Sri Lanka Trip Report

Home , Bundala National Park

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Sri!Lanka!Custom!Tour! March!25!–!April!7,!2014! Guided!by!Andrew!Spencer! With!Chaminda!Dilruk!as!the!local!guide! All!photos!in!this!report!taken!on!the!tour!by!Andrew!Spencer! ! ! Ceylon,!The!Teardrop!of!India,!Serendib,!Sri!Lanka.!!Whatever!you!call!it!there’s!no!denying! that!this!large!island!off!the!southern!tip!of!India!is!among!the!premier!birding!destinations! in!Asia.!!A!rich!selection!of!33!endemics!(and!many!more!endemic!subspecies)!combines! with!abundant!and!easily!seen!birdlife,!excellent!food,!good!infrastructure,!and!a!vibrant! society!makes!for!an!all!round!wonderful!experience!not!soon!to!be!forgotten.! ! This!tour!was!a!custom!tour!similar!to!our!set!departure!trips!to!Sri!Lanka,!designed!to! target!all!of!the!island’s!33!endemics!as!well!as!sample!the!best!birding!sites!the!island!has! on!tap.!!We!had!a!very!successful!trip,!with!all!33!endemics!seen!well!by!everyone.!!The! timing,!right!at!the!end!of!the!dry!season!and!the!beginning!of!migration,!meant!that!we! missed!some!migrant!species!typically!seen!earlier!in!the!year,!but!it!also!meant!that! birdsong!was!abundant!and!many!birds!were!nesting.!!A!healthy!dose!of!mammals! (including!luminaries!such!as!Leopard!and!Asian!Elephant),!as!well!as!many!colorful!and! cooperative!lizards!and!frogs!added!some!spice!to!an!already!actionHpacked!trip.! ! Day!1:!Colombo!to!Kitulgala! ! While!the!tour!officially!started!at!10!AM!at!our!airport!hotel,!some!of!us!arrived!earlier!and! had!a!chance!for!some!quick!birding!on!the!hotel!grounds.!!For!being!right!by!the!airport! they!were!quite!birdy,!and!we!managed!a!nice!introduction!to!some!common!Sri!Lankan! species.!!Noisy!Asian!Koels!lead!the!morning!chorus!(even!waking!me!up!at!5!AM),!soon! followed!by!singing!Common!Tailorbirds!and!a!pair!of!WhiteIbellied!Drongos.!!Some! flowering!trees!attracted!LongIbilled!and!PurpleIrumped!Sunbirds,!while!a!BrownI headed!Barbet!and!a!BlackIhooded!Oriole!snacked!on!some!nearby!fruit.! ! Once!everyone!had!assembled!it!was!off!to!Kitulgala,!located!in!the!lower!foothills!to!the! east!of!Colombo.!!The!drive!was!relatively!uneventful,!though!a!roadside!stop!gave!us!some! beautiful!views!of!Ashy!Woodswallow!and!our!first!Sri!Lanka!Swallows.!!Rice!paddies! along!the!route!were!filled! with!birds,!including! innumerable!Cattle!Egrets,! our!first!Asian!Openbills! and!BlackIheaded!Ibis,! and!a!smattering!of! Intermediate!and!Little! Egrets.! ! After!arriving!at!our!hotel,! lunch,!and!a!short!siesta!it! was!time!for!our!first! serious!birding.!!In!the!teaH covered!slopes!mixed!with! secondary!growth!near!the! hotel!we!quickly!found! YellowIfronted!Barbet!(by! voice!one!of!the!most! common!endemic!species)!and!a!more!distant!CrimsonIfronted!Barbet,!noisy!Layard’s! Parakeets,!and!diminutive!Sri!Lanka!HangingIParrot!providing!a!constant!background! voice,!and!an!unbelievably!cooperative!pair!of!ChestnutIheaded!BeeIeaters.!!! ! We!spent!the!last!bit!of!daylight!scouring!the!tea!plantation!for!new!birds.!!A!BarIwinged! FlycatcherIShrike!was!rather!cooperative!while!a!skulking!Blyth’s!ReedIWarbler!was! anything!but.!!Our!first!BrownIcapped!Woodpecker!and!SquareItailed!Bulbuls,!along! with!a!single!BrownIbreasted!Flycatcher!rounded!out!the!afternoon’s!haul.! ! Day!2:!Kitulgala!area! ! There!are!many!ways!to!describe!Sri!Lanka,!and!one!of!them!that!applies!to!most!of!the! country!is!hot.!!And!another!is!humid.!!With!that!in!mind!we!departed!for!morning!birding! right!at!dawn!almost!every!day!of!the!trip,!and!typically!would!take!a!midHday!break!when! the!heat!became!unbearable.!!The!area!around!Kitulgala!is!especially!rich!in!endemics,! including!some!species!that!can!be!difficult,!and!it!was!to!target!one!of!these!that!we!spent! the!first!hours!of!the!morning.!!Chami!navigated!us!to!a!small!forested!creek,!and! immediately!began!a!hooting!imitation!of!our!target!species.!!And!it!didn’t!take!long!for!a! GreenIbilled!Coucal!to!respond!!!They!played!a!bit!hard!to!get,!but!in!the!end!everyone! had!some!excellent!views!of!this!difficult!endemic!species.!!A!very!cooperative!BrownI capped!Babbler!was!a!bit!of!a!bonus!at!the!same!time.!!As!we!climbed!out!of!the!creek!a! distant!Common!HawkICuckoo!started!singing,!and!a!bit!of!playback!later!and!some!skill! spotting!by!Chami!and!we!were!all!looking!at!it!in!the!scope!!!But!it!was!hard!to!stay! concentrated!on!the!cuckoo!as!a!nearby!fruiting!tree!gave!us!some!very!nice!Sri!Lanka! GreenIPigeons!and!a!pair!of!Green!ImperialIPigeons!at!eyeHlevel.! ! The!coucal!quest!a!success,!it!was!quickly!on!to!another!small!forest!patch.!!Here!our!target! played!a!bit!harder!to!get,!but!Chami!new!exactly!where!to!look!and!it!wasn’t!long!before! we!were!looking!right!at!a!tiny!ChestnutIbacked!Owlet!staring!angrily!back!at!us!!!A!pair! of!Tickell’s!BlueIFlycatchers!added!a!nice!splash!of!color,!while!a!Blyth’s!ReedIWarbler! that!was!mobbing!the!owl!added!a!nice!splash!of!drab!browness!to!the!stop.! ! The!coucal!quest!a!success,!we!spent!the!rest!of!the!morning!at!the!dense!secondary!forests! of!the!Makandawa!Forest!Reserve.!!Getting!there!was!a!quest!in!and!of!itself,!crossing!a! river!while!standing!in!a!tiny!but!surprisingly!stable!canoe!was!rather!unique!experience!!! Once!in!the!forest!we!soon!found!a!few!more!endemics,!though!unfortunately!the!Sri!Lanka! Spurfowl!we!called!in!was!only!seen!by!a!few.!!An!Indian!Pitta!hopping!right!by!the!trail! was!far!more!cooperative,!thankfully,!and!much!appreciated!by!all.!!! ! It!was!at!this!point!that!Chami!for!the!first!time!did!what!became!a!common!practice!on!the! tour.!!Finding!a!good!spot!for!us!to!sit!and!rest,!he!said!