Birds I have seen in Sri Lanka Birds I have seen in Sri Lanka
I am completely new to birding but have become quite engrossed. I would be grateful for tips, information and corrections. Please e-mail me at tom@haythornthwaite.net.
My goal was to photograph all the interesting birds I saw here in Sri Lanka. This project has come to an end because my camera broke and I misplaced my guide book and anyway, I will be leaving Sri Lanka on August 20.
I look forward to starting a page of Afghan birds.
[Page numbers refer to my guide book, "A Photographic Guide to Birds of Sri Lanka by Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, Deepal Warakagoda and T.S.U. de Silva. General categories are from the same source.]
Herons, storks & allies |
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Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger 64cm [p15]
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Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii 42-45cm [p20] |
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Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis 48-53cm [p21] These are very very common in fields. I've seen bunches of them all quivering their throats. They do indeed sometimes ride around on cattle.
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Little Egret
Egretta arzetta 55-65cm [p22] I don't particularly like the way they scrunch up their necks when they fly. They're so much more elegant standing still.
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Great Egret
Casmerodius albus 85-102cm [p23] I've seen these amongst Cattle Egrets near Ampara but not in Batticaloa where I live.
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Purple Heron
Ardea purpurea 78-90cm [p24]
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Painted Stork
Mycteria leucocephala 93-102cm [p24] I'm not certain of this one. Could it be a Spot-billed Pelican? Pity I wasn't closer. |
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Wooly-necked Stork (White-necked Stork)
Ciconia episcopus 75-92cm [p25] I've only seen one so far.
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Back-headed Ibis (White Ibis)
Threskiornis melanocephalus 75cm [p27]
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Raptors |
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Eagle |
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44-52cm [p33] These soar back and forth along the edge of the lagoon where I work. Sometimes the dark feathers on their wingtips are stretched farther out and there's quite a notch between them and the main brown ones. Occasionally you can see the sunshine through most of the wing feathers.
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POSSIBLY SPOTTED:
Black Eagle |
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Gamebirds |
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Indian Peafowl
Pavo cristatus 180-230cm (male), 90-100cm (female) [p40] The A11 is a good road for peacock spotting. I've seen them on telephone poles and once our car scared one out of the ditch. But I'm yet to get close with the camera.
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Waders |
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Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus 32-35cm [p52]
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Pigeons and doves |
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Rock Pigeon (Rock Dove)
Columba livia 33cm [67]
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Cukoos & relatives |
Greater Coucal (Common Coucal) Centropus sinensis 48cm [p76] |
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Kingfishers |
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White-throated Kingfisher (White-breasted Kingfisher)
Halcyon smyrnenis 28-30cm [p83] These remind me happily of a holiday in Srinigar where they were very common. I definitely saw one here in Sri Lanka before taking these photos; but are these photos definitely of a White-throated Kingfisher? (They are the same individual.)
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Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata 29-31cm [p84] |
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| Bee-eaters, rollers & hoopoes | |
Indian Roller Coracias benghalenis 32-34cm [p88] |
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Bulbuls |
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POSSIBLY SPOTTED:
Yellow-browed Bulbul |
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Thrushes and Robins |
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Oriental Magpie Robin
Copsychus saularis 19-21cm [p108]
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Magpies and Crows |
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Crow (Grey-necked Crow) Corvus splendens 40-42cm [p133] |
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Large-billed Crow (Jungle Crow)
Corvus macrorhynchos 46-48cm [p134] I think this must be the national bird of Sri Lanka (though there's a peacock on the 500 Rupee note). They're plentiful and they're loud.
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Starlings & mynas |
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Common Myna
Acridotheres tristis 24cm [p135] A friend has one of these in a cage. When loose (them, as well as me) I often see them in pairs.
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Updated July 28, 2007 All photographs © Tom Haythornthwaite
