Enjoying Birds and Nature in Hill Country

FOGSL organised another successful field visit for its members from 1st to 4th May. Victoria park, Gregory's lake, Bomuru Ella forests, Kande Ela forest and reservoir, and Hakgala Botanical Garden were among the places visited for bird watching. Trekking along the Bomuru Ella falls to Welimada was unforgettable experience to the members. Some of the memorable scenes captured in digital media are given here.

The list of birds recorded during the four day visit.

Sri Lanka Spurfowl
Sri Lanka Junglefowl
Little Grebe
Indian Pond-heron
Cattle Egret
Grey Heron
Little Egret
Little Cormorant
Brahminy Kite
White-bellied Sea-eagle
Crested Serpent-eagle
Black Eagle
Changeable Hawk-eagle
White-breasted Waterhen
Red-wattled Lapwing
Pintail Snipe
Rock Pigeon
Sri Lanka Wood-pigeon
Spotted Dove
Emerald Dove
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Asian Koel
Greater Coucal
Collared Scops-owl
Indian Swiftlet
Asian Palm-swift
Little Swift
White-throated Kingfisher
Brown-headed Barbet
Sri Lanka Yellow-fronted Barbet
Crimson-fronted Barbet
Streak-throated Woodpecker
Greater Flameback
Common Iora
Scarlet Minivet
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike
Brown Shrike
Black-hooded Oriole
Asian Paradise-flycatcher
Sri Lanka Magpie

House Crow
Jungle Crow
Great Tit
Jerdon’s Bushlark
Zitting Cisticola
Grey-breasted Prinia
Ashy Prinia
Plain Prinia
Red-vented Bulbul
Sri Lanka Yellow-eared Bulbul
Asian Black Bulbul
Common Tailorbird
Sri Lanka Bush-warbler
Sri Lanka Scimitar-babbler
Dark-fronted Babbler
Yellow-billed Babbler
Sri Lanka White-eye
Oriental White-eye
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
Common Myna
Pied Thrush
Eurasian Blackbird
Oriental Magpie-robin
Indian Robin
Pied Bushchat
Sri Lanka Dull-blue Flycatcher
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher
Thick-billed Flowerpecker
Sri Lanka White-throated Flowerpecker
Pale-billed Flowerpecker
Purple Sunbird
House Sparrow
White-throated Munia
Scaly-breasted Munia
Paddyfield Pipit

Participants: Mr. Sapumal Liyanaarachchi, Mr. Nishantha Kulathunga, Mrs. Indika Kulathunga, Mr. L.W. Manawadu, Mrs. Asanka Abeysekara, Mrs. Chitra Devi Ranasingha, Mr. Rohantha Samarajeeva, Mrs. Shanthini G. Atapaththu, Mr. Rayharn R.G. Atapaththu, Mr. Carl Fernando, Miss. Yuraji Karunaratne, Mr. Isuru de Zoysa, Miss. Nadeeka Gunawardhana, Miss. Thilina Deegoda, Mrs. Sindy de Silva, Mr. Nils Jonas Holgersson, Mrs. Carolina H. Ivarsson, Mr. C.R.I. Gomez, Mrs. Shamila Perera, Mr. Asantha Sirimanna, Miss. Zainal Ibrahim, Mr. Malaka Roddrigo, Mr. Saman Gamage, Mr. Indrika Pradeepa.

Indrika Pradeepa provided the list of birds recorded and photos.

‘Sri Lanka Birds’ in the festive month

April is a festive month for every Sri Lankan because of the Sinhala and Hindu New Year. A brief summary of the results obtained during this festive month is given here. However, lowest number of visits and observations were recorded in this month after the launch of the system. It is predictable in this month since our members had to participate in many other activities as well.

Nine new members registered for the month of April increasing the total membership to 130.

The number of observations for the month of April was 574. Total of 144 species were recorded in the system during this period. It is nearly a half (50.9%) of the total number of species recorded so far in the system. Although the number of observations recorded was low, our members were able to record 21 of the 26 definitive endemic species and all seven proposed endemic species within the month of April.

Five mostly recorded species (and number of observations) were Red vented Bulbul (21), White-bellied Drongo (20), Yellow billed Babbler (17), Spotted Dove (17), and Common Myna (17).

Observations of nesting birds were recorded for a total of four species in the system during April. Species recorded nesting were, Crimson fronted Barbet, Greater Coucal, Common Myna and Orange breasted Green Pigeon.

A total of 21 locations were visited during April by our members. Highest numbers of observations were made at the locations in the Gampaha District namely Ihalayagoda (86) and Katawalamulla-Ganemulla (76).

Current statistics describing the number of field visits, number of observations and bird species, as well as the number of users registered in the system, are displayed on the login page of ‘Sri Lanka Birds’ - www.worldbirds.org/srilanka .

We would like to thank all the members for entering their valuable observations into Sri Lanka Birds. We highly appreciate contributions of members towards conservation of birds through this initiative.

We wish you happy birding.

Administrator of “Sri Lanka Birds”
Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka

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.