An update of the National Bird Ringing Programme 2008

Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL) conducted another successful bird ringing session at Bundala National Park from 03rd to 07th June 2008 as part of the National Bird Ringing Programme, with the collaboration of Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). This session was conducted to capture birds in the non-migrant season at the Bundala National Park.

Netting sessions for waders were done at the Bundala lagoon as in previous seasons. Very low number of birds and species were observed in and around the lagoon during the period. However, four species of waders, two other waterbird species and two wetland associate species were captured during the netting sessions. Total number of birds captured was 22, including two recaptures of Kentish Plovers. One of the Kentish Plovers recaptured was ringed in the last non-migrant period (July 2007). The other bird was ringed in the last migrant season (April 2008).

Following birds were captured during this session.

Common Redshank 6
Greater Thick-knee 1
Kentish Plover 5
Black-winged Stilt 1
Little Cormorant 1
Pied Kingfisher 4
Brahminy Kite 2
Black crowned Night heron 2

Netting operations were done to capture forest birds in the scrub forest around the Bundala lagoon. A total of 21 birds belong to nine species were captured. An Indian Robin which was ringed in July 2007, recaptured during the session. Highlight of this session was capture of the Barred button Quail.

Following forest birds were captured during this session.

Red-vented Bulbul 6
White-browed Bulbul 3
Yellow-billed Babbler 2
Common Iora 4
Barred Button Quail 1
Ashy Prinia 1
Indian Robin 1
Rufous-winged Bushlark 1
Little Green Bee-eater 2

As a part of the National Bird Ringing Programme, a training session on the bird ringing and other bird studies were conducted for the officers of the Department of Wildlife Conservation. A total of eleven officers from DWC were trained during this session. Participants from the DWC were B.S. Sumanarathne, S.A. Indunil Lasantha Jayasinghe, M. Karunarathna, D.M. Mudunkothge, P.D. Lalith Wijithananda, J.A. Piyasena, P.A. Thilakaratna and M. Wasantha Udaya Kumara from Yala National Park and G. Wijesinghe, Y.G. Naveen Rangana and P.G. Uthpala Adaranga from Bundala National Park.

Participants from FOGSL for this ringing session were Chinthaka Kaluthota, Susantha Sanjeewa, Pradeep Suranga, Chanaka Suranga and Dasun.

FOGSL acknowledge all the participants for their hard work in the field, and Mr. Sisira Kumara de Silva (Park Warden, Bundala NP) and his staff for their contribution to facilitate this session in the Bundala National Park.