Endemic Birds of Sri Lanka

Endemic Birds of Sri Lanka
01. Sri Lanka spurfowl Galloperdix bicalcarata

Shy ground bird, inhabiting undergrowth of thick forests of low lands and hills of wet zone.Found locally in tall evergreen forests in dry zone.Occasionaly seen feeding along or crossing trails.Found in Kitulgala, Kanneliya and Singharaja, where the undergrowth is more open, or at open areas at forest edge. A group composed of six individuals were observed in the Puwakpitiya – Meemure nature trail; moist monsoon forests in intermediate zone, in 2007(Unpublished data Y.E.S.)

 IUCNSL 2007 List:EN   / FFPO: Protected
 

02. Sri Lanka Junglefowl Gallus lafayettii

The national bird of Sri Lanka. Found throught the island. A ground dweller, prefering forests and adjoining scrubs and plantations.Shy bird, frequently feeds in the open individually or hens with juveniles. .Common in suitable habitats in dry zone.

  
 

03. Sri Lanka Wood Pigeon Columba torringtonii.
A scarce forest bird.Found in well wooded home gardens in the higher hills.Singly or pairs can be found,flocks are not exceptional.Horton Plains National Park,Hakgala Botanic Gardens are good inhabiting sites.Seasonally move to lower elevations and seen in Singharaja,forests in Kandy area,in the lower hills.

IUCNSL 2007 List:VU / IUCN 2002 Global Red List:VU / FFPO: Protected

 
 

04. Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot (Ceylon Lorikeet) Loriculus beryllinus

.Smallest member of the parrot family in Sri Lanka. Solitary birds. Found in forests and adjoining well-wooded home gardens and plantations, from lowlands to hills, Pockets of wetter forests in the dry zone. Found in wet zone including Hunasgiriya, Elkaduwa, Teldeniya and Rathnapura, Kitulgala, and Singharaja are good sites to observe. Toddy is a preffered food item of this fascinating bird.

 

FFPO: Protected        CITES: Appendix II

  
 

05. Layard’s Parakeet Psittacula calthropae

Uncommon species in forests and adjoining habitats in wet zone.Distributed in the forests of the drier foothills and adjoining areas.Seen in pairs or in small flocks,high above the canopy.Edge habitats in Hunasgiriya, Deraniyagala, Singharaja and Kitulgala are good sites to observe.FFPO: Protected / CITES: Appendix II

  
06. Red-faced Malkoha Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus

A rare and elusive bird, confined to thick evergreen forests in wet zone and riverine forests of Dry zone.. Found in Kitulgala, Sinharaja and Monaragala.
IUCNSL 2007 List:VU / IUCN 2002 Global Red List:VU / FFPO: Protected
 

07. Green-billed Coucal Centropus chlororhynchos

A rare and elusive bird, confined to thick evergreen forests with dense undergrowth mainly of bamboo, or mixed with ferns and rattan, in the wet lowlands and mid hills. Kitulgala, Bodhinagala forest and Singharaja are good sites to observe.

IIUCNSL 2007 List:VU / IUCN 2002 Global Red List:VU / FFPO: Protected

 
 

08. Chestnut-backed Owlet Glaucidium castanonotum

Common small owl in forest and adjoining well- wooded gardens, from lowlands to higher hills in the wet zone.Seen regularly at Kitulgala and Singharaja or any wet zone forest.

IIUCNSL 2007 List:VU / IUCN 2002 Global Red List:LR/nt  / FFPO: Protected /  CITES: Appendix II

   
 

09. Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill Ocyceros gingalensis

Locally common species, widely distributed throughout lowlands and lower hills. Frequently found in disturbed forests and at forest fringes and adjoining well wooded gardens. Make flocks composed of 3 – 10 individuals.specially frujivores but females feed on reptiles and amphibians during the breeding season.

FFPO: Protected

  

10. Yellow-fronted Barbet Megalaima Flavifrons

Commonly seen throughout lowlands to the mid hills.Also found in the foothills to mid hills on the drier,eastern side of the mountains.The second largest barbet in the island,it is unmistakable with its blue face and yellow forehead.it frequents tall trees,descends to lower trees.

FFPO: Protected

 
11. Crimson-fronted Barbet (Ceylon small Barbet ) Megalaima rubricapilla
Commonly seen throughout lowlands to the mid hills.The only endemic regularly seen in major cities.Lives in pairs, but single birds often seen on tall trees.
 

12. Black-crested Bulbul ( Black-capped Bulbul) Pycnonotus melanicterus

 
Common species in forests and nearby gardens in wet lowlands to the lower hills, also found in the dry zone forests of the North Central Province, intermediate forests in the South, tall forests and riverine forests in Udawalawe National Park and Yala National Park. Frequently seen in low trees and bushes in edge habitats.

13. Yellow-eared  Bulbul Pycnonotus penicillatus

Common species in forest and gardens of higher hills.Easily seen in bushes and low trees.Hakgala Botanical Gardens, Wooded areas in Nuwara Eliya and Horton plains National Park are good places to observe these birds.

IUCNSL 2007 List:VU / IUCN 2002 Global Red List:LR/nt  / FFPO: Protected

 

14. Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush Myophoneus blighi

A shy, crepuscular bird. This species has one of the most restricted ranges of Sri Lankan birds. Confined to montane forests, mainly Horton plains National Park, Knuckles wilderness Area.



