Birds were surveyed in Phongsaly province, Laos, during March 1996, September 2003, May 2004, late November–December 2004, and March 2005, focusing on the rivers of the Phou Dendin National Protected Area (NPA), the proposed Nam Lan conservation area, the Phou Taleng provincial conservation area, the Phou Fa forest adjacent to Phongsaly town, high-altitude scrub and grass habitats around the town, and lower-altitude non-forest habitats around Ban Muangyo. During the 1990s, most of the Lao NPAs received a baseline bird survey but Phou Dendin NPA hosted only short reconnaissances. Several bird species new for Laos were found, reflecting the survey’s location (far north of the country) and timing (late autumn and spring migrations). Many other bird species were found for which there are few previous records from Laos. The species of greatest conservation significance was the globally Near Threatened Lesser Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga humilis: the Nam Ou basin supports one of the most important populations in South-East Asia. The enigmatic (in Laos) Little Cuckoo Dove Macropygia ruficeps was found for the first time in over 50 years in the country, and the only known potentially viable population of Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos in Laos significantly north of Vientiane was documented. Several other bird species of global or national conservation concern were found. Forest birds in the NPA were only patchily investigated and there may be important populations of them, too. Among specifically hunted and otherwise harvested species, major declines of hornbills, parakeets and pigeons have occurred, although pheasants and partridges remain common. Non-forest bird communities were highly imbalanced with the loss, or major decline, of various species such as Coturnix quails, Streptopelia doves, lapwings, egrets (except on passage), Black-billed Magpie Pica pica, Large-billed Crow, sturnids and others. Range and status are documented for several taxa which recent Lao surveys have not usually identified to form, e.g. ‘golden-spectacled warbler’ Seicercus burkii allies and White Wagtail Motacilla alba races.