The total number of bird species
recorded in the island is 492 of which 219 are breeding residents. Most of them
are found in the wet zone. The winter migrants come from distant Siberia and Western Europe. The reservoirs attract vast number of
water birds. The forests attract many other species. There are many bird sanctuaries across the island.
Kumana, Bundala, Kalamatiya, Sinharaja
Rain Forest, Udawatta
Kale, Bellanwila, Muthurajawela, Minneriya, Kitulgala and Minipe are important
bird watching locations. In additions you can see birds through out the country
in pockets of forests, lakes, lagoons and river sides. Sri Lanka is home to 26 endemic
bird species and seven proposed species which would increase the list to 33.
1. Sri Lanka Spurfowl
Scientific Name - galloperdix
bicalcarata
Common Name – Haban Kukula
It belongs to the order Galliformes and the family Phasianidae. The Sri Lanka Spurfowl is a
member of the pheasant family which is endemic to the dense rainforests of Sri Lanka. It
is a very secretive bird, and despite its size is difficult to see as it slips
through dense undergrowth. Often the only indication of its presence is its
distinctive ringing call, consisting of series of three-syllabled whistles. This
spurfowl is one of three species of bird in the genus Galloperdix.
It is a ground nesting bird,
which lays 2-5 eggs in a scrape. It is a plump, 37 cm long bird. Both sexes
have brown upperparts, wings and tail. There is a red facial skin patch, and a
whitish throat. The legs are red. Like most of the pheasant family, Sri Lanka
Spurfowl is a terrestrial species. It scratches vigorously amongst the leaf litter
of the forest floor for various seeds, fallen fruit and insects. It appears in
the one rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp. It is listed under Least Concerned by the IUCN.
2. Sri Lanka Junglefowl
Scientific Name – gallus
lafayetii
Common Name – Wali Kukula
The Sri Lanka Junglefowl is the
national bird of Sri Lanka. It belongs to the order Galliformes and the family Phasianidae. It is closely related to the Red Junglefowl from which the chicken was
domesticated. The male is much larger than the female, with more vivid plumage
and a highly exaggerated wattle and comb. The male ranges from 66–73 cm long,
essentially resembling a large rooster. The male has orange-red body plumage,
and dark purple to black wings and tail. The female is much smaller, at only 35
cm, with dull brown plumage with white patterning on the lower belly and
breast, ideal camouflage for a nesting bird.
It is a terrestrial species and
spends most of its time foraging for food by scratching the ground for various
seeds, fallen fruit and insects. It is a ground nesting bird, and lays 2-4 eggs
in a nest. Similar to many members of the pheasant family, the colourful male
plays no part in the incubation of the eggs or rearing of the young. These
duties are performed by the drab female. It used to be distributed throughout
the island but it is nowadays common only in the wilder parts of the dry zone. It is listed under Least Concerned by the IUCN.
3. Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot
Scientific Name – loriculus berylinus
Common Name – Gira Maliththa or Pol Girawa
It belongs to the order Psittaciaformes and the family Psittaciadae. This is a small parrot which is a resident endemic breeder in Sri Lanka. It is the size of a House Sparrow measuring only 13 cm long with a short tail. The adult is mainly green with a red crown and rump. The nape and back have on orange tint. The chin and throat are pale blue. The beak is red and the irises are white. Immature birds lack the orange hue to the back, have a duller rump, and have only a hint of orange on the crown. They have a faint blue throat, orange beaks and brown irises. It is less gregarious than some of its relatives, and is usually alone or in small groups outside the breeding season. Its flight is swift and direct, and the call is a sharp whistled twiwittwit, twitwitwit. It undergoes local movements, driven mainly by the availability of the fruit, seeds, buds and blossoms that make up its diet.
It is a bird of open forest and
strictly arboreal, never descending to the ground. Its breeding habits are
highly remarkable. It nests in holes in trees, laying 2–3 white eggs. The
lorikeet breeds in the first half of the year, and sometimes again in
July-September. This brilliantly-colored little parrot is found everywhere in
the hills up to 4,000 feet, and in the north-east monsoon it ascends a thousand
feet higher; it also inhabits the low-country wet zone and parts of the dry
zone to the south of the Northern Province. The Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot is
featured in the 15 cents postal stamp and the new 1,000 rupee note. It is listed by the IUCN under Least Concerned.
