Birds Of Sri Lanka Part 2

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Pictorial Pocket Guide - 1Common, Endemic & Threatened birdsin Sri Lanka

by Sarath Kotagama

First published 2006All rights reserved. Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, 2006

ISBN 955-8576-19-0

Published by

Field Ornithology Group of Sri LankaDepartment of ZoologyUniversity of ColomboColombo 3.

Illustrations: Sarath KotagamaK.D. LakshmanKelum Gunasekara

Pruthiviraj FernandoKulasiri Ranaweera

Typography: Indrika Kaggoda ArachchiNirosha Munasingha

Copy Comparison: Saman Gamage


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Preface

Birdwatching is a hobby that needs very little resources. It however

builds character, while the conservation contribution is very high.In the past, birdwatching was confined to a few. Today thanks tothe wide promotion done by the Field Ornithology Group of SriLanka (FOGSL), it is much popular. The break through came withits introduction in Sinhala and low cost publications, accessible tothe average person.

In this book which is an update of earlier Pictorial Pocket Guide tothe Common Birds of Sri Lanka I have included new sections tocover endemic and threatened birds. I have retained the commonnames as in Siri Laka Kurullo (Kotagama and Wijayasinha, in press)while the scientific names as in Inskipp et al. (1996). Where changeshave been made by Rasmussen & Anderton (2005) it has been indi-cated appropriately.

Many helped in this production those at the FOGSL office, - Anoma,Shyama, Nirosha, Chinthaka and Saman have contributed in nu-merous ways. Indrika has done a good job in our maiden effort ofdoing the typography in-house to reduce cost. Finally Athula has

brought the production out in good quality; as usual FOGSL re-main commited to informed, scientific bird watching promotionthrough education and publications. This is another step in that

direction.

Happy birding, please send your comments so that this book canbe improved further.

Professor Sarath KotagamaPresidentField Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka

Department of ZoologyUniversity of Colombo

Colombo 3.

2006-5-31


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Contents

Practical advice for birdwatching ..................9

Significant birding sites in Sri Lanka ..................11

Abbreviations, symbols & definitions..............................................14

Key to entries .. ..............15

General topography of a bird ......................16

Common wetland birds ................19

Common forest birds & other birds ........................................43

Endemic birds ................95

Proposed endemic birds .........................101

Globally threatened birds ..105

List of nationally threatened birds..................................................112

List of globally threatened birds....................................................114

Species name changes according to Rasmussen andAnderton............................................................................................115

References ............................................................................................116

Index of common names....................................................................118

Index of scientific names...............................................................122


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Practical Advice for Birdwatching

HOW TO PREPARE

Clothes: Wear comfortable clothes which are not brightly coloured.Earth colours are more advisable, such as Greens or Browns. Suitablefootwear is recommended.

Equipments: A field guide book such as this would be most useful. Apair of binoculars will help. The recommended magnifications are7x50 or 8x40. If you do not have one you could still do birdwatching.

A small note book to make notes of field observations is essential.

HOW TO BIRDWATCH

Field trips with small groups are always advisable: small groupsallow better coordination and communication among participants.

A good way to see birds is to find an isolated place where one can sitand hide among the scrubs. Wait for a while, then a lot of birds startshowing themselves in front; this need a lot of patience.

The common way to do birdwatching is to slowy walk through pathssearching for birds. Stop in the road when a bird is seen. In addi-tion, one can enjoy the beauty of nature.

HOW TO IDENTIFY BIRDS

When a bird is seen how can we say which birds is which? We will givesome guidelines that will help to identify them.

The size: Compare the bird with the size of other known birds. (eg.Is it bigger or smaller than pigeon ?).

Their shape: Are they slim, fat, large etc ?

The shape of their bills, wings, tails and legs.

Their feathers: The colour and marks they have.

Theirbehaviour: The way they perch on the branches, how they fly ?if they run or jump, etc.

Their song: Bird songs are characteristic from one species to another.Learn these. It will help to recognise them apart. A lot of birdwatch-

ers identify birds more through their songs than through their sight.

