Photographed in the Sinharaja Rain Forest. Sri Lankais a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Aegithinidae. The national bird of Sri Lanka seen on the outskirts of the Sinharaja rain forest. 2nd, Floor Stanley Thilakarathne Mawatha. Wet zone. One of the most disappointing moments along this odyssey to take bird pictures is when I was unable to take a better picture of this beauty in Ella. The other places are the Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary, Sinharaja Rain Forest, Bodinagala Forest Reserve, Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, Kitulgala Forest Reserve, Yala, Wilpattu, Udawalawe, Wasgamuwa, Minneriya and Horton Plains National Parks in addition to numerous tanks, reservoirs, lagoons, marshes, lakes and rivers. Less in hill country. Humid forests. Order: Trogoniformes   Family: Trogonidae. Lacewings Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pycnonotidae.

Wet zone.

Such a beautiful bird. However, within some Sri Lankan circles considered the endemics proposed by Wijesinghe as acceptable. The … Order: Passeriformes   Family: Zosteropidae. 49 pp.

The bird is often observed within the Horton Plains park, the height Wilderness Sanctuary, Hakgala Botanical Gardens, and therefore the Riverstone area.Sri Lanka Rufous Babbler (Turdoides rufescens)Also referred to as the Orange-billed Babbler it’s found within the wet lowland rainforests and within the surrounding hills.

3rd and 4th pictures are of a female eating fruits at the Sinharaja rain forest.

As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes. Photographed on the banks of Mahaweli river in the outskirts of Kandy. Freshwater crabs Many species in this family were previously classified elsewhere in other families. No need to register, buy now! Low country wet zone and lower hill country. As he was photographed from a distance, I was unable to get a perfect photo. Since Sri Lanka is situated at the farthest southern point away from the south of India with no other landmass until the South Pole, the migrating birds end their long journey in Sri Lanka, making it a regular wintering ground. They are Sri Lanka grey hornbill, Sri Lanka junglefowl, Sri Lanka wood pigeon, crimson-fronted barbet, black-capped bulbul, and brown-capped babbler. In addition to the many resident birds, a considerable number of migratory species winter in the country to escape their northern breeding grounds. Many are brightly coloured. The flowerpeckers are very small, stout, often brightly coloured birds, with short tails, short thick curved bills and tubular tongues. Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Burhinidae. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Select a plate of a bird species from the list below and you will be directed to the page containing all different species for the specific plate. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. Forests undergrowth.

This bird is often observed within the Sinharaja Rain Forest, Kitulgala Forest Reserve, the height Wilderness Sanctuary and therefore the Morapitiya Forest Reserve. Its members have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary flight feathers. Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. This bird is often observed within the Mitirigala Forest Reserve, Kitulgala Forest Reserve, the height Wilderness Sanctuary, Bodhinagala Forest, Morapitiya Forest Reserve, Sinharaja Rain Forest, Hiyare Forest Reserve, Udawalawe park and therefore the Wasgamuwa park.Sri Lanka Indian grackle (Gracula ptilogenys)Also referred to as the Common Indian grackle, it’s typically found in forests and cultivated lands and is famed for its melodious call. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. The Vangidae comprises a group of often shrike-like medium-sized birds distributed from Asia to Africa. Wet zone. Seen at Sinharaja rain forest, when I first came across this rare and endemic bird, it flew immediately after I managed to take only a couple of shots. More common in wet zone. This bird is often observed within the Sinharaja Rain Forest, Kitulgala Forest Reserve, the height Wilderness Sanctuary and therefore the Morapitiya Forest Reserve.Red-faced Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus)It is found mainly within the regions from lowlands to the mid mountainous areas. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown colours.