“wait!here”!and!went!off!into!the! jungle.!!While!we!waited!patiently,!he!was!doing!what!I’ve!seen!no!other!local!guide!do!so! well!–!finding!owls!!!On!this!day!his!target!was!one!of!the!highestHvalue!endemics!on!the! island,!and!a!halfHhour!later!he!came!trotting!out!of!the!forest!with!a!big!grin!on!his!face,! and!beckoned!us!in!to!look!at!a!pair!of!roosting!Serendib!ScopsIOwls!!!A!recently! described!species,!it’s!often!listed!as!one!of!the!hardest!endemics,!and!we!felt!very! fortunate!to!be!able!to!observe!them!in!comfort!during!the!daytime!rather!than!scouring! the!forest!at!night.! ! The!afternoon!birding!was!a!bit!more!laid!back,!and!we!checked!out!a!few!roadside!stands! of!secondary!forests!near!town.!!One!of!these!provided!us!our!first!SpotIwinged!Thrush! (which!got!my!vote!for!best!song!of!the!trip!)!along!with!brief!views!of!WhiteIthroated! Flowerpecker,!while!the!other!produced!beautiful!views!of!Sri!Lanka!Grey!Hornbill!near! a!nest,!our!only!Besra!of!the!trip,!Southern!HillIMyna,!and!our!first!Sri!Lanka!Junglefowl.! ! Day!3:!Kitulgala!area! ! With!our!first!day!in!the! Kitulgala!area!so!successful! we!had!vastly!narrowed!our! hitlist!for!day!3!of!the!tour.!! After!some!discussion,!we! decided!to!head!back!to!the! Makandawa!forest!and!try! for!a!few!shy!birds!we!had! missed!or!seen!poorly!the! day!before,!so!another!early! breakfast!and!we!were! headed!down!the!hill!from! our!hotel.!!The!birding! started!way!before!we!made! it!to!Makandawa!though,!when!one!of!the!most!cooperative!Emerald!Doves!I!had!ever! seen!walked!into!the!road!right!in!front!of!our!van,!and!then!just!sat!there!!!A!pair!of! TawnyIbellied!Babblers!in!some!roadside!scrub!also!proved!to!be!the!first!for!the!trip.! ! Finally!back!at!Makandawa,!we!spent!some!time!birding!the!open!habitat!before!the!forest.!! Here!a!pair!of!Jerdon’s!Leafbirds!provided!the!best!views!of!the!tour!as!they!ate!some! guava,!and!flyover!raptors!included!Oriental!HoneyIBuzzard!and!Crested!SerpentIEagle.!! A!loud!call!in!the!teaHforest!interface!area!resolved!itself!into!a!handsome!male!Sri!Lanka! Junglefowl!that!slowly!worked!its!way!through!the!tea!giving!some!very!nice!looks!indeed.!! In!the!forest!the!activity!was!relatively!low,!so!we!hoofed!it!in!to!a!spot!to!try!for!Sri!Lanka! Spurfowl!again.!!Much!like!the!day!before,!the!birds!responded!quickly!and!came!in,!but! were!extremely!reticent!to!actually!give!us!a!visual.! ! A!few!small!flocks!in!the!same!area!gave!us!our!first!DarkIfronted!Babblers,!and!a!few! Malabar!Trogons!(including!some!stunning!males)!were!scattered!throughout.!!It!wasn’t! until!leaving!the!forest!that!we!found!a!larger!flock,!which!had!good!numbers!of!Sri!Lanka! Drongos,!BlackInaped!Monarch,!and!our!first!views!of!the!rare!RedIfaced!Malkoha! sneaking!through!the!canopy.!!Back!out!by!the!car!we!finally!found!our!first!OrangeIbilled! Babblers!(which!thereafter!were!common!in!the!wet!zone!of!the!tour),!and!a!glowing! BlackIrumped!Flameback.! ! For!our!afternoon!outing!we!decided!to!head!up!into!the!tea!plantations!right!above!the! hotel.!!With!dense!cloud!cover!coming!in!and!rain!threatening,!the!temperatures!had!cooled! a!bit!and!the!activity!was!superb!!!Our!first!PaleIbilled!Flowerpecker!was!found! uncharacteristically!low!in!some!roadside!scrub,!a!few!Sri!Lanka!Gray!Hornbills!flew! over,!and!a!distant!call!turned!itself!into!an!impressive!CrimsonIbacked!Flameback!after! some!work!with!playback.!!!We!then!spent!some!time!watching!a!trio!of!Southern!Hill! Mynas!investigated!some!potential!nest!cavities!while!our!first!VelvetIfronted!Nuthatch! called!overhead!before!the!rain!finally!came!and!we!had!to!call!it!a!day.! ! Day!4:!Kitulgala!to! Sinharaja! ! With!our!planned! morning!drive!to! Sinharaja!taking!about! three!and!a!half!hours,! we!had!a!bit!of!time!for! some!more!birding!in! the!tea!plantation!by! the!hotel.!!It!was! wonderfully!birdy!and! songHfilled,!and!we!had! much!better!looks!at!a! few!species!we!had! seen!previously!(such! as!a!pair!of!Sri!Lanka!Swallows!sitting!on!a!powerline).!!But!we!also!managed!to!add!a!few! new!birds,!including!a!cooperative!Lesser!Yellownape!that!sat!at!the!top!of!a!tree!for!many! minutes.!!! ! The!drive!to!Sinharaja!was!mostly!uneventful,!but!an!impromptu!roadside!stop!gave!us!our! first!new!endemic!of!the!day,!a!pair!of!BlackIcapped!Bulbuls!hanging!out!in!a!bamboo! patch!and!likely!near!a!nest.!!Arriving!at!the!Blue!Magpie!Lodge!around!lunch!time,!we! spent!some!effort!watching!the!mixedHspecies!Munia!flock!below!the!dining!area,!picking! out!ScalyIbreasted,!WhiteIrumped,!and!the!rare!BlackIthroated!Munias!before!settling! in!for!lunch,!and!our!afternoon!siesta.! ! With!the!extreme!heat!and!humidity!we!decided!to!stick!close!to!the!lodge!for!the!afternoon! outing,!and!just!walked!the!road!seeing!what!we!could!find!in!the!open!secondary!and! agricultural!habitats.!!It!was!grimly!slow!to!start!