COMMON, ENDEMIC & THREATENED BIRDS IN SRI LANKA

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COMMON, ENDEMIC & THREATENED BIRDS OF SRI LANKA

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Bear in mind all these details, look at the guide book (remember that somespecies are very similar to others), so all details will be useful to identifythem. An advice from expert ornithologists or a guide will always help.

Dont get discouraged if it cannot be identified. This is not innate knowl-edge. The more birdwatching trips one takes, it will be more fun and learn-ing. So, venture to know the birds in the neighbourhood. We are sure it will

be an enjoyable experience.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR BIRDWATCHER

When birdwatching, please remember the following codes for good con-

duct.

The welfare of birds must always come first.

Do not disturb or disrupt any habitat.

Respect the customs and rights of local people, land owners andvillagers.

Be courteous to local people, they will help.

When watching with binoculars, take precaution not to point it at

houses and places of activity- Some people do not like this. Silence is golden.

Share experiences- it always helps the cause.

Avoid tape lures.

Leave nests alone, do not watch them directly at close range-a naughtycat, predator may be around.


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1 Adams Bridge2 Agarapatana-Bopattalawa PR3 Amanawala-Ampane PR4 Ampara S

5 Anavilundava S6 Anuradapura S7 Araly South-Punale: Jaffna

peninsula West end8 ArankeleAR9 Arugam (=Aragam) Lagoon10 Ayagama PR11 BambarabotuvaFR12 Batticaloa Lagoon

13 Beira Lake14 Belihuloya (Pambahinna)-

Samanalawewa Dam area15 Bellanvila-Attidiya S16 Beraliya (Akuressa) PR17 Beraliya (Kudagala) PR18 Bundala NP19 Buttala University Park20 Chale Lagoon21 Chundikulama S22 Delgoda-Kudumiriya PR23 Dellawa/Diyadawa PR/FR24 Delmella-Yatagampitiya PR25 Delwala/Panilkanda/Walankanda

PR/FR26 Dikoya area27 Ingiriya (Dombagaskanda-

Bodinagala) FR28 Galoya Complex NP/S29 Giants Tank S30 Gilimale-Eratna FR31 Hakgala/Mipilimana Botanical

Garden/ SNR/FR32 Haldummulla Herbal Garden33 HaputaleFR34 Haycock/HabarakadaFR/PR

35 Horton Plains/Pattipola-Ambewela/Ohiya. NP/PR/FR

36 Jaffna Lagoon37 Kanneliya/Dediyagala/

NakiyadeniyaFR/PR38 KalugalaFR

39 Kalametiya-Lunama Lagoons S40 Kantale Tank41 Karagan Levaya/Maha Levaya42 Karawita PR

43 Kaudulla NP44 Kayts (Kanativu) /Mandativu45 Kitulgala: Kelani ValleyFR/PR46 Knuckles CF47 Kokilai (=Kukulava) Lagoon S48 Kombala-Kottawa PR49 Kurulukele (Kegalle) S50 Labugama-KalatuwawaFR51 Lahugala-Kitulana NP

52 Lunugamvehera NP53 Maduruoya NP54 Maha (=Periya) kalapuva-Vangala

kalapuva-Mannar Causeway55 Maha (=Periya) karachchi-Hin

karachchi Lagoons56 Mahaweli Flood Plains NP57 MalambureFR58 Maligavila AR59 Manampeliyawa Tank60 Maragalkanda (Monaragala)61 Medirigiriya AR62 Mihintale S63 Minneriya-Giritale NP64 Morapitiya-Runakanda PR65 MulatiyanaFR66 Mundal Lake

67 Muturajawela S68 Nayara Lagoon69 Namunukula PR70 Navadankulama (Periyakadawala

Tank)71 Nevugalkanda PR72 Nuwara Eliya: Victoria Park/

Galways Land S73 OliyagankeleFR

74 Padaviya Tank S75 Peak Wilderness S76 Pidurutalagala/Kandapola-Sita

Eliya PR/FR77 PilikuttuwaAR78 Pimburattewa Tank


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79 Polonnaruwa S80 Pompakele (Ratnapura)F81 Puttalam Lagoon82 Rammalakanda (Ratnapura)FR