4. Layard’s Parakeet
Scientific Name – psittacula
calthropae
Common Name – Alu Girawa
The name of this endemic breeder
commemorates the British naturalist Edgar Leopold Layard. It is also referred
to as the Sri Lanka Emerald Collared Parakeet. It too belongs to the order Psittaciaformes and the family Psittaciadae.
Its color is mainly green and it measures up to at least 29 cm long
including a tail of up to 13 cm. The adult has a bluish-grey head and back,
separated by a green collar. There is a broad black chin stripe and the tail is
blue tipped yellow. The female is similar, but has an all black beak and less
green on the face than the male. Immature birds are mainly green, with an
orange bill.
Layard's Parakeet is a bird of
forests, particularly at the edges and in clearings, and also gardens. It is
locally common and undergoes local movements, driven mainly by the availability
of the fruit, seeds, buds and blossoms that make up its diet. It is less
gregarious than some of its relatives, and is usually in small groups outside
the breeding season, when it often feeds with Brahminy Starlings. Its flight is
swift and direct, and the call is distinctive as it’s a raucous chattering. It
nests in holes in large trees, laying 3–4 white eggs. It appears on the 50
cents postal stamp and the new 500 rupee note. It is listed by the IUCN under Least Concerned.
5. Red Faced Malkoha
Scientific Name – phaenicophaeus
pyrrhocephalus
Common Name – Watha Rathu Mal
Koha
It is a member of the cuckoo
order of birds, the Cuculiformes. This is a large species at 46 cm with a long
graduated tail. Its back is dark green, and the upper tail is green edged with
white. The belly and under tail are white, the latter being barred black. The
crown and throat are black, and the lower face white. There is a large red patch
around the eye and the bill is green. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are much
duller.
It takes a variety of insects
including caterpillars, giant stick insects, mantises and small vertebrates
such as lizards. Unlike most cuckoos, this is a quiet species, making only an
odd soft grunt. The Red Faced Malkoha is a bird of dense forests, where it can
be difficult to see despite its size and colour. In the island it is largely
confined to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve and the surrounding vegetation. It is
also found in scattered riverine habitats in the dry zone, such as Lahugala,
Wasgamuwa, Manik Ganga and Kubukkan Oya. The breeding season is in the first
half of the year and probably again in August-September. The nest is described
as a shallow saucer of grass, roots and twigs, very carelessly put together,
and placed in high bushes in forest with thick undergrowth with the typical
clutch being 2-3 eggs. The IUCN has listed its status as Vulnerable. It appears
in a 5 rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp.
6. Green Billed Coucal
Scientific Name – centropus
chlororhynchos
Common Name – Bata Ati Kukula
It is the only other member of
the Cuculiformes that is endemic to Sri Lanka. The Green-Billed Coucal
is a rare and shy species of the tall rainforests of southwest Sri Lanka.
It is found only in the forests of the wet zone, west, south-west and south of
the main mountain massif, which it ascends to 2,500 feet, or perhaps higher. This
is a large species at 43 cm. Its head and body are purple-black, the wings are
maroon above and black below, and the long tail is dark green. The bill is a
distinctive light green. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller and
streaked.
It nests in a bush, and the
typical clutch is 2-3 eggs. The Green-billed Coucal takes a wide range of
insects, caterpillars and small vertebrates, but snails are a favourite. This
species is somewhat smaller and less contrasted than the widespread Greater
Coucal. Despite its size and distinctive call, this is a difficult species to
see because of the dense habitat in which it lives and its retiring nature. It
has a small and declining population as a result of the forest destruction. The
IUCN has listed its status as Vulnerable. This bird appears in a 20 rupee Sri
Lankan postal stamp.
7. Serendib Scops Owl
Scientific Name – otus thilohoffmanni
Common Name – Pandu Kan-Bassa
It belongs to the order
Strigiformes and is one of the two endemic owls in Sri Lanka. It is strictly nocturnal
and hunts for food during the first two hours of darkness. Its diet consists
mainly of insects like beetles and moths. It begins calling at dusk, and rises
again some two hours before dawn. Unlike the other two species of Scops owl in
found Sri Lanka,
Collared Scops Owl and Oriental Scops Owl, it does not have ear tufts and its
facial disc is only weakly defined. It is around 16.5 cm long with a short
tail. It is generally reddish brown with paler underparts, spotted all over
with fine black markings. The irides are tawny yellow and the feet are a pale
fleshy colour.