–!just!a!few!Layard’s!Parakeets!and! WhiteIbrowed!Bulbuls,!but!finally!after!5!PM!things!picked!up!and!the!birds!started! coming!out.!!A!pair!of!very!cooperative!BlackIrumped!Flamebacks!worked!their!way! through!some!palm!trees!while!a!Green!ImperialIPigeon,!a!Sri!Lanka!GreenIPigeon,!and! a!CrimsonIfronted!Barbet!all!set!right!next!to!each!other!at!the!tops!of!the!same!trees.! That!is!until!a!Shikra!flew!in!and!scared!everything!away.!!That!last!burst!of!activity!saved! an!otherwise!quiet!afternoon,!but!we!had!our!first!day!in!the!famous!forests!of!Sinharaja!to! look!forward!to!for!tomorrow!! ! Day!5:!Sinharaja!area! ! Up!until!now!we!had!been!driving!around!in!our!comfortable!van,!so!it!was!a!bit!of!a!change! to!find!ourselves!bumping!up!a!rough!4x4!road!early!in!the!morning!in!an!old!jeep!that! looked!to!date!to!WWII.!!Luckily!the!distance!wasn’t!far,!and!the!birding!on!the!way!up!was! good.!!Very!good,!in! fact!–!our!first!stop! had!us!ogling!a!Sri! Lanka!Myna!in!the! beautiful!morning! light!while!the!rare! endemic!WhiteIfaced! Starlings!moved! through!the!same! trees.!!But!it!was!a! common!bird,!in!the! form!of!an!immaculate! male!whiteHform! Asian!ParadiseI Flycatcher!that!really! stole!the!show!!!A! BlackIbacked!DwarfI Kingfisher!at!a!nest! by!the!road!was!a! lucky!find,!though!unfortunately!it!flew!off!before!all!could!see!it.! ! When!we!finally!got!to!the!gate!of!the!forest!reserve!we!barely!had!to!walk!a!few!steps!until! on!of!the!birds!of!the!trip!calmly!walked!right!up!to!us!in!the!form!of!a!pair!of!Sri!Lanka! Junglefowl.!!It!soon!became!apparent!that!they!weren’t!cooperating!this!nicely!out!of!the! goodness!of!their!hearts!when!Chami!broke!off!a!small!piece!of!roti!and!started!feeding! them!!!If!only!pheasants!everywhere!were!that!cooperative…! ! The!forested!track!proved!to! be!relatively!quiet,!but! luckily!for!us!Chami!had! another!stakeout!up!his! sleeve.!!This!time!the!wait! was!only!about!twenty! minutes!before!he!beckoned! us!down!into!a!dense!viny! tangle!and!right!into!the! faces!of!a!male!and!a!young! Sri!Lanka!Frogmouth!at! roost!!!We!all!jostled!for! position!in!the!cramped!vine! tangle,!but!soon!everyone! had!unbeatable!views!of! these!weird!birds.! ! Continuing!on!the!track!we! slowly!began!to!find!some! flock!activity.!!First!up!was!a! pair!of!RedIfaced!Malkohas,! far!more!cooperative!than! the!ones!at!Kitulgala.!!Next! was!a!male!Malabar!Trogon! glowering!copper!and!red!in! the!shade,!and!then!more! DarkIfronted!Babblers!and! a!few!other!common!species.!! It!was!after!a!bit!of!walking! when!we!finally!encountered! one!of!our!most!wanted! species!when!a!Sri!Lanka! Blue!Magpie!shot!across!the! track!and!disappeared!into! the!forest.!!Elated!but!somewhat!disappointed!at!such!a!quick!view,!we!set!out!in!search!of! more.!!We!need!not!have!worried,!as!around!the!next!bend!we!found!a!group!of!five!of!the! magpies!that!took!a!card!out!of!the!junglefowl!playbook!and!ate!roti!out!of!our!hands!! ! With!the!magpies!under!out!belt,!there!was!only!one!target!left!in!the!forested!areas!of! Sinharaja.!!Here!again!our!amazing!local!guide,!Chami,!shined!through!and!after!an!hour! long!search!in!the!dense!forest!beckoned!us!over!to!a!view!point.!!Some!jostling!and!peering! later!and!we!were!looking!at!a!“Sri!Lanka”!Scaled!Thrush!!!This!species,!while!not! officially!recognized!as!endemic!(yet),!is!both!very!distinctive!and!among!the!hardest!of!the! Ceylon!endemics!to!see.! ! Our!walk!out!was!less!eventful!than!our!walk!in,!though!some!good!looks!at!AshyIheaded! Laughtingthrush!were!quite!welcome.!!Right!before!getting!back!onto!our!jeeps!for!the! bumpy!ride!down!the!hill!I!happened!to!flush!a!small,!dark!heron!out!of!a!ditch!that!proved! to!be!our!first!Black!Bittern!of!the!trip,!but!otherwise!the!rest!of!the!morning!passed! without!too!much!new.! ! For!the!afternoon!we!decided!to!take!a!bit!of!a!break!in!the!midHday!heat.!!The!afternoon! didn’t!really!give!us!anything!new,!but!some!more!good!looks!at!BlackIthroated!Munia! and!some!feeding!Sri!Lanka!HangingIParrots!helped!keep!things!interesting.!!A!late! afternoon!trip!to!a!stakeout!for!SlatyHlegged!Crake!turned!up!empty!other!than!some!good! heardHonly!encounters!–!we’d!have!to!return!the!next!day!to!try!again.! ! Day!6:!Sinharaja!area! ! Our!high!rate!of!success!up!to!this!point!did!have!one!glaring!hole!–!Sri!Lanka!Spurfowl.!! Sure,!a!couple!of!us!had!gotten!brief!views!in!Kitulgala,!but!not!all!us!had!gotten!on!it,!and! no!one!had!good!visuals.!!So!first!thing!on!the!morning!of!day!6!we!set!out!to!fix!that.!!Chami! knew!of!a!house!nearby!where!the!spurfowl!sometimes!came!in!to!rice!early!in!the! morning,!and!after!a!bit!of!driving!we!found!ourselves!positioned!inside!the!kitchen!of!a! friendly!local!family.!!At!first!all!we!saw!were!a!number!of!Sri!Lanka!Jungefowl!and!a! ridiculously!cooperative!SpotIwinged!Thrush,!but!then!there!it!was!!!A!pair!of!Sri!Lanka! Spurfowl!came!in! exceptionally!close! as!they!pecked!at! the!rice!left!by!our! hosts,!giving!us!all! the!views!we!could! hope!for.! ! The!area! surrounding!the! house!was!also!quite! productive,!with!a! pair!of!GreenIbilled! Coucals!being!the! highlight.!!With!the! spurfowl!under!our! belt!we!decided!to! walk!the!road! nearby!(which!passed!through!some!very!nice!forest)!for!a!while.!!The!birdiness!level!was! quite!high,!and!we!soon!scored!our!first!Sri!Lanka!Woodpigeons!as!well!as!a!few!Sri! Lanka!GreenIPigeons.!!Flocks!in!the!same!area!had!several!Orange!Minivets!and!Sri! Lanka!Drongos!among!the!more!common!species.! ! After!our!customary!midHday!break!we!worked!our!way!up!another!road,!this!time!through! more!cutover!forest.!!The!open!country!was!good!for!a!different!variety!of!birds,!including! Legge’s!and!PaleIbilled!Flowerpeckers,!while!the!good!view!of!the!open!sky!let!us! scrutinize!various!raptors!and!find!an!immature!RufousIbellied!Eagle.!!!

