SLTPB GPG Endemic Birds of Sri Lanka (2010 03 26) EEdition 1st LP_0

8/17/2019 SLTPB GPG Endemic Birds of Sri Lanka (2010 03 26) EEdition 1st LP_0

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Sri LankaEndemic Birds

Sri Lanka is one of the most bio-diversity rich countries in the world.

It has no less than thirty three speciesof birds found nowhere else.


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Credits:Text and Photography © Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne (www.gehandesilva.com) and may not be reproduced without hispermission. Species accounts reproduced with permissionfrom Sri Lankan Wildlife published by Bradt Travel Guidescopyright © 2007 Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne.

Ceylon Spurfowl © Hasitha Kumaradasa.

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Electronic Edition:First Edition, March 2010.


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CONTENTS

Introduction 01

Facts at a Glance 02

The Endemic Birds 03 - 27

Itinerary 28


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INTRODUCTION

Adventure, Ayurveda, Beaches, Culture, Great Hotels, Hill

country, Nature, Tea, Scenery, Spa, Service, Underwater,Villages ........... there are an infinite number of reasons forexploring Sri Lanka. In this publication, we hope to introduceyou to just one of a million facets of this magical island.

Sri Lanka is an island which defies convention.According to classic island bio-geographic theory, small

islands don’t have large mammals. Hmmm..... well,unfortunately for theory, Sri Lanka is an exception as thelargest terrestrial mammal in Asia, the Asian Elephant isfound on the island. What is more, beyond doubt, thebest in Asia in which to see the Asian Elephant, is SriLanka. During September and October, ‘The Gathering’,an annual influx of elephants takes place at Minneriya

National Park. It is one of the great wildlife spectacleon the planet. Then there is the Big Spotted One. Theleopard, is elusive all over the world. In Sri Lanka, thereare good opportunities to see and photograph this‘ultimate cat’.

What about birds? Here, the theorists have got it right.

Islands are marvelous vestibules for evolutionarydynamics to work, resulting in speciation. The islandhas 33 endemic species of birds according to the RipleyGuide: Birds of South Asia by Pamela Rasmussenand John Anderton (2005). A new species of owl wasdiscovered in 2001. Many more plants and animals awaitto be discovered by science.

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BIRDING FACTS AT A GLANCE

ENDEMICS 33 species of endemic birds. 55 species are

endemic to mainland India and Sri Lanka.

WHEN TO GO For general purpose bird watching,especially for a family holiday with elephants, leopardsand other mammals thrown in, the country is a year rounddestination. Serious birders in pursuit of the endemicstraditionally prefer November to April when the rainforest

rich south-west is at its driest.

TOP SITES Sinharaja and Kithulgala are amongst thebest lowland rainforests for endemics. For the highlandendemics, Horton Plains National Park is very important.Talangama close to Colombo provides easy access towetland birds.

LOGISTICS A good network of roads makes independenttravel by public transport possible, but not necessarilycomfortable. The availability of accommodation can varyamongst the top sites. An organised tour with a skillednaturalist guide may yield most of the endemics in oneweek, although two week birding trips are recommendedfor serious birders.

BOOKS Less serious birdwatchers could opt forA Photographic Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka publishedby New Holland. Birds of Sri Lanka and Southern India isa booklet of 42 plates illustrating 263 species, which canbe downloaded free from www.jetwingeco.com.

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Ceylon spurfowl Galloperdix bicalcarataExtremely shy. Found in pairs in wet-zone forests andriverine forests in the dry zones. Loud duetting betraystheir presence, though birds often remain well hidden.Notoriously elusive and wary – even at Sinharaja. Lookslike a female junglefowl but has black and white markingson the belly in both sexes. Easily identified by their duetswhich have a rise in pitch.

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Ceylon junglefowl Gallus lafayetii Widespread up to the mountains in surviving forest tracts.Best seen in the dry zone national parks, especially earlyin the morning. Extremely nervous in the wet-zone forests,except in protected forests where they are habituated tohandouts. The female is brown with barred wings. Themale can be mistaken for a domestic cockerel. The neckis golden.

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Ceylon wood-pigeon Columba torringtonii Prefers large forested stretches in the highlands, butmakes seasonal movements to the lower hills, descendingas low as Sinharaja. Generally likes well-forested areas,although can be seen visiting gardens. It has a bluish-grey body with a black and white marking on the hind-neck. Bigger than a feral pigeon.

