All 3 in 3 days here: ~40%
City
Ho Chi Minh City
🇻🇳 Vietnam
Southeast Asia, Vietnam 266 spp. recorded
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the most populous city and centrally-governed city of Vietnam. Its geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is the Saigon River. Wikipedia
10.846° N 106.746° E
🦜 Nature
266 Species sighted
9,765 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jan Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Asian House Shrew
Suncus murinus
LC
Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat
Cynopterus sphinx
LC
Oriental House Rat
Rattus tanezumi
LC
Polynesian Rat
Rattus exulans
LC
Greater Bandicoot-rat
Bandicota indica
LC
Mainland Leopard Cat
Prionailurus bengalensis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Butler's Ricefrog
Microhyla butleri
LC
Beautiful Pygmy Frog
Microhyla pulchra
LC
Mada Paddy Frog
Micryletta erythropoda
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
🌙 Most active after dark
Challenges you can complete here
All 4 in 3 days here: ~10%
Recent sightings in Ho Chi Minh City
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens
-
Tan Son Nhat Interntional Airport
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
50Jan
44Feb
45Mar
42Apr
44May
46Jun
41Jul
45Aug
46Sep
42Oct
39Nov
40Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Medium
Protected land
—
Protected sea
0.2%
Protected areas
1
areasWildlife spots
8
spotsZoos & centres
1
placesClimate
Tropical savanna
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Zoos & rescue centres
0.0 World-class
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
4.8
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 543
🐒 Mammals 136
🦎 Reptiles 149
🐸 Amphibians 37
865 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
71 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
4.7
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
70% 📊
Coverage (143 species at ≥5% of 865 in the inventory)
17% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 2 reptile, 1 mammal, 1 amphibian)
69% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
2 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
22 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.8
Climate Pleasant High
Green cover Medium Medium
Protected land & sea 0.2% sea Low
Protected areas 1 Medium
Wildlife spots 8 Medium
Zoos & centres 1 Medium
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Ho Chi Minh City?
266 species
Ho Chi Minh City's urban area has 266 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Eurasian Tree Sparrow (about 90%), Vietnamese Blue Crested Lizard (about 80%), Pearl-necked Dove (about 80%), Coppersmith Barbet (about 70%) and Ayeyarwady Bulbul (about 70%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Pallas's Squirrel (about 60%); among amphibians, Common Indian Toad (about 60%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Ho Chi Minh City?
June
In that month the city's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 60% in October. That is one of Ho Chi Minh City's wettest months, with about 210 mm of rain against 5 mm in February.
Can you see a Vietnamese Blue Crested Lizard in Ho Chi Minh City?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Vietnamese Blue Crested Lizard sighting in Ho Chi Minh City on a given day, based on 315 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March (about 90%).
Can you see an Ayeyarwady Bulbul in Ho Chi Minh City?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report an Ayeyarwady Bulbul sighting in Ho Chi Minh City on a given day, based on 312 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is May and June (about 90%).
Can you see a White-nest Swiftlet in Ho Chi Minh City?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a White-nest Swiftlet sighting in Ho Chi Minh City on a given day, based on 422 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is June (about 90%).
Where in Ho Chi Minh City is wildlife easiest to see?
Tao Dan Park
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Tao Dan Park (63 bird species recorded), followed by Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens and Sala Township. See them on the map.
Is Ho Chi Minh City good for wildlife watching?
4.7 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Ho Chi Minh City gets 4.7/5: 53rd of 380 cities worldwide and 6th in Southeast Asia. 29 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data