Friday, April 21, 2017

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER

Photographed March 2017
(*  900)                 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER                     Charadrius dubius

SRI LANKA               55

Found on the shores of lagoons, rivers and tanks, mudflats, paddy fields and salt-pans. 14-17 cm. Rather uncommon breeding resident in dry lowlands (race: jerdoni); winter migrants (race: curonicus) also occur throughout the lowlands.


INDIAN THICK-KNEE

Photographed March 2017
1069                     INDIAN THICK-KNEE                Burninus (oedicnemus) indicus

SRI LANKA                   54

Also known as Indian Stone-curlew. Found in open scrub. 40-44 cm. Uncommon breeding resident in the lowlands; local and rare in the wet lowlands.





Monday, April 17, 2017

GREAT THICK-KNEE

Photographed March 2017.
1068                       GREAT THICK-KNEE              Esacus recurvirostris 

SRI LANKA                53

Found on the shores of estuaries, coastal lagoons and edges of large tanks. 49-54 cm. Uncommon breeding resident mainly in the dry lowlands, and local and rare in coastal wet lowlands.




INDIAN BLUE ROBIN

Subspecies brunnea, photographed March 2017
106                     INDIAN BLUE ROBIN                   Luscinia brunnea

SRI LANKA                52

Found in forests and ravines. 15 cm. Uncommon to locally rather common winter migrant throughout Sri Lanka.


PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER

Photographed March 2017
(*    424)                   PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER                   Pluvialis fulva 

SRI LANKA                 51    
                  
Found in open grasslands, near water, mudflats, dry paddy fields and lagoon shores. 23-26 cm. Fairly common winter migrant to lowlands, more common in dry lowlands.


    



Sunday, April 16, 2017

GREATER COUCAL

Subspecies parroti, photographed March 2017
(*   991)                     GREATER COUCAL                 Centropus sinensis

SRI LANKA                 50

Also known as Southern Coucal. Found in forest edges of wet zone, dry forest, scrub and thickets in gardens and around cultivation. 48 cm. Common breeding resident throughout Sri Lanka. 

NOTE: If Greater Coucal , C. sinensis, is split this would be called Southern Coucal, C parroti.


SRI LANKAN WOODSHRIKE

Photographed March 2017
1066                        SRI LANKAN WOODSHRIKE                Tephrodornis (pondicerianus) affinis       

SRI LANKA                  49

Found in open forest, well-wooded areas and scrub with scattered trees. 18 cm. Fairly common breeding resident in dry lowlands and scattered localities in wet lowlands and up to mid hills.

NOTE: treated as conspecific with Common Woodshrike.





DARTER

Photographed March 2017
(*   134)                DARTER                   Anhinga melanogaster 

SRI LANKA                     48

Also called Oriental Darter. Found near tanks, lakes, larger rivers and lagoons. 85-97 cm. Uncommon breeding resident in dry lowlands; very rare in wet lowlands and high hills.




BLACK-HEADED IBIS

Photographed March 2017
(*  999)                 BLACK-HEADED IBIS                  Threskiornis melanocephalus 

SRI LANKA               47

Found on freshwater tanks, marshes and paddy fields. 75 cm. Fairly common breeding resident in lowlands.



LESSER WHISTLING-DUCK

Photographed March 2017
(*   901)               LESSER WHISTLING-DUCK                  Dendrocygna javanica

SRI LANKA               46

Found on freshwater marshes and tanks. 42 cm. Common breeding resident throughout lowlands.



BARN SWALLOW

Subspecies gutturalis, photographed March 2017
(*   805)                 BARN SWALLOW               Hirundo rustica    

SRI LANKA             45  

Found over open country and towns, often near water. 18 cm. Very common winter migrant throughout Sri Lanka.

SRI LANKA GREY HORNBILL

Photographed March 2017
1065                         SRI LANKA GREY HORNBILL                  Ocyceros gingalensis

SRI LANKA                    44

Endemic to Sri Lanka. Found in forests and wooded gardens. 45 cm. Fairly common, found from lowlands up to mid hills.




COMMON SANDPIPER

Photographed March 2017
(*     508)                     COMMON SANDPIPER                   Actitis hypoleucos 

SRI LANKA                  43

 Found in many types of wetlands, including water and rocky habitats. 19-21 cm. Fairly common winter migrant throughout Sri Lanka.


WHITE-RUMPED SHAMA

Subspecies leggei, photographed March 2017
(*   1044)                WHITE-RUMPED SHAMA                 Copsychus malabaricus

SRI LANKA                   42

Founds in forests. 22 cm. Rare to locally fairly common breeding resident from lowlands up to mid hills, mainly in dry lowlands.





CRESTED SERPENT EAGLE

Subspecies spilogaster, photographed March 2017
(*  1051)             CRESTED SERPENT EAGLE              Spilornis cheela

SRI LANKA                41

Found in forest and wooded country. 56-74 cm. Fairly common breeding resident throughout Sri Lanka.




ORANGE-BREASTED GREEN PIGEON

Subspecies leggei, photographed March 2017
(*  1064)                 ORANGE-BREASTED GREEN PIGEON                      Treron bicinctus  

SRI LANKA                   40

Found in woods and scrub. 29 cm. Fairly common breeding resident in dry lowlands, local and fairly rare in wet lowlands.

LESSER ADJUTANT

Photographed March 2017
(* 835)                LESSER ADJUTANT                   Leptoptiles javanicus

SRI LANKA                      39

Found in marshes, pools, water holes and tank edges in and adjoining forests. 110-120 cm. Rare breeding resident in dry zone lowlands.

NOTE:  Globally threatened.

GREY-BELLIED CUCKOO

Photographed March 2017
1063                    GREY-BELLIED CUCKOO                       Cacomantis passerinus   

SRI LANKA                  438

found in open forest, gardens and scrub. 23 cm. Rather uncommon migrant, to lowlands to mid hills, rarer in wet lowlands and hills.







BLACK-NAPED MONARCH

Subspecies ceylonensis, photographed March 2017
(* 870)                    BLACK-NAPED MONARCH               Hypothymis azurea      

SRI LANKA               37

Found in forest, wooded areas and adjoining home gardens. 16 cm. Uncommon breeding resident in lowlands to mid hills, comparatively more in wet zone.





INDIAN PEAFOWL

Photographed March 2017
(* 263)                           INDIAN PEAFOWL                   Pavo cristatus  

SRI LANKA                      36

Found in scrub and open country. M 180-230 cm; F 90-100 cm. Common breeding resident in dry zone lowlands and uncommon in adjacent intermediate zone, small scattered feral populations in southern part of wet zone.