It is the most recently
discovered bird of Sri Lanka
and also the first new species of bird since 1868. It was originally located by
its unfamiliar poo-ooo call in the Kitulgala rainforest by Sri Lankan
ornithologist Deepal Warakagoda. Six years later, it was finally seen by him in
2001 in Sinharaja, and formally described as a species new to science in 2004. Apart
from Sinharaja and Kitulgala, it has also been found at Runakanda Reserve in
Morapitiya and Eratna Gilimale.
The habitat of the Serendib
Scops-owl is in the southern rain forests of Sri Lanka. There is an altitudinal
range from 30 to 50 metres. This owl has no competition from other nocturnal
birds as the territories are completely different. This species has a very
small population. In 2006 only 80 of them were known to exist with the IUCN
recording its status as Endangered.
8. Chestnut-backed Owl
Scientific Name – glaucidium castanonotum
Common Name – Pitathambala Upa-Bassa
This species is a part of the
larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most
species of owl. It is small and stocky about 19 cm. The upperparts and wings
are mainly chestnut brown with darker barring. The underparts are white with
blackish shaft-streaks. The facial disc is mainly brown and the eyes are
yellow. There is a white neckband. Sexes are similar.
It is shy and wary and frequents
the tops of tall trees, usually on steep hillsides. It is very diurnal in
habits, often hunting and calling in broad daylight. It feeds mainly on
insects, such as beetles, but also captures mice, small lizards and small
birds. The breeding season is from March to May, the eggs being laid on the
bare wood in a hole in the trunk of a tree. It lays around only two eggs at a
time. The call is a slow kraw-kraw and carries for a long distance.
It is a resident bird in the wet
zone forests of Sri Lanka,
and can be seen at sites such as Kitulgala and Sinharaja. Its range has undoubtedly
shrunk and can now be found sparingly in the remaining forests of the wet zone
and adjoining hills up to 6,500 feet. The IUCN has recorded its status as Near
Threatened.
9. Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon
Scientific Name – columba torringtoni
Common Name – Mailagoya
The Wood Pigeon is the only
endemic bird from the order of Columbiformes although the Pornpadour Green
Pigeon has been proposed. This is a pigeon which is an endemic resident breeder
in the mountains of Sri
Lanka. Its normal range is from 3,000 feet
upwards to the highest elevations, but it wanders about a great deal and
sometimes descends as low as 1000 feet in the damp forests of the wet zone. The
Woodpigeon is 36 cm in length about the size of the domestic pigeon, but with a
longer tail. Its upperparts and tail are dark grey, and the head and underparts
are lilac, becoming paler on the belly. There is a black-and-white chessboard
pattern on the nape.
Exclusively a forest dweller, it
lives in pairs though small flocks will form where food is abundant. It is
strictly arboreal, feeding on a variety of small jungle fruits and berries,
among which the fruits of the wild cinnamon are much liked. The breeding season
is from February to May, and again from August to October. The nest is the
usual pigeon-type, scanty platform of twigs; it is placed among foliage in the
canopy of a forest tree. It lays only a single white egg at a time. Normally
silent it utters an owl-like hoo call in the breeding season. It appears in a
25 cents Sri Lankan postal stamp. The IUCN has listed its status as Vulnerable.
10. Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill
Scientific Name – ocyceros
gingalensis
Common Name – Alu Kadatta
This is a widespread and common
endemic resident breeder in Sri
Lanka. Hornbills are a family of tropical
near-passerine birds found in the Old World.
It is the only endemic bird belonging to the order Coraciiformes and the
Bucerotidae family. It is a large bird 45cm in length and has grey wings with
black primary flight feathers, a grey back, and a brown crown. Its long tail is
blackish with white sides, and the underparts are white. Its unique feature is
the long curved bill. Sexes are similar, although the male has a cream-coloured
bill, whereas the female's is black with a cream stripe. Immature birds have
dark grey upperparts, a cream bill, and a tail with a white tip. Its flight is
slow and powerful.