83 Rassagala area84 Ritigala SNR/AR85 Rugam Tank86 Seguvantivu mud-flats87 Sigiriya S88 Sinharaja NHWA89 Talangama Tank90 Tangamale S91 Udawalawe NP

92 Udawattakele S/FR93 Ullakele Lagoon94 Upara Lagoon95 Usgala-Siyambalangamuwa Tank96 Vandeloos Bay-Elephant Point-

Tenadi Bay97 Vidataltivu Lagoon98 Iranativu Islands-Devils Point99 Victoria-Randenigala-Rantembe S100 Vilpattu NP101 WagaFR102 Waratalgoda PR103 Wasgomuwa NP104 Wiravila-Tissa S105 WelihenaFR106 YagiralaFR107 Yala (Ruhunu) Complex NP/

SNR/S


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Abbreviations, Symbols & Definitions

Ad. AdultAR Archaeological Reserve

Br. Breeding plumage

BrR Breeding resident

CF Conservation Forest

DZ Dry Zone

F Other forest

FR Forest Reserve

HC Hill Country

IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature & Natural ResourcesJuv Juvenile

LC Low Country

LCDZ Low Country Dry Zone

LCWZ Low Country Wet Zone

Loiterer Migrant birds that stay behind in the months June-August.

Migrant Birds that come regularly by end August and leave in April-May of the foll-

owing year.

NBr Non-breeding plumage

NHWA National Heritage Wilderness Area

NP National Park

PR Proposed Forest Reserve

Re Habit Restricted habitat species: A bird known to inhabit a specific habitat.

Re Loc Restricted location species: A bird known to inhabit a specific small location.

Re Range Restricted range species: A bird known to inhabit a small area/range.

S Sanctuary

SNR Strict Natural Reserve

WZ Wet Zone

Endemic bird

Proposed endemic bird

Male

Female

* Species name changes according to Rasmussen & Anderton (2005)Globally threatened bird

Nationally threatened bird


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Dry Zone

Wet Zone Low Country

Hill Country

Zonal Boundaries Provincial Boundaries

Scientific name

Sinhala systematic name

Identification characters

Breeding status

Key to Entries

PLATE 34

6. PURPLE-RUMPED SUNBIRD

Plate number

Common English name

Nitamba Dam Sutikka

10cm. Slightly decurved, short bill.

Very Common.

All zones but, less common in higher HC.

Nectarinia zeylonica

Abundance

Habitat

Illustration numberStraight line length from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail.

Sinhala systematic name in Latin script

ks;U o iQlald

BrR.

Distribution

Distribution map or Migrant map

Gardens, cultivations, forests.

Vulnerable

Threatened status

NP

NCP

NWP

CP

EP

UVA

SABWP

SP

Standard line for 1900mm.annual rainfall

500m. contour line


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Crest

Cr

own

UppertailcovertsP

rimaries

Secondaries

BackA

uriculars

Super

cillium

Tarsus

Undertailcoverts

Re

ctrices

Lore

Forehead

Uppermandible

Lowermandible

Commissure

Chin

Toe

Thigh

Malar

U

pperwingcoverts

Belly

Flank

Alula

Side

Breast

Nape

Occrput

Throat

General Topography of a Bird

Scap

ulars


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Crest

Crown

Sc a

pular s

Tertials

Rump

Up

perta

ilcov

erts

Rect r

ices

Secon

daries

Prim

aries

Alu

la

Mid

dles e

cond

aryco

verts

Marg

inalco

verts

Throat

Comm

issure

Ri c

talbr i

stles

Lore

Foreh

ead

Scap

ulars

G

rea t

erse

conda r

yco

verts

Grea

terprim

aryc o

verts

1 2 3 45

6

7

8

10

1

2

3

11 1

0 9 87

6

5

4

9


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Documents

Birds Of Sri Lanka Part 2