! The!highlight!of!the!afternoon!was!still!to!come,!however.!!After!sliding!down!a!very!steep! (but!mercifully!short!)!slope,!we!set!up!along!the!banks!of!a!river!and!scoped!the!distant! hillside.!!There!Chami!soon!had!a!SpotIbellied!EagleIOwl!sitting!near!its!nest!!!Not! satisfied!with!the!distant!view,!Chami!and!I!scrambled!up!the!other!slope,!and!found! ourselves!standing!right!under!this!huge!and!impressive!beast!–!one!of!the!top!highlights!of! the!trip!for!me!at!least!!! ! The!last!bit!of!birding!for!the!day!was!a!repeat!of!the!previous!day!–!with!one!significant! difference.!!This!time!we!actually!saw!the!SlatyIlegged!Crake!!!This!particular!individual! was!known!to!come!into!a!small!open!area!near!a!house!near!our!hotel,!and!on!this!evening! it!obliged!by!walking!through!the!open,!if!briefly.! ! Day!7:!Sinharaja!to!Udawalawe! ! Since!no!everyone!had!gotten!a!good!view!of!the!crake!the!evening!before,!we!elected!to! spend!a!bit!of!time!in!the!early!morning!trying!again!before!moving!on!to!Udawalawe.!!The! bird!made!us!wait!for!a!while,!but!thankfully!after!about!a!half!hour!we!were!again!enjoying! pointHblank!views!of!a!SlatyIlegged!Crake!!!Definitely!a!lot!nicer!than!trying!to!call!one!out! of!the!tall!grass…! ! The!crake!under! out!belt!we!loaded! up!and!headed!on! to!our!next!stop.!! The!first!part!of! our!drive!was!on! ridiculously! narrow!(but! thankfully!paved!)! roads,!on!hilly!and! beautiful!terrain.!! Finally!dropping! into!the!flatter! (and!drier)! lowlands,!we!ran! into!a!bit!of!a!snag! –!namely,!our!van! needed!new!brake! pads.!!We!were! lucky!that!we!discovered!this!only!a!few!kilometers!away!from!a!shop,!and!while!Chami! supervised!the!change!we!walked!down!the!road!a!bit!to!a!small,!forested!area!around!a! stream.!!Being!the!middle!of!the!day!there!wasn’t!much!to!look!at,!but!we!were!still!able!to! enjoy!views!of!a!Black!Bittern!that!was!cavorting!around!the!stream,!and!found!our!first! Zitting!Cisticola!of!the!trip.! ! Finally!arriving!at!our!hotel,!we!had!lunch!and!our!requisite!short!break!during!the!noonH day!heat.!!Before!heading!back!out!we!did!spend!some!time!to!ogle!our!first!Forest!Wagtail! of!the!trip,!which!was!sauntering!along!the!mostly!dry!stream!right!by!the!hotel.!!Our!first! stop!of!the!afternoon!was!a!serendipitous!roadside!pullout!that!had!a!gaggle!of!the!giant! (and!impressive!)!Malabar!PiedIHornbills,!as!well!as!our!first!Indian!Peafowl!and! beautiful!looks!at!a!female!Asian!Koel.! ! The!bulk!of!our!afternoon!was!spent!at!a!small!“tank”!(as!they!call!reservoirs!in!Sri!Lanka),! which!had!some!very!nice!wetlands!around!it.!!On!the!reservoir!itself!we!found!our!first! Indian!Cormorants,!some!WhiteIwinged!Terns,!and!various!species!of!herons!in!the! distance.!!The!wetlands!were!more!interesting,!and!provided!some!stunning!views!of! PheasantItailed!Jacana,!Tricolored!Munia,!and!our!first!prinias!in!the!form!of!a!noisy! GrayIbreasted!and!unbelievably!cooperative!Ashy!Prinia.! ! For!our!last!bit!of!daylight!we!headed!to!a!drier!area!of!savanna!near!the!park,!but!not! before!stopping!to!admire!our!first!Asian!Elephant!of!the!trip!!!In!the!savanna!area!we!soon! found!our!first!YellowIwattled!Lapwings!of!the!tour,!as!well!as!a!large!flock!of!Yellow! Wagtails!and!our!first!Indian!ThickIknees,!seen!in!the!failing!light.! ! Day!8:!Udawalawe!to!Tissamaharama! ! After!all!the!time!spent!in!the!deep,!humid!forests!of!the!SW!part!of!the!island,!it!was!nice!to! be!able!to!bird!some!open!country!from!the!comfort!of!our!vehicle!!!Udawalawe!National! Park!was!to!be!our!first!“safari”!style!birding!of!the!tour,!and!we!departed!our!hotel!nice! and!early!to!take!advantage!of!the!cooler!morning!hours.!!Since!we!were!birding!and! entirely!new!habitat,!it!didn’t!take!long!for!the!new!species!to!roll!in!!!Singing!Jerdon’s! Bushlarks!were!seemingly!everywhere!along!the!road,!while!Richard’s!and!Blyth’s!Pipits! sat!more!quietly!along!the!roadsides,!and!a!noisy!YellowIeyed!Babbler!gave!us!some! superb!views.!!Oodles!and!oodles!of!Little!Green!BeeIeaters!lined!the!roadsides,!while!a! few!BlueItailed!BeeIeaters!joined!the!mix.! ! Entering!some!light!woodland,!we!soon!found!one!of!our!few!remaining!Sri!Lankan! endemics,!a!Sri!Lanka!Woodshrike.!!A!distant!bird!in!a!tree!proved!to!be!a!Sirkeer! Malkoha,!which!unfortunately!dove!into!the!brush!before!everyone!could!get!on!it.!!Chami! pulled!through!for!us!yet!again,!though,!and!after!some!repositioning!and!strategizing!we! all!had!decent!(if!not!perfect)!views.! ! The!woodland! portion!of!the!park! also!gave!us!some! new!woodpeckers! for!the!trip,! including!the!tiny! YellowIcrowned! Woodpecker!and! the!local!Rufous! Woodpecker.!!A! few!groups!of! pigeons!proved!to! be!our!first! OrangeIbreasted! Pigeons,!while!a! smattering!of!Sri! Lanka!GreenI Pigeons!were!also! encountered.!!A! brief!stop!in!a!nice! patch!where!we!were!able!to!get!out!of!the!car!produced!our!best!views!of!Indian!Pitta!of! the!trip,!as!well!as!our!first!WhiteIrumped!Shamas.!!Some!nice!views!of!Eurasian!Hoopoe! and!brief!glimpses!of!our!first!BlueIfaced!Malkoha!rounded!out!our!woodland!haul.! ! In!addition!to!savanna!and!woodland,!Udawalawe!has!more!than!its!fair!share!of! productive!wetlands.!!And!productive!they!were!!!One!pond!alone!gave!us!pointHblank!