It lives in pairs or small flocks.
It feeds mostly on figs, although occasionally it eats small rodents, reptiles
and insects. In spite of its size it is often very subtle as it has a habit of
sitting quietly among foliage, in a very upright position, turning its head
stealthily in all directions while scanning the environment for food. The
breeding season is from April to August and the nest is cavity in the bole of a
large tree, usually at height from the ground. The female is known to lay up to
four eggs which are white. It is common in all low-country forested areas, both
wet and dry zone, although it is known to occasionally ascend to the hills. Its
status is listed as Least Concerned by the IUCN.
11. Sri Lanka Blue Magpie
Scientific Name – urocissa ornate
Common Name – Lanka Kahibella
It is the only member of the
Corvidae or crow family that is endemic to Sri Lanka. It belongs to the order
Passeriformes. It is about the same size as the Mynah or House Crow at 42–47
cm. The adults are blue with chestnut head and wings, and a long white-tipped
tail. The legs and bill are red. The young bird is a duller version of the
adult. It has a variety of calls including mimicry, a loud chink-chink and a
rasping krak-krak-krak-krak.
This is a species of a dense wet
evergreen temperate rain forest. It is declining due to loss of this habitat.
The Blue Magpie is usually found in small groups of up to six or seven birds.
It is largely carnivorous, eating small frogs, lizards, insects and other
invertebrates, but will eat fruit. The breeding season is in the first quarter
of the year. The cup-shaped stick nest is in a tree or shrub and there are
usually 3–5 eggs laid. The eggs are white heavily spotted with brown. Both
sexes build the nest and feed the young with only the female incubating them. Blue
Magpie appears in a 10 cents postal stamp, which was in wide usage in 1980s
through 1990s. The IUCN has listed it as Vulnerable.
12. Yellow-fronted Barbet
Scientific Name – megalaima flavifrons
Common Name – Mukalang Kottoruwa/ Rannalal Kottoruwa
It is an Asian barbet which is an
endemic resident breeder in Sri
Lanka. It belongs to the Megalaimidae family
and the Piciformes order. The barbets get their name from the bristles which
fringe their heavy bills. This is a medium-sized barbet at 21 cm. It is a plump
bird, with a short neck, large head and short tail. The adult has a mainly
green body and wing plumage, with a scaly appearance to the breast. It has a
blue face and throat, and a yellow crown and moustachial stripes.
Throughout its range it is a
common bird, not shy, and well known for its resounding call kow-kow. The
Yellow-fronted Barbet feeds on numerous kinds of berries, wild figs, and
cultivated fruits such as guavas, being rather a pest in orchards. The breeding
season is from February to May, with a secondary season in August-September,
but an occasional nest may be found at other times of the year. It is mainly a
bird of the hills which it ascends to at least 6,500 feet, but it is found in
many parts of the low-country wet zone, and in scattered colonies in some
dry-zone districts to the east of the mountains. Yellow-fronted Barbet is an
arboreal species of forests and other woodland, including large gardens, which
eats mainly fruit and only rarely insects. It nests in a tree hole, laying 2-3
eggs. Yellow-fronted Barbet appears in a 5 rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp. Its
listed in IUCN as Least Concerned.
13. Dull-Blue Flycatcher
Scientific Name – eumyias sordida
Common Name – Anduru Nil-Masimara
This is a small bird belonging to
the order, Passeriformes and the flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. It is an
endemic resident breeder confined to the hills above 2,000 feet, but is not
common below 3,000 feet. It inhabits forest or well-wooded ravines on estates
and gardens where plenty of shady trees give it the seclusion it loves. This
species is 15 cm long and is similar in shape to the Spotted Flycatcher and has
a loud melodic song. Adults are ashy blue, with a whitish belly. There is a
black patch between the broad black bill and the eye, bordered with brighter
blue above and below. Sexes are similar, but females are slightly duller.
Juveniles are brown, heavily spotted on the head, back, wing-coverts and breast
with pale buff; their flight feathers are broadly edged with blue-grey.