Rasmussen and Anderton (2005) proposed a number of species splits. Some of these races are very different in their plumage characteristics from the related forms in India. Order: Passeriformes   Family: Scotocercidae, The members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia. Seen at the outskirts of Sinharaja forest, in images 1 and 2, this endemic beauty was looking for food by digging tree barks at the joints. [5], Anhingas or darters are often called "snake-birds" because they have long thin necks, which gives a snake-like appearance when they swim with their bodies submerged. The bird is often best observed at the Talangama Tank.Sri Lanka Blue-Magpie(Urocissa ornate)It is a member of the crow family that resides within the dense green wet zone temperate rain forest and mountain forests and wet zone foothills. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. Most of the 26 endemic species are confined to the wet and the hill zones, with only a few extending into the dry zone as well. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. Hopefully, I will come across them again in my future excursions in to Sinharaja. They gave me a superb display of their colours and abilities. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Common. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. Recent updates and sighting information can be obtained through the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka website. The treeswifts, or crested swifts, are closely related to the true swifts. It's famous for them to come and eat the rice that the staff at the forest entrance leave for them. When I was initially taking the photographs, I didn’t realise that it’s a Sri Lanka Small Barbet as I thought it is a Yellow-fronted Barbet. Scorpions This bird is often observed in Mitirigala Forest reserve, Kitulgala Forest Reserve, the height Wilderness Reserve, Bodhinagala Forest Reserve, Morapitiya Forest Reserve, Sinharaja Rain Forest, Kanneliya Forest Reserve, and Hiyare Forest Reserve.Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus melanurus)Found in most parts of the country and infrequently within the dry lowlands. Captured at low light deep inside the Sinharaja rain forest, he was very difficult to spot. Photographed at Horton Plains National Park. Their food is insects and seeds. Order: Passeriformes   Family: Monarchidae. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.

Forests, gardens.

Most of the species of this small family are found in Africa, though a few inhabit tropical Asia.

Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.

Sri Lanka is home to 26 endemic bird species and seven proposed endemic species. Birds of Sri Lanka. it’s a really reserved bird that exists within the thick, dense rainforests; especially catchment and riverine forests within the dry zone.

The sunbirds and spiderhunters are very small passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Forests.

Low country wet zone and wet foothills. Common. More common in wet zone. I wish I was better at focusing the camera quickly as when I got my act together, he flew off. Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They differ from the other swifts in that they have crests, long forked tails and softer plumage. The Bundala park situated within the southernmost tip of the bird migratory route may be a favorite birding ground where flocks of flamingos, herons, and storks are a daily sight. These small to medium-sized songbirds have soft fluffy plumage but are otherwise rather diverse. Sri Lanka is a birder’s paradise.

The female is brown in colour. © 2019 Paul Navamani All Rights Reserved. Introduced fish They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls and terns. Being one of the bravest of the birds, the other species rally to their call and they lead the pack through the forest.

My bird tracker, ‘Thilake’ used its recorded call to get the owlet to give away its position as he responded when the call was made. Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Reptiles Slagala Bird Sanctuary 1. IOC World Bird List (v 9.2).

Freshwater fish Amphibians Common. My main challenge was to take photographs of birds. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, "Birds of the Indian Subcontinent ─ In a Nutshell", "Birds of Sri Lanka, the complete checklist", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_birds_of_Sri_Lanka&oldid=982163467, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. My wish came true on a subsequent trip where I managed to take some beautiful captures on a rainy morning.

I spent two days in Kurunegala in December 2017. This bird is often observed within the Kitulgala Forest Reserve, the height Wilderness Sanctuary, Morapitiya Forest Reserve, Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Kanneliya Forest Reserve, Hiyare Forest, Horton Plains park, Hakgala Botanic Gardens and therefore the Udawattakele Forest Reserve.Legge’s Flowerpecker (Dicaeum vincens)A resident breeding species commonly found in wet lowlands and mid-zone hills; rarely reaching higher hills. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects. Colombo – kaduwela – Weliveriya – Attanagalla- Galapitamada- Salagala (1 hour) 2. Spotted for the first time, This error message is only visible to WordPress admins. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa.

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. Dipterans Click the link for the full list of bird species. What a beauty of a bird. [7], Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae, Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which comprises the ibises and spoonbills. Hard ticks [5], Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae, Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. The jacanas are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. (2006) disagree with Sibley and Monroe (1990) on the use of "Ceylon" in common species' names, suggesting instead that they should reflect the change of the official English name of the island from Ceylon to name Sri Lanka.

Very common. Many authorities have accepted this figure since then.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Nectariniidae. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen. Captured in low light inside the bush in Kandalama, I didn't realize at the time its an endemic species.