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Ceylon green-pigeonTreron pompadoraMale has a conspicuous

purple mantle. Femaleis similar to the orange-breasted green-pigeon,but has a greenish ratherthen grey nape. Foundthroughout the island,but is less common than

orange-breasted. It caneven turn up in the suburbs of cities as pigeons are greattravellers.

Ceylon hanging-parrotLoriculus beryllinus Quite common in the wetzone up to the mid-hills,occuring locally in riverineforests in the dry zone andin some dry zone areassuch as Gal Oya. Male hasa red crown. A small, greenbird with a red crown andbeak. Often seen hurtilingoverhead uttering a three syllable call.

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Layard’s parakeetPsittacula calthropae Found in and around good

quality wet-zone forests inthe lowlands and mid hills.Sometimes also in dry zoneareas such as at Gal Oya.Flocks often wheel aroundcalling noisily. Female hasa dark bill. It is also called

the emerald-collaredparakeet although the ‘emerald collar’ is not always clearin the field. The best guide is their distinctive raucouscalls.

Red-faced malkohaPhaenicophaeuspyrrhocephalus Confined to a few remainingtall forests in the lowlandrainforests, includingSinharaja, Morapitiyaand Kithulgala, wherealmost always seen withmixed-species feedingflocks. Generally silent,but occasionally utters a guttural croak. Suprisingly thisstriking bird is hard to see in the canopy. The red face,black upperparts, and tail with white underparts make itun-mistakeable.

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Green-billed coucal Centropus chlororhynchos Found only in a few lowland rainforests such as Sinharaja,Morapitiya and Kithulgala. A few birds also occur insmall pockets such as Bodhinagala. Probably one of SriLanka’s most endangered birds. Looks very similar tothe Greater Coucal which is a common garden bird evenin towns. The green and not black bill is diagnostic.


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Serendib scops-owl Otus hoffmanni First seen in 2001 and described to science in 2004.Reddish-hued plumage and soft single-note call helpsprevent confusion with other scops-owls. Male hasorangish irides (the ‘whites’ of a bird’s eye); female’sare yellowish. The overall reddish brown and apparentlack of ear tufts help separate it from the other two scopsowls. Restricted to a few lowland rainforest areas suchas Sinharaja and Kithulgala, where generally seen at thedisturbed forest edge, often near the ground.

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Chestnut-backed owlet Glaucidium castanonotum Found in well-wooded areas in wet-zone lowlands andhills, this species is probably more common than youmight expect. Diurnal, but could easily escape notice,were it not for its wide repertoire of calls. It has chestnutupperparts and a head finely barred in grey and white.

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Ceylon grey hornbill Ocyceros gingalensis Female has dark mandibles with a yellow ‘island’ alongthe middle. Male has yellow mandibles with a dark patchat the base. Widespread, occuring in almost everysizeable forest patch in the lowlands and hills. Utters aseries of rolling calls and a harsh, far-carrying ‘kraaa’.The overall grey upperparts and lack of a casque on theupper mandible make confusion unlikely with the largerMalabar Pied Hornbill.

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Yellow-fronted barbetMegalaima flavifrons Found mainly in the wet-

zone lowlands and hills.Displaces brown-headedbarbet in heavy forest.Also a common bird inthe gardens and teaestates of the mid-hills andhighlands. Like with all the

barbets, the body is green.It has a yellow forehead and blue on the face.

Ceylon small barbetMegalaima rubricapillus ‘Pop pop pop’ calls utteredfrom a high vantage pointhelp locate this sparrow-sized bird. Found ingardens and forests in thelowlands and hills. Alsoin the heart of cities suchas Colombo and Kandy,though easily overlookeddue to its small size and arboreal nature. Like all barbets,loves to feed on ripening figs. It has yellow around theeyes and a crimson forehead. It lacks the streaking onthe underparts found in the similar coppersmith barbetwhich replaces it in the dry zone.

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Crimson-backed flameback Chrysocolaptes stricklandi Makes its home in well-wooded gardens and forests inwet-zone lowlands and hills. Displaces the commonerblack-rumped flameback in dense forest patches.Utters a shrill whinnying call when flying from one treeto another. The ‘red-backed’ form of the more commonblack-rumped flameback is similar, but the crimson-backed has an ivory-coloured bill. Female’s crown isblack with white flecks.

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Ceylon swallowHirundo hyperythraDeep red underparts

and rump help separatethis from the migrantraces of the red-rumpedswallow, which may alsohave clear streaking onthe underparts. Foundthroughout the island and

is fond of hawking forinsects over open areas. The red underparts separateit from the migrant barn swallow which also has blueuperparts.