It feeds mainly on flying
insects, beetles, caterpillars and the like, but also eats berries. It has a
sweet rather loud song. The main breeding season is in the first half of the
year, March and April being the favourite months; but a second or a third brood
is often reared in August-September. The cup-shaped nest is a lined compact
mass of moss. The site is usually a well-shaded rock ledge. The normal clutch
is two or three brown-spotted pink eggs are laid. One of the best places to see
this species is Horton
Plains National
Park. The flycatcher appears in a 2 rupee Sri
Lankan postal stamp as well as the new 50 rupee note. Its status is listed by
the IUCN as Near Threatened.
14. Yellow-Eared Bulbul
Scientific Name – pycnonotus penicillatus
Common Name – Galuguduwa or Kahakondaya
This endemic resident breeder in the highlands of Sri Lanka
belongs to the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae and the order Passeriformes. It is
about 20 cm in length, with a long tail. It has olive upperparts and yellowish
underparts. The crown of the head is black, and there are yellow ear tufts and
a yellow patch below the eye. There is a white tuft in front of the eye and the
throat is also white. Sexes are similar in plumage, but young birds are duller
than adults. The flight is bouncing and woodpecker-like.
Yellow-eared Bulbuls feed on
fruit and insects. The call is a pleasant weet-wit-wit but a low crr-crr alarm
call is also uttered. The nest is very similar to the small ones of Red-vented
Bulbul. It is a cup, composed of small twigs, rather flimsily built, and lined
scantily with fibres. It is well concealed among foliage, either in a low bush
or in a small tree growing in a wooded ravine. The breeding season is from
March-May and again from August-October. The pinkish white eggs normally number
two heavily spotted and speckled with reddish brown. It is found in pairs or
small parties throughout the hills, up to at least 4,000 feet, and in scattered
colonies in the dry zone except in the most arid parts. It appears in a 10
rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp and also the new 5000 rupee note. The IUCN has
recorded its status as Near Threatened.
15. Orange-billed Babbler
Scientific Name – turdoides rufescens
Common Name – Rathu Demalichcha
The Orange Billed Babbler belongs
to the Old World babblers, a large family of Old World
passerine birds characterized by soft fluffy plumage. Its family is called
Timaliidae. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in Southeast Asia. These birds are plain orange brown below,
and have a slightly darker shade above. The crown and nape are grey, and the
bill is orange. Very similar in size and form to the Hisa-alu Demalichcha, but
can be distinguished from it by its rofous coloration and bright orange beak
and legs. Sexes are similar. It is fairly common, living in flocks of seven to
ten or more. It is a noisy bird, and the presence of a flock may generally be
known at some distance by the continual chattering, squeaking and chirping with
which its members converse together. It feeds mainly on insects, but doubtless
eats also many jungle berries.
Its habitat is rainforest, and it
is seldom seen away from deep jungle. This species, like most babblers, is not
migratory, and has short rounded wings and a weak flight. Although its habitat
is under threat, it occurs in all the forests of the wet zone, and is quite
common at prime sites like Kitulgala and Sinharaja. It builds its nest in a
tree, concealed in dense masses of foliage. The normal clutch is two or three
deep greenish blue eggs. It appears in a 10 rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp and the
new hundred rupee note. The IUCN has classified it as Near Threatened.
16. Brown-capped Babbler
Scientific Name – pellorneum fuscocapillus
Common Name – Mudun Bora Demalichcha
It is also an Old World Babbler
belonging to the Timaliidae family and the Passeriformes Order. It is about the
size of the magpie robin. It measures 16 cm including its long tail. It is
brown above and rich cinnamon below. It has a dark brown crown and short dark
bills. Sexes are similar. A shy jungle-loving bird, it lives in pairs. The nest
is a domed, outwardly untidy structure composed of dead leaves, skeleton
leaves, dry grass, etc., placed on the ground among the same kind of objects,
among which it is practically impossible to distinguish unless, and until, the
bird flies off at one's feet. It is often situated at the base of a tree or
shrub and is always in deep forest. The two eggs are broad ovals, white or
off-white and thickly speckled with some shades of brown.
Their food is mainly insects.
They can be difficult to observe in the dense vegetation they prefer, but like
other babblers, these are noisy birds, and their characteristic calls are often
the best indication that these birds are present. It is found, wherever there
is forest, throughout the island except perhaps in the driest parts of the
Northern and Southern Provinces. It ascends the hills to at least 5,500 feet.