(and! remarkably!ugly!)!Lesser!Adjutant,!our!first!of!many!Painted!Storks,!Great!ThickIKnee! and!Green!Sandpiper.!!The!very!next!pond!down!the!road!had!a!vocal!and!displaying!pair! of!GrayIheaded!FishIEagles,!as!well!as!more!storks,!shorebirds!(including!our!first!Little! Stint),!and!a!flying!over!WhiteIbellied!SeaIeagle.!!A!final!wetland!produced!much!better! views!of!Asian!Elephant!than!we’d!had!the!day!before,!and!our!first!WoolyInecked!Stork.! ! Wrapping!up!in!Udawalawe,!we!began!our!drive!to!our!base!for!the!next!three!nights,! Tissamaharama!(affectionately!called!“Tissa”,!since!the!full!name!was!a!bit!of!a!mouthful!)!! After!arriving!just!in!time!for!lunch!and!our!short!midHday!break,!we!again!headed!out!to! bird!some!wetlands.!!First!up!was!another!tank,!this!one!larger!with!less!in!the!way!of! associated!marshes.!!But!it!was!no!less!birdy!for!that!fact,!and!we!found!our!first!SpotI billed!Pelican!and!Indian!Roller!in!short!order.!!Terns!were!definitely!in!evidence!as!well,! and!it!was!a!joy!to!watch!various!plumages!of!WhiteIwinged!and!Whiskered!Terns!fly!by! at!close!range!as!we!stood!on!the!side!of!the!road.! ! With!the!day!starting!to!draw!to!a!close,!we!decided!to!check!out!one!more!tank.!!In!stark! contrast!to!the!last!one,!this!one!was!absolutely!choked!with!marsh.!!And!it!was! appropriately!birdy!as!a!result.!!Oodles!of!PheasantItailed!Jacanas!and!Purple! Swamphens!were!joined!by!a!few!distant!Watercock,!and!some!WhiteIbreasted! Waterhens!provided!the!amusement!factor.!!Bittern!variety!was!superb,!and!by!the!time! we!were!done!we!had!excellent!views!of!Yellow,!Black,!and!Cinnamon!Bitterns!!!As! daylight!faded!we!enjoyed!the!sight!of!hundreds!of!RoseIringed!Parakeets!going!to!roost! while!the!noise!of!the!marsh!was!behind!us,!before!heading!back!to!town.! ! Day!9:!Yala!National!Park! ! In!keeping!with!our!Safari!scheduling,!it!was!another!early!departure,!with!another!box! breakfast.!!Today!our!goal!was!Yala!National!Park,!probably!the!most!famous!of!all!of!Sri! Lanka’s!national!parks,!and!the!best!site!for!mammals!on!our!tour.!!! ! Right!off!the!bat!the!dry!forests!at!Yala!were!good!to!us.!!Indian!Robins!were!everywhere,! Crested!HawkIEagle!was!shockingly!abundant!(I!wish!neotropical!hawkHeagles!were!like! that!),!several!BlueIfaced!Malkohas!darted!across!the!road!(but!rarely!stayed!in!the!open! for!long),!and! Green!BeeI eaters!were! nearly! omnipresent.!!Our! only!Marshall’s! Iora!of!the!trip! was!hanging!out! in!a!small!bush! near!the!entrance! gate,!while!the! more!abundant! Common!Iora! was!found!a! number!of!times! (including,! annoyingly,!just! about!every!time!I! tried!playing!the! Marshall’s!tape!)! ! Sprinkled!in!with!all!the!dry!forest!were!many!small!wetland!pools,!as!well!as!some!larger! ones!absolutely!filled!to!the!brim!with!birds.!!Painted!Storks!tended!to!dominate!some!of! the!pools,!with!a!Lesser!Adjutant!or!two!providing!the!ugliness!factor!while!some! Eurasian!Spoonbills!stood!nearby.!!Great!ThickIknees!were!wonderfully!common,!and!a! few!other!shorebirds!(mostly!Little!Stints!and!Common!Redshanks)!joined!the!mix.!!Our! only!pratincoles!of!the!trip,!in!the!form!of!Little!Pratincole!were!found!at!the!edge!of!one! pool,!while!both!RedIwattled!and!YellowIwattled!Lapwings!were!quite!common.! ! Since!we!had!already!seen!most!of!the!birds!that!were!hoping!to!see!in!the!savanna!habitats! of!SE!Sri!Lanka,!we!spent!more!of!our!time!in!Yala!concentrating!on!mammals.!!And!not! without!good!reason!!!Yala!is!home!to!some!of!the!most!impressive!mammals!in!the! country,!and!to!some!of!the!best!populations!of!these!mammals.!!Clearly!the!most!wanted!of! these!is!Leopard,!and!we!spent!a!good!deal!of!time!wandering!around!looking!for!one.!!We! had!several!encounters!with!other!jeeps!filled!with!people!who!had!seen!one!earlier,!but!no! luck!for!us!until!we!rounded!a!bend!near!a!small!pool!and!our!drive!suddenly!slammed!on! the!brakes.!!And!there!it!was!!!A!small!Leopard!sat!in!the!brush!just!off!the!road,! completely!ignoring!us.!!If!that!were!all!it!would!have!done,!though,!it!wouldn’t!have!been! all!that!memorable.!!But!luckily!for!us,!the!kitty!decided!that!being!in!the!brush!didn’t!offer! us!a!good!enough!view,!and!it!walked!across!the!road!!!At!close!range!!!It!was!among!the! highlights!of!the!trip!for!everyone!involved,!hands!down.! ! Mammals!in!the!park!were!about!more!than!just!the!leopard,!though.!!Asian!Elephant!was! probably!the!species!we!spent!the!most!time!on.!!And!it!doesn’t!take!much!imagination!to! wonder!why!!!Thankfully!Yala!is!a!good!place!to!watch!elephants,!and!we!got!to!see!all!sorts! of!interesting!behavior!from! foraging!to!a!mother!feeding!its! young!offspring.!!Not!an! experience!to!soon!be!forgotten!!! In!addition!to!the!megafauna!in! the!mammal!department,!we!also! saw