IUCNSL 2007 List:EN  / IUCN 2002 Global Red List:EN / FFPO: Protected  

 

15. Spot-winged Thrush Zoothera spiloptera

A shy ground living bird, fairly common in forests and adjoining plantations, home gardens in the lowlands,to the hills of wet zone. Scarce and locally distributed in riverine forests in dry zone. Kitulgala, Horton Plains and Singharaja are good sites to observe these birds.

IUCN 2002 Global Red List:LR/nt      FFPO: ProtectedI

 
 

 

16. Sri Lanka Bush Warbler ( Ceylon Warbler ) Bradypterus palliseri

ICommon but secretive species in the high mountain undergrowth and scrub.Hunasgiriya, Hakgala main road and bushy areas in Hakgala Botanical Gardens and the forest in Horton Plains are good sites to observe this birds.

IUCNSL 2007 List: EN / IUCN 2002 Global Red List:LR/nt  / FFPO: Protected

17. Dull-blue Flycatcher (Dusky-blue Flycatcher) Eumyias sordida

Rather common in forests and well-wooded gardens in higher hills.Hakgala, Galway’s Land Sanctuary and Victoria Park in Nuwara Eliya, Horton Plains and Knuckles are good places to observe them.

IUCNSL 2007 List:VU  IUCN 2002 Global Red List:LR/nt      FFPO: Protected

18. Brown-capped Babbler Pellorneum fuscocapillum

Fairly common and widespread bird except in the higher hills. Seldom seen due to its ground-dwelling habit. Found in scrub jungles,primary forests and forest adjoining home gardens.

FFPO: Protected

 
 

19. Orange- billed Babbler (Ceylon Rufous Babbler)  Turdoides rufescens

Fairly common species around the thick rain forests from the foothills to the mid hills, extending to suitable dense mountain forests in the higher hills. Kitulgala and Singharaja are best places to observe these birds.

 

IUCNSL 2007 List:VU

   

20. Ashy-headed Laughingthush Garrulax cinereifrons

A scarce species confined to thick rainforests in the foothills up to higher hills. Generally feeds and moves on or close to the ground. Kitulgala and Singharaja are good sites to observe these birds.

IUCNSL 2007 List: EN          IUCN 2002 Global Red List:VU      FFPO: Protected

  

21. Legge’s Flowerpecker Dicaeum  vincens

A rather uncommon species in forests and adjoining gardens, around foothills and in the lower hills in wet zone.Generally found high up on tall trees.Bodhinagala, Kitulgala, Gilimale and Singharaja are good sites to observe these birdrs.

IUCNSL 2007 List:VU  IUCN 2002 Global Red List:LR/nt      FFPO: Protected
22. Sri Lanka White-eye (Ceylon Hill White-eye) . . . Zosterops ceylonensis

A fairly common species in home gardens and forests in the higher hills. Forage on tall trees as well as in low bushes. Found in the forests and disturdbed habitats in higher hills of Knuckles and mid hills.

FFPO: Protected

 
23. Sri Lanka Blue Magpie Urocissa ornate

A Rather common species confined to the wet zone, found in primary rainforest and sometimes in adjoining home gardens, from low-lands to higher hills, rather shy member of the crow family, occur near forest villages and hermitages. Found in wet lowland rainforests and less disturbed adjoining anthropogenic habitats mainly in Kitulgala, and Sinharaja world Heritage.

IUCNSL 2007 List:VU         IUCN 2002 Global Red List:LR/nt      FFPO: Protected

24. White-faced Starling Sturnus albofrontatus

An uncommon bird found in pristine Lowland rain forests to lower montane areas. A cannopy dwelling rather shy bird found coud be observed in Sinharaja and Peak wilderness.

 

IUCNSL 2007 List: EN          IUCN 2002 Global Red List:VU      FFPO: Protected

25. Sri Lanka Myna (Ceylon Hill Myna ) Gracula ptilogenys

Confined to the thick forests in wet zone ascending to the mid hills and Knuckles and Kithulgala . A rare bird found in Low land rain forests and adjescent home gardens. Could be observed in Sinharaja, Kitulgala and Peak wilderness area more often.

IUCNSL 2007 List:VU         IUCN 2002 Global Red List:LR/nt      FFPO: Protected

26. Pompadour Green Pigeon Treron pompadora
The commonest Green Pigeons, found throughout the island up to the mid hills. Seen easily in dry low lands, often seen in National Parks. They show local migrations.

 

27. Common Wood-Shrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus
An arboreal bird, fairly common in the dry zone, ascends up to the mid hills;scarcer and local throughout the wet zone.

28. Scaly Thrush Zoothera duma imbricate

(Endangered). Inhabits undergrowth of thick wet forests but may appear in the adjoining open patches, usually in the early morning. An uncommon bird confined to the forests in the lower hills and higher altitudes in the wet zone.

IUCNSL 2007 List: EN
29. Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus horsfieldii holdsworthi
Found throughout the island ascending to the higher hills. It can be found in village gardens, areas where good patches of forests are nearby.

 
30. Ceylon Crested Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus lophorhinus
The pioneer species of bird flocks in thick Lowland forests. Found in wet zone forests in Sinharaja, Kanneliya and Kitulgala.
….. …

31. Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica
A common bird found in various habitats, all over the island. Mostly seen in small flocks.

32. Greater flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus
A rare bird distributed throughout the island and found in wet humid forests. Beak drumming is a common habit.

33. Serendib Scops Owl Ottus thilohofmanni

Most recently discovered, an uncommon bird found lowland wet zone forests in Sri Lanka.

IUCNSL 2007 List:EN