It appears on the 4 rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp. The IUCN has listed its
status as Least Concern.
17. Sri Lanka Whistling
Thrush
Scientific Name – myophonus
blighi
Common Name – Lanka Arangaya
This is a whistling thrush in the
thrush family Turdidae belonging to the Passeriformes order. It is a small bird,
at only 20 centimeters. Adult males are dark blue with a darker head and back.
There are bright blue patches on the shoulders and forehead. The female is
brown above and chestnut below, but has a bright blue shoulder patch like the
male. The plumage of the immature bird is browner with only a little blue. It
is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects, frogs, earthworms and berries.
The male sings its simple
whistling song from trees, usually in deep cover. This is a notoriously
difficult species to see, even when the males are singing in the breeding
season, which starts in February and goes on till May. It is very shy, scarce,
localized and declining due to habitat loss. It is found in the highlands of Sri Lanka in
jungle or other dense forest near water. Perhaps the best chance is at dawn at Horton Plains
National Park, 2000m up in the
highlands of Sri Lanka.
It lays one or two white eggs with pale red and brown patches at a time in a
neat cup-shaped nest in a bush or on a ledge near water. It does not form
flocks, although several birds may be loosely associated in suitable habitat.
It appears in a 75 cents Sri Lankan postal stamp. Its status is listed as
Endangered by the IUCN.
18. Sri Lanka Spot-Winged
Thrush
Scientific Name – zoothera
spiloptera
Common Name – Lanka Thithpiya
Thirasikaya
This is an Asian thrush, a group
within the large thrush family Turdidae belonging to the Passeriformes order. Adults
of this 27 centimeters thrush are light brown above with a double wing bar of
white spots. The pale face has two dark bars. The underparts are white with
heavy spotting. The bill is black and legs are yellow. Sexes are alike but the
young rather closely resemble the female Pied Ground Thrush, but many be
distinguished by the characteristic facial pattern of the white and black,
which is similar to that of the adult. The song is a rich and varied whistling.
Spot-winged Thrushes are
omnivorous, but eat far more insects than fruit. They feed on the ground. It is
rather shy but also inquisitive. This uncommon species breeds in hill
rainforests, and to a lesser extent in drier woodlands, at altitudes between
500 and 2000 meters. It is generally solitary, and like many Zoothera thrushes,
can be quite secretive, especially in the dense undergrowth and bamboo clumps
it favours. They have two breeding seasons. One is in March-April and other is
in August-November. The loose cup nests are lined with vegetation and placed in
a tree fork. Two to three bluish-green eggs are laid. Its status is listed as
Near Threatened by the IUCN.
19. Sri Lanka Bush Warbler
Scientific Name – bradypterus
palliseri
Common Name – Lanka Rasa Raviya
This is an Old World warbler
which is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka, where it is the only
bush warbler. It belongs to the order Passeriformes and the family, Sylviidae.
It is also called the Palliser’s Warbler. It is slightly larger than a sparrow
and is a medium-large warbler at 14 cm. The adult has a plain brown back, pale
grey under parts, a broad tail and short wings. There is a weak supercilium
(the arch of hair above each eye), and the throat is tinged orange. The sexes
alike, as with most warbles, except that males have red irides while those of
females are pale buff. The young birds lack the throat coloration.
The Sri Lanka Bush Warbler is a
bird of dense forest undergrowth, often close to water. It is found in the
highlands of central Sri
Lanka, usually above 1200 meters. The
breeding season is from February – May with a secondary season in September. A
large nest is built in a shrub, and two eggs are laid. It is a very secretive
species making it very difficult to be seen although it usually lives in pairs.
Perhaps the best site is the Horton Plains. It keeps low in vegetation, and, like
most warblers, it is insectivorous but loves nillu and elephant grass. Males
are often only detected by the loud song, which has an explosive ‘queet’. It is
listed as Near-Threatened by the IUCN.
20. Sri Lanka White Eye
Scientific Name – zosterops
ceylonensis
Common Name – Lanka Sithasiya
This is a small passerine bird in
the white-eye family, Zosteropidae. This bird is slightly larger than the
Oriental White-eye (about 11 cm long) which it replaces above 4000 ft. The
upper parts of the body and sides of neck are dark olive green. The rump
appears paler green while the crown and forehead appear darker. The wings and
tail are brown edged with green on the back. The typical ring of tiny white
feathers around the eye is present. The lores are dark and there is a dark
streak below the eye. The chin, throat and upper breast are greenish-yellow as
are the thighs and vent. The belly region is grayish white. The dark bill has a
slaty base to the lower mandible. The legs are dark. The iris is yellow to
reddish-brown.