!Golden!Jackal,!Wild!Asian! Water!Buffalo,!many!Spotted!Deer,! and!Ruddy!Mongoose.! ! Day!10:!Tissa!area!and!Bundala! National!Park! ! With!Yala!under!our!belt,!there! weren’t!too!many!new!species!to! look!for!in!the!Tissa!area.!!But!it! was!in!search!of!a!few!of!those! that!we!got!up!especially!early!to! go!to!one!of!Chami’s!secret!spots! not!far!out!of!town.!!Here!we!set! up!at!the!edge!of!a!small!marsh,! just!as!it!was!getting!light!enough! to!see,!and!looked!for!rails!in!a! way!I!never!had!before.!!Instead!of! trying!to!call!them!out,!or!flush! them!up,!we!just!waited!for!them! to!come!to!us!!!And!come!they!did,! first!in!the!form!of!a!pair!of! RuddyIbreasted!Crakes!that!fed! around!the!edges!of!the!marsh,! and!then!a!single!SlatyIbreasted! Rail!that!did!the!same!!!Definitely! a!nice!way!to!see!rails!I!must!say!!!A!pair!of!Indian!ThickIknees!that!sat!in!a!nearby!field! watching!us!the!whole!time!was!a!nice!bonus!as!well.! ! After!a!quick!breakfast!back!at!our!hotel!(for!a!change!)!we!headed!back!out!again,!this!time! to!a!small!patch!of!woodland.!!Our!target!was!our!last!woodpecker!for!the!trip,!WhiteH naped!Woodpecker.!!And!I!wish!I!could!report!to!you!that!we!had!found!it,!but!alas!it!was! not!to!be.!!We!did!have!some!excellent!views!of!BlackIrumped!Flameback,!and!watching!a! Crested!Treeswift!build!a!nest!was!quite!a!bit!of!fun,!but!otherwise!we!struck!out.! ! Another!stop!at!the!same!marshHchoked!tank!we!had!visited!the!day!before!was!equally! productive.!!More!views!of!PheasantItailed!Jacana!and!all!three!bittern!species!were! enjoyed!(including!the!Yellow!Bittern!pictured!above),!as!were!various!mottled!plumages! of!WhiteIwinged!Tern.!!In!the!new!bird!department,!though,!the!only!one!we!found!was!a! pair!of!diminutive!Cotton!PygmyIGeese.!!!Not!that!I’m!complaining,!mind!!! ! Our!afternoon!was!spent!on!our!last!safari!for!the!trip,!this!time!to!Bundala!National!Park.!! The!first!part!of!our!safari!was!similar!to!our!others!–!working!our!way!through!savanna,! dry!patches!of!woodland,!and!wetland!pools.!!We!saw!many!of!the!same!birds,!including!Sri! Lanka!Woodshrike!and!various!species!of!beeHeater.!!But!the!wetlands!were!more! productive,!at!least!in!terms!of!shorebirds.!!One!pool!held!a!number!of!Common! Redshanks,!our!only!BlackItailed!Godwits!of!the!trip,!a!single!Eurasian!Curlew!and! oodles!of!Little!Stints!and!Lesser!SandIPlovers.!!!! ! One!thing!that!was!quite!different,!though,!was!that!we!spent!some!time!scanning!a! gorgeous!stretch!of!rocky!oceanfront.!!Granted,!it!wasn’t!particularly!productive,!in!terms! of!birds,!but!it!was!different!!!Far!and!away!the!avian!highlight!was!a!single,!distant!FleshI footed!Shearwater!that!cruised!by,!along!with!a!couple!of!Great!Crested!Terns.!!A!single! sea!turtle!of!uncertain!species!was!our!only!other!sighting.! ! With!our!time!in!the!park!drawing!to!a!close,!we!decided!to!spend!a!little!bit!of!time!at!some! large!salt!pans.!!These!are!normally!a!shorebird!mecca,!but!since!our!trip!was!a!little!bit! later!in!the!season!than!most!we!had!fewer!numbers!to!look!at.!!The!most!common!species! were!Curlew!Sandpipers!and!Little!Stints,!but!there!were!a!couple!of!goodies!present!in! the!form!of!a!single!Ruff!and!a!nice!female!RedInecked!Phalarope.!!A!few!WhiteIwinged! and!Whiskered!Terns!floated!by!at!the!same!time,!and!our!only!Striated!Herons!of!the! trip!hunted!along!the!rocks!at!the!edges!of!the!pan.! ! Heading!out!for!the!evening,!we!were!treated!to!some!spectacular!views!of!Barred! Buttonquail!on!the!road,!and!some!playback!brought!them!in!even!closer.!!After!nightfall! we!went!on!our!only!nightbirding!outing!of!the!trip,!in!search!of!nightjars.!!The!first!of!these! didn’t!take!long,!and!a!bit!of!playback!and!strategic!positioning!and!we!had!some!nice!views! of!Jerdon’s!Nightjar.!!But!Indian!Nightjar,!alas,!remained!a!heardHonly…for!now.! ! Day!11:!Tissa!to!Nuwara!Eliya! ! It!hurt!to!have!one!of!our!only!two!nightjars!on!the!trip!down!as!a!heard!only,!so!we!had!to! do!something!about!it!!!So!another!early!morning!and!we!found!ourselves!back!at!Chami’s! secret!marsh!spot,!but!even!earlier.!!A!quick!blast!of!playback!and!we!were!practically! bombed!by!an!angry!Indian!Nightjar!!!! ! Our!earlier!arrival!had!another!advantage,!and!some!eagleHeye!spotting!by!Chami!soon! showed!us!what!that!was!–!a!male!Greater!PaintedISnipe!nervously!feeding!along!the! edge!of!the!marsh!!!In!addition!to!this!nice!bonus!we!had!more!looks!at!the!RuddyI breasted!Crakes!and!Indian!ThickIknees!before!we!headed!out.! ! Nightjar!down,!it!was!time!for!another!attempt!at!WhiteHnaped!Woodpecker.!!But!alas,!yet! again!we!struck!out.!!The!same!BlackIrumped!Flameback!put!in!a!repeat!performance,! and!a!couple!of!soaring!WhiteIbellied!SeaIeagles!kept!us!entertained,!but!no!woodpecker.!! I!guess!it!was!just!not!to!be.!!So!it!was!time!to!move!our!base!of!operations!again,!say!good! by!to!the!hot!lowlands!and!work!our!way!uphill,!and!look!for!our!last!remaining!Sri!Lankan! endemics.! ! The!drive!to!Nuwara!Eliya!had!us!going!back!up!windy,!mountain!roads!through!beautiful! scenery.!!And!true!to!form,!these!roads!gave!our!van!some!fits.!!During!a!short!interlude! while!Chami!was!working!on!the!car!the!rest!of!us!took!a!walk!through!a!beautiful!