Another successful workshop on Forest Birds Flocks at Sinharaja

The Forest birds flocks study workshop conducted by the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka was held at Sinharaja rain forest from 20th to 23rd March 2008 led by Mr. Amila Salgado who is a senior member of the FOGSL and also a professional tour guide in the country. Mr. Rahula Perera (The president of the FOGSL) were also joined the group on the second day of the workshop who shared his birding experience with us and also conducted some lessons about forest bird flocks.

This group (including the beginners who were on their first visit to Sinharaja) was very lucky to observe most number of endemic birds including the most elusive bird “Sri Lanka Red faced Malkoha” within a short period of time at the first entrance to the forest during the workshop. Most of the birds were seen in large numbers while observing more than 13 Sri Lanka White faced starlings in a single tree. Some of the highlights were Sri Lanka Green billed Coucal, Indian cuckoo, Sri Lanka Spur fowl, Sri Lanka Red faced Malkoha. In addition Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl, Sri Lanka Spot winged Thrush, Sri Lanka Yellow Fronted Barbet, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Sri Lanka Myna, Sri Lanka Orange billed Babbler, Sri Lanka Brown capped Babbler, Sri Lanka Ashy headed Laughing-thrush, Tickell’s blue Flycatcher, Yellow browed Bulbul, Crested Drongo, Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler, Black capped Bulbul, Sri Lanka Chestnut backed Owlet are some of the species to be mentioned.

Members Jayanthi Karunaratne, Amitha Perera, Chandrasiri Samarasinhe, P. Gunasekara, Nilantha Anurudha, K.Y. Ganeshapriya, Basuru Rathnamalala, Amila Salgado, Rahula Perera, and Indrika Pradeepa participated for the workshop.


Finally the workshop can be described as one of the most successful workshops I have participated and everybody seemed to be thrilled with birding at the end. As a whole we must thank Amila & Rahula for sharing their experience to complete this workshop with a great success.


Following birds were recorded during the workshop.

01 Galloperdix bicalcarata Sri Lanka Spurfowl
02 Gallus lafayetii Sri Lanka Junglefowl
03 Ixobrychus flavicollis Black Bittern
04 Spilornis cheela Crested Serpent-eagle
05 Spizaetus cirrhatus Changeable Hawk-eagle
06 Amaurornis phoenicurus White-breasted Waterhen
07 Columba torringtoniae Sri Lanka Wood-pigeon
08 Stigmatopelia chinensis Spotted Dove
09 Chalcophaps indica Emerald Dove
10 Treron pompadora Pompadour Green-pigeon

11 Ducula aenea Green Imperial-pigeon
12 Loriculus beryllinus Sri Lanka Hanging-parrot
13 Psittacula calthropae Sri Lanka Emerald-collared Parakeet
14 Clamator coromandus Chestnut-winged Cuckoo
15 Cuculus micropterus Indian Cuckoo
16 Eudynamys scolopaceus Asian Koel
17 Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus Sri Lanka Red-faced Malkoha
18 Centropus chlororhynchus Sri Lanka Green-billed Coucal
19 Glaucidium castanonotum Sri Lanka Chestnut-backed Owlet
20 Batrachostomus moniliger Frogmouth
21 Collocalia unicolor Indian Swiftlet
22 Hirundapus giganteus Brown-backed Needletail
23 Cypsiurus balasiensis Asian Palm-swift
24 Hemiprocne coronata Crested Treeswift
25 Harpactes fasciatus Malabar Trogon
26 Halcyon smyrnensis White-throated Kingfisher
27 Alcedo atthis Common Kingfisher
28 Merops philippinus Blue-tailed Bee-eater
29 Ocyceros gingalensis Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill
30 Megalaima zeylanica Brown-headed Barbet
31 Megalaima flavifrons Sri Lanka Yellow-fronted Barbet
32 Picus chlorolophus Lesser Yellownape
33 Dinopium benghalense Black-rumped Flameback
34 Chrysocolaptes lucidus Greater Flameback
35 Aegithina tiphia Common Iora
36 Pericrocotus flammeus Scarlet Minivet
37 Hemipus picatus Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike
38 Lanius cristatus Brown Shrike
39 Oriolus xanthornus Black-hooded Oriole
40 Dicrurus caerulescens White-bellied Drongo
41 Dicrurus paradiseus Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
42 Hypothymis azurea Black-naped Monarch
43 Terpsiphone paradisi Asian Paradise-flycatcher
44 Urocissa ornata Sri Lanka Magpie
45 Hirundo rustica Barn Swallow
46 Pycnonotus melanicterus Black-crested Bulbul
47 Pycnonotus cafer Red-vented Bulbul
48 Pycnonotus luteolus White-browed Bulbul
49 Iole indica Yellow-browed Bulbul
50 Hypsipetes leucocephalus Asian Black Bulbul
51 Orthotomus sutorius Common Tailorbird
52 Phylloscopus trochiloides Greenish Warbler
53 Phylloscopus magnirostris Large-billed Leaf-warbler
54 Pellorneum fuscocapillus Sri Lanka Brown-capped Babbler
55 Pomatorhinus melanurus Sri Lanka Scimitar-babbler
56 Rhopocichla atriceps Dark-fronted Babbler
57 Turdoides rufescens Sri Lanka Orange-billed Babbler
58 Turdoides affinis Yellow-billed Babbler
59 Garrulax cinereifrons Sri Lanka Ashy-headed Laughingthrush
60 Zosterops ceylonensis Sri Lanka White-eye
61 Zosterops palpebrosus Oriental White-eye
62 Gracula ptilogenys Sri Lanka Myna
63 Acridotheres tristis Common Myna
64 Sturnus albofrontatus White-faced Starling
65 Zoothera spiloptera Sri Lanka Spot-winged Thrush
66 Zoothera imbricata Sri Lanka Scaly Thrush
67 Copsychus saularis Oriental Magpie-robin
68 Muscicapa dauurica Asian Brown Flycatcher
69 Muscicapa muttui Brown-breasted Flycatcher
70 Cyornis tickelliae Tickell's Blue-flycatcher
71 Chloropsis aurifrons Golden-fronted Leafbird
72 Dicaeum vincens Sri Lanka White-throated Flowerpecker
73 Dicaeum erythrorhynchos Pale-billed Flowerpecker
74 Nectarinia zeylonica Purple-rumped Sunbird
75 Lonchura punctulata Scaly-breasted Munia
76 Motacilla flava Yellow Wagtail

The report is provided by Nishantha Ganeshapriya. Photos are provided by Indrika Pradeepa.