This species can be distinguished
from the widespread Oriental White-eye, Zosterops palpebrosus, by its larger
size, duller green back and more extensive yellow on the breast. It has a
darker patch between the eye and the bill. It is sociable, forming large flocks
which only separate on the approach of the breeding season, which is from March
– May and another season from August – September. It builds a tree nest which
is large but not solidly built and lays 3 unspotted pale blue eggs. Though
mainly insectivorous, Sri Lankan White-eye will also eat nectar and fruits of
various kinds. It is only found in the Sri Lankan mountains usually above 1200
meters and is quite common. This bird is listed as Least-Concern by the IUCN.
21. Ashy-Headed Laughing-Thrush
Scientific Name – garrulax
cinereifrons
Common Name – Alu Demalichcha
This is an Old World Babbler
belonging to the Timaliidae and the Passeriformes order. This entire family is characterized
by soft fluffy plumage. It is slightly larger than the Southern Common Babbler,
at 23 centimeters in length with a long floppy tail. It can be easily
distinguished from the latter by its black beak, dark grey legs, grey head, and
dark reddish-brown back, wings and tail. It is also a neater-looking bird. It
is rufous brown above and deep buff below, with a grey head and white throat.
Its breeding season is in the first quarter of the year where it lays 3-4
turquoise blue eggs in a football-size nest. They feed mainly on insects, but also eat
jungle berries.
They live in flocks and like
other babblers, they are noisy birds, and the characteristic laughing calls are
often the best indication that they are present, since they are often difficult
to see in their preferred habitat. It is confined to the deep forests of the
wet zone and the adjacent mountains where, on the southern and western aspects
of the main range, it ascends to at least 5,000 feet. Although its habitat is
under threat, this laughing-thrush occurs in all the forests of the wet zone,
and is quite common at prime sites like Kitulgala and Sinharaja. It is seldom
seen away from deep jungle or dense bamboo thickets in the wet zone. This
species, like most babblers, is not migratory, and has short rounded wings and
a weak flight. It appears on the 3 rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp. It is listed
as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
22. White-Faced Starling
Scientific Name – sturnus
albofrontatus
Common Name – Hisa Sudu Sharikava
It is an endemic member of the
starling family, Sturnidae belonging to the Passeriformes order. The sexes are
similar and the adults are 22 centimeters long. It is a sleek slender bird,
with a white forehead, face, and throat and under tail-coverts; the white of the
head merges into the greenish-grey-black of the back, wings and tail; and the
white throat shaded into the smoky-grey of the breast and underparts, which are
streaked with white. The head is paler than the underparts. The juveniles are
duller, with brown upperparts and greyer underparts.
It is strictly arboreal,
frequenting the tops of tall trees, and commonly associates in small flocks.
Its food consists largely of wild fruits, such as cinnamon, berries and figs,
but it doubtless eats insects; and like many other birds, it is very fond of
the nectar of the red cotton tree. It builds the nest in a tree-hole and is
known to lay a pair of pale blue eggs. This is a rare bird, confined to the
tall forests, but can be seen in the clearings of the wet zone, including the Adam's Peak range up to 4,000 feet or perhaps higher. It
is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
23. White-Throated Flowerpecker
Scientific Name – dicaeum vincens
Common Name – Pilachcha
It is also known as the Legge’s
Flowerpecker named after the Australian ornithologist William Vincent Legge. It
belongs to the Dicaeidae family and the Passeriformes order. This is a very
small, stout flowerpecker. About the size of the Purple-rumed Sunbird at 10
centimeters in length which it somewhat resembles at a distance. But the male
can be distinguished, by its pure-white throat and dark bluish-grey back and
short tail. The female is duller, with olive-brown upperparts. Both sexes have
a short thick curved beak and tubular tongue. The latter features reflect the
importance of nectar in its diet, although berries, spiders and insects are
also taken.