(if! someone!covered!in!subHadult!humans)!botanical!gardens.!!Unfortunately!beautiful!didn’t! translate!into!birdy,!and!all!we!had!to!show!for!our!efforts!were!a!couple!of!Sri!Lanka! WhiteIeyes!and!some!Cinereous!Tits.!!! ! After!arrival!in!the!highland!town!of!Nuwara!Eliya!(and!its!blessedly!cooler!temperatures!)! we!had!a!quick!lunch!and!soon!were!out!on!the!road!again.!!It!didn’t!take!us!long!to!find!one! of!our!last!remaining!Sri!Lankan!endemics,!a!cooperative!group!of!YellowIeared!Bulbuls! right!by!the!parking!area.!!A!brushy!draw!right!outside!of!town!gave!us!another!of!the! edems,!this!time! what!we!had! expected!to!be! one!of!the! hardest,!Sri! Lanka!BushI Warbler.!All!I! can!say!is!it! certainly!wasn’t! hard!for!us!!! Nearby!we! scored!our! second!to!last! endemic,!the! unjustly!named! DullIblue! Flycatcher.! ! High!off!our! success,!we! went!on!to! target!our!last!endemic,!the!whistlingHthrush.!!Chami’s!spot!for!it!involved!a!quick!scramble! into!a!densely!vegetated!stream!bottom,!where!we!waiting!for!nightfall!for!a!pair!of!birds! known!to!roost!in!the!area.!!But!despite!our!best!efforts!all!we!had!to!show!for!it!were!our! first!Indian!BlueIRobin!and!Indian!Blackbird!for!the!tour.! ! Day!12:!Horton!Plains!National!Park!and!Nuwara!Eliya! ! Our!failure!at!whistlingHthrushes!the!day!before!solidified!our!goal!for!the!next!morning.!! We!had!to!finish!the!Ceylon!endemics!!!So!our!plan!was!to!head!up!early!in!the!morning!to! Horton!Plains!National!Park,!one!of!the!best!sites!on!the!island!for!highland!species.! ! Yet!again,!Chami!knew!exactly!where!to!go.!!We!had!barely!entered!the!park!before!we! pulled!off!and!staked!out!a!whistlingHthrush!nest!by!a!disused!bathroom.!!Our!first!vigil! turned!up!empty,!so!Bob!and!I!birded!down!the!road!a!bit!while!the!others!continued!to! wait.!!More!Sri!Lanka!BushIWarblers!were!our!main!reward,!though!we!also!had!a!couple! of!more!Indian!BlueIRobins.!!Back!at!the!nest!a!while!later!we!again!waited.!!This!time,! though,!our!wait!was!not!in!vain!!!By!hiding!behind!the!bathroom!wall!we!were!all!able!to! have!some!superb!views!of!a!male!Sri!Lanka!WhistlingIThrush!bringing!food!into!the!two! nestlings!waiting!for!it.!!And!just!like!that!we!had!completed!the!island’s!endemics!! ! With!the!pressure!off,! we!were!able!to!enjoy! the!park!some!more.!! To!call!it!scenic!is!to! do!a!disservice!–!the! views!were!out!of!this! world!and!the!highH elevation!grasslands! unlike!anything!we! had!yet!seen!in!the! country.!!BirdHwise! there!wasn’t!a!lot!to! look!at,!but!handsome! Pied!Bushchats!were! new!for!the!trip,!and! Alpine!Swifts!were!a! pleasure!to!see.!!Back! in!the!wooded!portion! of!the!park!we!soon! picked!up!a!Sri!Lanka! Woodpigeon!for!those!who!had!missed!it!earlier!in!the!trip,!as!well!as!some!more!DullI blue!Flycatchers!and!some!YellowIeared!Bulbuls.! ! Our!original!idea!was!to!go!back!to!town!and!have!lunch,!and!then!go!out!again!for!the! afternoon.!!The!first!part!worked!beautifully!–!and!it!was!a!good!lunch!indeed!–!but!the! second!part,!well!not!so!much.!!Right!around!lunch!time!it!began!to!rain.!!And!rain!and!rain! and!rain.!!To!the!point!that!we!decided!to!take!an!afternoon!off.!!There!was!always! tomorrow!to!try!for!our!last!few!target!species!! ! Day!13:!Nuwara!Eliya!to!Kandy! ! Our!last!morning!in!the!highlands,!and!we!were!down!to!two!goal!birds.!!Since!both!of!these! are!sometimes!found!in!Victoria!Park!near!the!city,!we!had!a!bit!of!a!sleep!in!before!heading! out.!!It!didn’t!take!us!too!long!to!find!the!first!of!our!goal!species,!the!dapper!Pied!Thrush.!! Normally!quite!shy,!we!got!luck!and!were!able!to!observe!it!at!close!range!as!it!worked!a! small!(and!trashHchoked)!channel!at!the!edge!of!the!park,!having!some!amazing!views!of! this!stunning!thrush!! ! Our!other!goal!species,!Kashmir!Flycatcher,!didn’t!cooperate!all!that!well.!!We!tried!another! spot,!this!time!along!a!brushy!draw!near!some!eucalyptus!groves,!but!again!came!up!empty.!! Our!efforts!weren’t!entirely!wasted,!though!–!some!nice!flocks!were!moving!through!the! area!that!produced!some!beautiful!views!of!VelvetIfronted!Nuthatch,!GrayIheaded! CanaryIFlycatcher,!and!BarIwinged!FlycatcherIShrike.!!A!noisy!group!of!Sri!Lanka! ScimitarIBabblers!nearby!were!exceptionally!cooperative!as!well,!and!gave!us!by!far!our! best!views!of!the!species.! ! Leaving!the!highlands,!we!yet!again!descended!into!the!steam!and!humidity.!!This!time!it! was!only!partHway!down,!to!the!cultural!city!of!Kandy.!!This!was!to!be!our!last!base!of! operations!for!the!trip,!and!for!some!of!the!group!this!was!their!last!afternoon!of!birding.!! On!the!way!down!we!got!to!stop!at!an!active!tea!factory,!where!a!fascinating!tour!through! the!works!and!tea!tasting!afterwards!were!a!nice!interlude!to!the!driving.!!A!few!Hill! Swallows!on!their!nests!weren’t!bad,!either!!

