Đà Lạt Plateau

The Đà Lạt Plateau (also called Lâm Viên Plateau, Lang Biang Plateau) is a plateau in southeastern Vietnam.

At its centre is the city of Da Lat.

Several mountains in this area rise to over 2000 m, the highest being Chu Yang Sin at 2442 m.

Avifauna

The plateau has been designated as an Endemic Bird Area by BirdLife International. The plateau comprises a multitude of habitats for birds. Restricted-range species such as the crested argus (Rheinardia ocellata), short-tailed scimitar babbler (Jabouilleia danjoui), black-hooded laughingthrush (Garrulax milleti), white-cheeked laughingthrush (Garrulax vassali), collared laughingthrush (Garrulax yersini), grey-crowned crocias (crocias langbianis) and yellow-billed nuthatch (Sitta solangiae) inhabit the tropical montane broadleaf evergreen forest, the notable exception being the Vietnamese greenfinch (Carduelis monguilloti), which prefers pine forest. The varying altitudes in the plateau also form a congenial environment for birds that are suited to low altitude (up to 1,650 m) such as the black-hooded laughingthrush and the grey-crowned crocias, which rarely ventures above 1,450 m, while the collared laughingthrush often inhabits the higher peaks of the region, reaching above 1,500 m.