Ceylon wood-shrikeTephrodornis affinis Found mainly in the scrubjungle of the dry lowlands.Not uncommon in suitableforests and adjoiningchena (slash-and-burnagriculture) lands withpatches of scrub forest.Sexes are similar. Anoveralll greyish bird with adark mask. The underparts are pale. It is what birdersdescribe as a nondescript bird.

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Black-capped bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus Occurs mainly in the wet-zone forests in the lowlandsand hills. Also locally present in some dry zone forests.The black cap and yellow plumage is distinctive. In flightoften shows white tips on the tail feathers.

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Yellow-eared bulbul Pycnonotus penicillatus Look for this bulbul in the wet-zone hills and highlands.Most common in the highlands, where it often visitsgardens. The face is strikingly patterned in black andwhite with yellow ear tufts. Calls strongly.

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Ceylon whistling-thrush Myophonus blighi Male is brownish-black, with a blue gloss on the foreparts and a blue shoulder patch. Female is brown with ablue shoulder patch. Best located early in the morning orlate in the evening by shrill grating call. Confined to thecloudforests in the central highlands and the Knuckles.

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Spot-winged thrush Zoothera spilopteraSuperb song betrays its presence in many forests in thewet lowland and hills. Common in damp forests, whereit forages for invertebrates on the forest floor. Not rare,but long-term survival depends on the future of wet-zoneforests. The white spots on the wings are easy to makeout if you have a good view. The face is also markedstrongly in black and white.

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Ceylon scaly thrushZoothera imbricataLike the spot-winged

thrush, also found in wet-zone forests from thelowlands to the highlands.Partial to forest patchesadjoining streams. Itshissing call is more high-pitched than that of the

spot-winged thrush.Seldom sings. Unlike the spot-winged thrush, the scalythrush has a heavy bill. The plumage is scaled ratherthan spotted. A discrete bird.

Sri Lanka bush warblerElaphrornis palliseri A dark warbler, withskulking habits, that keepsclose to the forest floor.Found in Strobilanthesthickets in the highlandforests, such as thosearound Nuwara Eliya. Pairsoften keep in touch usinga series of contact calls.Both sexes have a reddish brown wings and tail. Themale has reddish irides and the female’s is pale.

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Dusky blue flycatcher Eumyias sordidus A forest bird of the highlands, found occasionally in themid hills. It has adapted to human presence and will alsovisit gardens, being quite confident in places where ithas grown used to people. It may be mistaken for theblack-naped monarch as both are small birds in blue.However the black-naped monarch has white not blueon the belly and under-tail coverts and its behaviour ismore frenetic.

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Brown-capped babbler Pellorneum fuscocapillus Presence betrayed by distinctive ‘pritee dear, pritee dear’call. Skulking, rarely showing itself in the open. Foundthroughout the island up to the highlands, whereverforest patches remain. If you are lucky enough to see it,expect a small brown babbler with a darker brown cap.

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Ceylon scimitar babblerPomatorhinus [schisticeps]melanurus

Lives in forested areasall over the island.Separate dry zone andwet zone races havebeen described, but areindistinguishable in thefield. Almost always found

in a duetting pair: the maleutters a long bubbling series of calls that ends with a‘kriek’ from the female. So well synchronised that soundoften appears to come from a single bird. A prominentwhite eye-brow and the down-curved ‘scimitar’ bill helpto identify it.

Ceylon rufous babblerTurdoides rufescens Always found in noisyflocks, and is a nucleusspecies of mixed-speciesfeeding flocks. Usuallyseen in the wet-zonerainforests, mainly in thelowlands but also in thehighlands, and tendsto occur only whereextensive, undisturbed forests remain. Almost absentfrom the heavily disturbed Kanneliya Rainforest. Theorange bill and legs, rufous body and constant chatteringhelp to separate it from the other babblers.

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Ashy-headed laughingthrush Garrulax cinereifrons Confined to a few extensive

lowland rainforests.Prefers to forage near theground and occasionallyat the shrub layer, almostalways with mixed-speciesfeeding flocks. Flockskeep up a medley of

‘hysterical’ sounding calls,sometimes with a faint metallic quality. Extremely timid,always keeping within cover and fleeing in haste acrossany road it meets. The ‘Barrier Gate’ flock at Sinharajaoffers a good chance to see this bird. It has an ashyhead and brown body.

Legge’s flowerpeckerDicaeum vincens Prefers tall forests in thelowland wet zone, whereoften seen quite close tothe ground when feedingon the ripe berries of thecommon Osbeckia speciesalong roadsides. Malessing from a high perch.The blue upperparts, whitechin and throat and yellow belly makes it very different

from the other flowerpeckers. The female is duller.

