Sri Lanka is a birds paradise with 435 resident species. There are 26 endemic birds. 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 birds sanctuaries across the little island 270 km by 140 km in size.
Kumana is situated in east Coast, Bundala, Kalamatiya are is in the southern coast, Sinharaja Rain Forest, Udawatta Kale, Bellanwila, Muthurajawela, Minneriya, Kitulgala and Minipe are other important Bird watching locations. In additions you can see birds through out the country in pockets of forests, lakes, lagoons and river sides during your travel.26 birds have been identified as endemic birds of Sri Lanka. Most of this birds are threatened by rapid destruction of forest and drying off of water flows.
- Lanka Haban Kukula (Endemic & Threatened Birds in 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. Kitulgala and Sinharaja are sites where there is a chance of seeing this bird.
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.
Sri Lanka Spurfowl is ~ 37 cm long bird. Both sexes have brown upperparts, wings and tail. The males exhibit vivid crimson red legs and bare facial skin.
The adult male exhibits striking black and white dorsal plumage that extends to its head. There is also extensive white ocellation on the sepia wings and upperback. The legs of both sexes have multiple metatarsal spurs, which give rise to the specific name. The female has chestnut underparts and a plain brown back and wings. She is more prominently crested than the male.
Like most of the Peacock-Pheasants, Sri Lanka Spurfowl is a seasonally terrestrial species. It scratches vigorously amongst the leaf litter of the forest floor for invertebrates, especially mollusks and insects. It will also take various seeds, fallen fruit and spiders.
- Wali Kukula (Endemic & Threatened Birds in Sri Lanka)
The male Sri Lankan Junglefowl ranges from 66–72 cm (26–28 in) in length[3] and 790–1,140 g (1.74–2.51 lb) in weight, essentially resembling a large, muscular rooster.[4] The male has orange-red body plumage, and dark purple to black wings and tail. The feathers of the mane descending from head to base of spine are golden, and the face has bare red skin and wattles. The comb is red with a yellow centre. As with the Green Junglefowl, the cock does not possess an eclipse plumage.
The female is much smaller, at only 35 cm (14 in) in length and 510–645 g (1.124–1.422 lb) in weight, with dull brown plumage with white patterning on the lower belly and breast, ideal camouflage for a nesting bird.[4]
- Kahibella - Lanka blue Magpie Kahibella
Identification
Sri Lanka Blue Magpie is about the same size as the European Magpie 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. Sri Lanka Blue Magpie has a variety of calls including mimicry, a loud chink-chink and a rasping krak-krak-krak-krak.
Behavior
It is scarce and usually shy, but locally common and bolder. It associates in flocks up to six or seven, but pairs or solitary individuals are sometimes met with. A very energetic, agile bird, most of its time is spent in searching for food among foliage at all levels from the ground to the tops of tall trees. It capture the critters like hairy caterpillars, green tree-crickets, various chafer beetles, tree-frogs and lizards. The breeding season is in the first quarter of the year, so far as is known, but the nest has seldom been found. The nest resembled a small crow’s nest. It is very well concealded among small twigs and foliage near the top of the tree. The eggs number three to five and are whitish, profusely spotted and speckled with various shades of brown. They measure about 30.5 x 22.1 mm.
- Location
It inhabits the heavy virgin forests of the mountains and wet-zone foot hills.
- Maha Rathu Karala - Crimson - Backed Flamback
Identification
This Flamback is about 11.5 ; tail 3.5 ; wing 5.9 ; tarsus 1.1; bill from gape 1.9. Back, scapulars, and outer surface of wings, except primary-coverts and outer webs of primaries, dull crimson, edges of feathers brighter, rump also brighter. In all other respects this species resembles C. gutticristatus except that there is everywhere more black and less white, there are only white spots on the back of the neck, and the sides of the head above the malar region and of the neck are almost all black, the superciliary stripe being represented by a row of white spots. The black borders of the breast-feathers are very broad. Sexual distinctions as in C. gutticristatus.Bill brownish or olivaceous at the base, greenish white in the middle, the tip dusky; iris yellowish white; legs and feet greenish' slate.BehaviorThis species haunting a nest-hole high up a large tree in January in such a manner as to indicate that they had young.LocationThis Woodpecker is found in forests almost throughout the island, on both hills and lowlands.Giramaliththa - Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot
Identification
This is a small, mainly green hanging parrot, only 14 cm long with a short tail. The adult has a red crown, rump and bill, and an orange tint to its back. Immature birds lack the orange hue to the back, have a duller rump, and have only a hint of orange on the crown.
Behavior
Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot 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. The lorikeet is a convivial little bird, delighting in juicy fruits, the nectar of flowers (especially red cotton), and the juice of palms collected in toddy-drawers’ pots. Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot is a bird of open forest. It is strictly arboreal, never descending to the ground. It nests in holes in trees, laying 2-3 white eggs in the first half of the year, and sometimes again in July-September. Its breeding habits are highly remarkable.Location
This brilliantly-coloured 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.
- Alu Girawa - Layard's Parakeet
Identification
Layard’s Parakeet is a bird of
forests, particularly at the edges and in clearings, and also gardens.
It is locally common. It nests in holes in large trees, laying 3-4 white
eggs. This is a green parrot, 29 cm long with a tail up to 13cm. 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 upper mandible of the male’s bill is red, and the lower mandible is
brown. The female is similar, but has a black upper mandible. Immature
birds are mainly green, with a dark red bill. Layard’s Parakeet 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 a raucous
chattering.
Behavior
It undergoes local movements,
driven mainly by the availability of the fruit, seeds, buds and blossoms
that make up its diet. Its cry is quite distinctive.
Forests, Gardens, Quite common in in the High Country & forested humid arrears in the low country. Uncommon in high elevations
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