Plover
  33. Little Cormorant
  34. Little Grebe
  35. Paddyfield Pipit
  36. Pied Bushchat
  37. Oriental Magpie Robin
  38. White-rumped Shama
  39. Little Egret
  40. Intermediate Egret
  41. Oriental Darter
  42. Common Snipe
  43. Eurasian Hoopoe
  44. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
  45. Ornate Sunbird
  46. Brown-throated Sunbird
  47. Small Buttonquail
  48. Green-billed Malkoha
  49. Asian Pied Fantail
  50. Lesser Whistling Duck
  51. Bronze-winged Jacana
  52. Black-naped Oriole
  53. Black-crowned Night Heron
  54. Red-wattled Lapwing
  55. Baya Weaver
  56. Indian Nightjar
  57. Golden-bellied Gerygone
  58. Spotted Owlet
  59. Abbott’s Babbler
  60. Zitting Cisticola
  61. Striated Grassbird
  62. Common Iora
  63. Common Tailorbird
  64. White-browed Crake
  65. Yellow-browed Warbler
  66. Cotton Pygmy Goose

2. Migratory Birds (Seasonal Visitors)

These species visit Phnom Penh during their seasonal migration patterns. The timing of their appearance may vary depending on climate conditions and habitat quality.

Best Viewing Areas: Boeung Cheung Ek Wetlands, Mekong River floodplains, rice paddies on the outskirts of the city, and semi-forested areas.

  1. Brown Shrike (Aug–Mar)
  2. Whiskered Tern (Sept–Jun)
  3. Oriental Pratincole (Feb–Sep)
  4. Blue-winged Pitta (Apr–Aug)
  5. Indian Thick-knee (Jun–Sep)
  6. Rain Quail (Jul–Sep)
  7. Greater Painted Snipe (Jul–Oct)
  8. Pintail Snipe (Jul–Oct)
  9. Asian Brown Flycatcher
  10. Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo
  11. Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Jul–Sep)
  12. Black Bittern (Sep–Jan)
  13. Forest Wagtail (Feb–Apr)
  14. Black-naped Monarch
  15. Hainan Blue Flycatcher
  16. Taiga Flycatcher
  17. Ashy Drongo
  18. Black Baza (Jan–Apr)
  19. Jerdon’s Baza (Jan–Apr)
  20. Mugimaki Flycatcher (Feb–Apr)
  21. Blue-and-white Flycatcher (Feb–Apr)
  22. Siberian Blue Robin (Mar–Apr)
  23. Narcissus Flycatcher (Mar–Apr)
  24. Ashy Minivet
  25. White Wagtail (Jul–Sep)
  26. Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Jul–Sep)
  27. Malayan Night Heron
  28. Red Avadavat / Red Munia (Jul–Sep)
  29. Ruddy breasted Crake (Jul-Sep)
  30. Thick-billed Green Pigeon
  31. White-throated Rock Thrush
  32. Verditer Flycatcher
  33. White-rumped Munia
  34. Grey Heron
  35. Purple Heron
  36. Black-winged Cuckooshrike
  37. Amur Stonechat
  38. Common Sandpiper
  39. Darksided Flycatcher
  40. Ferruginous Flycatcher
  41. Common Greenshank
  42. Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher
  43. Moustached Hawk-Cuckoo (Jan–May)
  44. Glossy Ibis (Aug–Oct)

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Final Note

Please keep in mind that the timing of migratory bird sightings in Phnom Penh is approximate and may vary year to year depending on weather patterns and habitat conditions. That said, the biodiversity around the capital is truly impressive. Over 100 bird species can be observed, offering fantastic opportunities for both beginner and seasoned birders.

For guided birding tours in Phnom Penh or across Cambodia, contact Vana Adventure Travel — your local expert in immersive wildlife experiences….

 

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