JERDON’S BUSHLARK

Subspecies ceylonensis, photographed March 2017

1062                          JERDON’S BUSHLARK                Mirafra affinis

SRI LANKA                34

Found in open country. 15 cm. Fairly common breeding resident dry lowlands; rare and local in wet lowlands.

GREEN BEE-EATER

Subspecies ceylonicus, photographed March 2017

(* 987)                 GREEN BEE-EATER                  Merops orientalis

SRI LANKA                   33 

Found in open country. 16-18 cm. Common breeding resident from dry lowlands up to drier low hills; really visits the wet zone.

BROWN SHRIKE

Photographed March 2017

(* 928)                BROWN SHRIKE                        Lanius cristatus

SRI LANKA                    32

Found in open country with trees or bushes. 18-19 cm. Brown (L c cristatus) is a common winter migrant; 'Philippine' (L c luciorensis) is a rare but regular winter migrant. 

SRI LANKA JUNGLEFOWL

Photographed March 2017

1061                        SRI LANKA JUNGLEFOWL                   Gallus  lafayetii

SRI LANKA                 31

Endemic. Found in forests and dense scrub. M 66-72.5 cm; F 35 cm. Fairly common from lowlands to high hills.

SHIKRA

Subspecies badius, photographed March 2017

(* 1008)                    SHIKRA                  Accipter badius 

SRI LANKA                 30    

Found in both open country and dense forest. 30-36 cm. Common breeding resident throughout Sri Lanka.

COMMON IORA

Subspecies multicolor, photographed March 2017

(*  819)                 COMMON IORA                   Aegithina tipha

SRI LANKA                  29

Found in forests, wooded areas, and scrub with scattered trees. 14 cm. Fairly common breeding resident throughout lowlands and up to mid hills.

GULL-BILLED TERN

Subspecies nilotica, photographed March 2017

(*  737)                 GULL-BILLED TERN                  Gelochelidon nilotica   

SRI LANKA             28

Found on coast, lagoons, salt-pans, sand spits, tidal flats and tanks. 35-38 cm. Fairly common winter migrants mainly to dry coastal areas, uncommon in wet coastal areas, and rare on inland wetlands; possibly few pairs breed on offshore islands of northern coast.

PURPLE SWAMPHEN

Subspecies poliocephalus, photographed March 2017

(*  83)               PURPLE SWAMPHEN                  Porphyrio porphyrio 

SRI LANKA                 27

Found in roadbeds, marshes, paddy fields and weedy tanks. 45-50 cm. Locally common breeding resident in the lowlands.

PURPLE HERON

Subspecies manilensis, photographed March 2017

(*  261)             PURPLE HERON           Areda purpurea

SRI LANKA              26

Found mainly in the vegetation of marshes, paddy fields and tanks; in reedy swamps and mangroves around lagoons. 78-90 cm. Rather common breeding resident in lowlands and ascends up to lower hills, but rare in hills.

MALABAR PIED HORNBILL

Photographed March 2017

1060                       MALABAR PIED HORNBILL                  Anthracoceros coronatus   

SRI LANKA                 25

Found in forests and wooded areas. 65 cm. Fairly common breeding resident locally in dry lowlands up to lower hills; occasionally ascends higher.

LITTLE EGRET

Photographed March 2017

(*  558)              LITTLE EGRET                   Egretta garzetta

SRI LANKA              24

Found in marshes, paddy fields, lagoons, tanks and tidal mudflats. 55-65 cm. Fairly common breeding resident in lowlands and up to lower hills, uncommon up to high hills.

LITTLE CORMORANT

Photographed March 2017

(* 983)                LITTLE CORMORANT                   Phalacrocorax niger

SRI LANKA             23

Found near lakes, tanks, marshes, paddy fields, streams, rivers and lagoons. 51 cm. Very common resident, mainly from lowlands to upper hills; less common in higher hills.

WHITE-FRONTED WATERHEN

Subspecies phoenicurus, Photographed March 2017

(* 337/814)                 WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN               Amaurornis phoenicurus      

SRI LANKA             22

Found in marshes, paddy fields and other wet areas with thick cover. 32 cm. Common breeding resident throughout Sri Lanka.

GREEN IMPERIAL PIGEON

Subspecies pusilla, photographed March 2017

 (*   871)                GREEN IMPERIAL PIGEON                    Ducula aenea

SRI LANKA           21

 Found in forests and well wooded gardens. 43-47 cm. Fairly common resident from lowlands up to lower hills.