It lives either solitary, in
pairs, or in little family parties, and is not easy to meet with because it
keeps mainly to the tops of tall trees, either in forests or on its outskirts.
The breeding season is from January to August. The nest is often built in a
Hora tree. It is a hanging pocket of felted plant down, with the entrance at
the top, just below the supporting twig. The two eggs are dull white,
irregularly spotted with purplish red. This scarce little bird is found only in
the rain forests of the south-western parts of the wet zone, including the
neighboring hills up to 3,000 feet. It appears in a one rupee Sri Lankan postal
stamp. The bird is listed as Near-Threatened by the IUCN.
24. Sri Lanka Myna
Scientific Name – gracula ptilogenys
Common Name – Salalihiniya
Also known as the Sri Lanka Hill
Myna it is the only other endemic starling in the country belonging to the
Sturnidae and Passeriformes order. These are 25 centimeter long birds with
green-glossed black plumage, purple-tinged head and neck. There are large white
wing patches, which are obvious in flight. The strong legs are bright yellow,
and there are yellow wattles on the nape. It is rather larger than the Common
Myna. The sexes are alike, and the young differ only in being duller, and
having smaller wattles.
It lives in scattered colonies,
but it does not seem to be quite so gregarious but is still a restless bird. It
is quite famous for its melodious call and is often mentioned by Sri Lankan poets.
It loves high trees, and may be found in the heart of tall forests. Like most
starlings, the Sri Lanka Myna is fairly omnivorous, eating fruit, nectar and
insects. The breeding season is from February-May and a secondary season in
August-September. The nest is made in a cavity in a tree-bole or large branch.
The two eggs are pale blue blotched with purplish brown. It inhabits the
forests and well-wooded country of the wet zone, ascending the hills, in the
wetter districts of the south and west, to at least 6,000 feet. It appears on a
10 rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp. It is also listed as Near-Threatened by the
IUCN.
25. Sri
Lanka Scaly Thrush
Scientific Name – zoothera imbricata
Common Name – Kayuru Thirasikaya
It is a member of the thrush
family, Turdidae and belongs to the Passeriformes order. The sexes are similar
around 24 centimeters long. It is olive brown with black scaling on a pale
white or yellowish background. The most striking identification feature in
flight is the black band on the white under wings. It has song which is a loud,
far-carrying mechanical whistle, with 5-10 second pauses between each one
second long phrase twee...tuuu....tuuu....tuuu. Although the Sri Lanka
Thrush is similar to the White’s Thrush, it is particularly distinctive, being
smaller, long-billed and rufous below.
It is a very secretive,
preferring dense cover and so not much is known about the behavior of the birds.
It nests in trees, laying three or four eggs in a neat cup nest. It is
omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects, earthworms and berries. It is resident
in moist evergreen forest from 400 to 2,200 meters within the 'Wet Zone' of Sri Lanka and
is mostly found in the south western wetlands of the island. It is classified
as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
26. Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler
Scientific Name – pomatorhinus melanurus
Common Name – Dá Demalichcha or Parandel Kurulla
This is an Old World Babbler in
the Timaliidae family belonging to the Passeriformes order. It is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka,
and was formerly treated as a subspecies of Indian Scimitar-babbler. The
nominate form is found in the western part of wet hill regions of Sri Lanka,
while the race ‘holdsworthi’ is found in the dry lowlands and eastern hills. The
most distinctive feature of this 22 centimeter long bird is the long curved
yellow bill. It has a striking head pattern, with a long white supercilum above
a broad black band through the eye. The white throat and breast contrast with
the dark grayish brown on the upper side and dark grey to black on most of the
underside. The tail is broad, long and graduated. They have short and round
wings and being weak fliers are rarely seen flying in the open.
Like many other babblers, these
are noisy birds, and the characteristic bubbling calls are often the best
indication that these birds are present. The call itself consists of a loud
fluty oop-pu-pu-pu followed immediately by a krukru. They are
often hard to see as they forage through dense vegetation. They feed on insects
on the ground or on vegetation. Hopping on the ground, they may turn over
leaves or probe in leaf litter for prey. They are quite common throughout the
country. They breed from December to May and usually lay about three white eggs.
It appears on the 4.50 rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp. It is listed as
Least-Concern by the IUCN.