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Ceylon white-eye Zosterops ceylonensis A clear ‘split’ in the white eye ring, in front of the eye,helps distinguish this species from the oriental white-eye. It is also darker and slightly larger. The calls ofthe two species are very different. Found mainly in thehighlands, but makes occasional seasonal movementsto the lowland wet zone where it mixes with the orientalwhite-eye. The flocks of small green birds encounteredin gardens in the highlands are of this bird.

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Ceylon crested drongo Dicrurus lophorhinus Restricted to wet-zone forests from the lowlands to midelevations. Deeply forked tail is normally without rackets(the projections on the outer tail feathers found in manydrongos). Occasionally may show rackets, and can thenbe confused with the greater racket-tailed drongo, foundin riverine forests of the dry zone. At close quarters, thecrest, a tuft like projection on the forehead is seen. Ithas a lovely repertoire of belling calls. It is also a greatmimic.

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Ceylon blue magpieUrocissa ornataAn unbelievably colourful

bird. Chocolate brown onthe head and wings with ared bill, eye-ring and legsset against blue plumagewith white on the tail. It ishard to believe this birdis also in the crow family.

Always found in smallflocks, it is unusual in that the whole flock will help a pairto nest and raise young. Restricted to wet-zone forests offairly significant size.

White-faced starlingSturnia albofrontataRestricted to a few lowlandwet-zone forests, whereit frequents the canopy,often joining mixed-species feeding flocks. Itssharp calls are the bestclue to its presence. It hasgreyish upperparts, palerstreaked underparts anda white face and pale bill. Occasionally a few birds willjoin a mixed species feeding flock. The starlings tendto keep to the canopy. Sometimes they come down toalmost ground level to feed on the fruit of shrubs such asbowitiya ( Clidemia hirta ) and Osbeckia spp.

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Ceylon hill-myna Gracula ptilogenys Found in the lowland wet-zone forests, where it keepsto the high canopy. Utters a range of high-pitched, far-carrying calls and whistles. Distinguished from the lesserhill-myna by having one pair of wattles, not two, and theblack base to bill. Both of the hill myna species show alot of white on the wing in flight.

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SAMPLE ITINERARY FOR ENDEMIC BIRDSDAY 01 Arrive in Sri Lanka and transfer to Colombo for one night.Evening at Talangama Wetland for bitterns and other wetland

birds.DAY 02 Morning visit to Bodhinagala Forest Reserve , a lowlandrainforest close to Colombo. Look for Ceylon grey hornbill, yellow-fronted barbet, Ceylon hanging parrot and if lucky the scarceendemic green-billed coucal. Thereafter proceed to Sinharaja fortwo nights.DAY 03 Full day in Sinharaja Rainforest (A UNESCO WorldHeritage Site) for lowland endemics and mixed species bird flocks.According to a study of the mixed species bird flocks, on average42 individuals occur in the flocks. This makes these the world’slargest mixed species bird flock. The mixed species bird flockstudy of Sinharaja has continued since 1981 and is considered thelongest bird flock study in the world. Birding highlights include red-faced malkoha, Ceylon blue magpie, white-faced starling and scalythrush.DAY 04 After breakfast leave for Kithulgala for two nights.Afternoon, cross the Kelani River in a dugout canoe and reach theKelani Valley Forest Reserve, a lowland tropical rainforest rich inendemic fauna and flora. Another chance for lowland endemicssuch as Ceylon myna, green-billed coucal, spot-winged thrush,Ceylon blue magpie, Ceylon spurfowl, brown-capped babbler andred-faced malkoha.DAY 05 Morning and afternoon endemic birding at Kelani ValleyForest Reserve.DAY 06 After breakfast leave for Nuwara Eliya for two nights.Afternoon, visit Victoria Garden for Himalayan migrants such asKashmir flycatcher, pied thrush, Indian pitta and Indian blue robin.Other highlights include yellow-eared bulbul, Ceylon white-eye anddusky blue flycatcher.DAY 07 Pre dawn start for Horton Plains National Park for theendangered Ceylon whistling-thrush. Other highlights include

Ceylon bush warbler and Ceylon wood pigeon.DAY 08 Departure.

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Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion BureauNo.80 Galle road, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka.

Email: [email protected] Website: www.srilanka.travelTel: 94(0)11 2 437 055/059/060 Fax: +94(0)11 2 440 001

SLTPB GPG Endemic Birds of Sri Lanka (2010 03 26) EEdition 1st LP_0

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