! Down!in!Kandy!our!last!birding!for!the!day!was!at!Udawattakelle!Park!right!outside!of! town.!!Our!main!targets!here!were!a!duo!of!owls,!both!with!brown!in!the!name.!!The!first!of! these!cooperated!right!on!queue!!!A!huge,!hulking!Brown!FishIOwl!was!right!where!Chami! thought!it!would!be,!roosting!on!the!edge!of!a!large!pond.!!The!other!owl,!though,!was!less! cooperative.!!While!Chami!was!out!searching!for!it!the!rest!of!us!birded!the!woods!a!bit.! Being!afternoon,!there!wasn’t!much!going!on,!but!we!did!find!a!nice!noisy!group!of!BrownI capped!Babblers,!and!our!first!Layard’s!Parakeets!in!a!few!days.!!! ! Eventually!Chami!came!back,!with!news!that!the!owl!had!flushed!and!we!would!have!to!try! the!next!day.!!So!we!worked!our!way!back!down!to!the!car,!stopping!only!to!admire!an! Indian!Pitta!that!hopped!onto!the!road!in!front!of!us!before!some!heavy!rain!came!in!and! curtailed!the!rest!of!our!day’s!birding.! ! ! Day!14:!Kandy!area!to!Colombo! ! While!we!planned!on!heading!back!to!Udawattakelle!for!the!owl,!our!first!stop!of!the! morning!was!a!nice!patch!of!woodland!right!by!the!hotel.!!While!this!didn’t!give!us!anything! new,!it!provided!some!nice,!relaxed!birding!to!start!the!morning!out.!!The!highlight!for!me! was!an!unbelievably!cooperative!Indian!BlueIRobin,!along!with!a!WhiteIrumped!Shama.! ! The!rest!of!the!early!morning!hours!were!spent!in!the!hills!above!Kandy.!!Here!our!main! species!of!interest!was!PlumIheaded!Parakeet,!which!we!found!relatively!quickly!(even!if! all!we!could!find!was!a!couple!of!female!birds).!!There!were!a!number!of!flocks!moving! through!the!forest,!mostly! led!by!Cinereous!Tits,!but! also!with!a!few!Orange! Minivets!and!BarIwinged! FlycatcherIShrikes!leading! the!way.! ! Back!at!Udawattakelle,!we! walked!back!to!the!area! where!the!owl!had!been!the! day!before.!!Again,!Chami! went!off!in!search!of!it! while!we!waiting.!!And!we! ended!up!waiting!quite!a! long!time,!but!in!the!end! Chami!came!through!yet! again!!!This!time!it!took!a! bit!of!a!scramble!up!a!slope! and!into!the!brush,!but!in! the!end!we!had!some! beautiful!views!of!a!Brown! WoodIOwl!staring!back!at! us!!!It!was!a!perfect!way!to! end!a!trip,!one!which!was! successful!on!all!fronts.!!We! saw!all!the!endemic!birds,! had!many!encounters!with! the!best!of!the!large! mammals,!got!to!see!some! of!the!best!of!what!Sri! Lanka!had!to!offer!in!terms! of!scenery,!and!have!an!all! round!amazing!trip!to!this! wonderful!country!! ! ! Checklist:! ! Bird%taxonomy%follows%Clements,%J.%F.,%T.%S.%Schulenberg,%M.%J.%Iliff,%B.L.%Sullivan,%C.%L.%Wood,%and% D.%Roberson.%2012.%The%eBird/Clements%checklist%of%birds%of%the%world:%Version%6.8%(2013).% ! A!total!of!240!bird!species!were!recorded!on!the!trip,!including!2!heard!only!species.!!! Species!in!Red!are!Sri!Lankan!endemics,!while!species!marked!“H”!were!heard!only.! ! ! !! DUCKS, GEESE, AND WATERFOWL ANATIDAE Lesser Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna javanica Cotton Pygmy-Goose Nettapus coromandelianus Garganey Anas querquedula PHEASANTS, GROUSE & ALLIES PHASIANIDAE Sri Lanka Spurfowl Galloperdix bicalcarata Sri Lanka Junglefowl Gallus lafayetii Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus GREBES PODICIPEDIDAE Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis SHEARWATERS & PETRELS PROCELLARIIDAE Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes STORKS CICONIIDAE Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala CORMORANTS AND SHAGS PHALACROCORACIDAE Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger ANHINGAS ANHINGIDAE Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster PELICANS PELECANIDAE Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis HERONS, EGRETS, AND BITTERNS ARDEIDAE Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus Black Bittern Ixobrychus flavicollis Gray Heron Ardea cinerea Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Great Egret Ardea alba Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia Little Egret Egretta garzetta Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Striated Heron Indian Pond-Heron Ardeola grayii Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax IBISES AND SPOONBILLS THRESKIORNITHIDAE Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia

HAWKS, EAGLES, AND KITES ACCIPITRIDAE Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus Crested Serpent-Eagle Spilornis cheela Crested Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus Legge's Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus kelaarti Rufous-bellied Eagle Lophotriorchis kienerii Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis Shikra Accipiter badius Besra Accipiter virgatus Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster Gray-headed Fish-Eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS RALLIDAE Slaty-legged Crake Rallina eurizonoides Slaty-breasted Rail Gallirallus striatus White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca Watercock Gallicrex cinerea Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio Eurasian Moorhen Gallinula chloropus THICK-KNEES BURHINIDAE Indian Thick-knee Burhinus indicus Great Thick-knee Esacus recurvirostris STILTS & AVOCETS RECURVIROSTRIDAE Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS CHARADRIIDAE Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva Black-bellied Plover Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus Lesser Sand-Plover Charadrius mongolus Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius JACANAS JACANIIDAE Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus SANDPIPERS AND ALLIES SCOLOPACIDAE Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Common Redshank Tringa totanus Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Ruff Calidris pugnax Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea Little Stint Calidris minuta

Pin-tailed Snipe Gallinago stenura Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus PAINTED-SNIPES Greater Painted-Snipe BUTTONQUAIL TURNICIDAE Barred Buttonquail Turnix suscitator PRATINCOLES & COURSERS GLAREOLIDAE Small Pratincole Glareola lactea GULLS, TERNS & SKIMMERS LARIDAE Brown-headed Gull Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus Little Tern Sternula albifrons Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii PIGEONS AND DOVES COLUMBIDAE Rock Pigeon Columba livia Sri Lanka Wood-Pigeon Columba torringtoniae Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica Orange-breasted Pigeon Treron bicinctus Sri Lanka Green-Pigeon Treron pompadora Green Imperial-Pigeon Ducula aenea CUCKOOS CUCULIDAE Common Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius H Banded Bay Cuckoo Cacomantis sonneratii Gray-bellied Cuckoo Cacomantis passerinus Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus Blue-faced Malkoha Phaenicophaeus viridirostris Sirkeer Malkoha Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii Red-faced Malkoha Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis Green-billed Coucal Centropus chlororhynchus OWLS STRIGIDAE Serendib Scops-Owl Otus thilohoffmanni Indian Scops-Owl Otus bakkamoena Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl Bubo nipalensis Brown Fish-Owl Ketupa zeylonensis H Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum Chestnut-backed Owlet Glaucidium castanonotum Brown Wood-Owl Strix leptogrammica FROGMOUTHS PODARGIDAE Sri Lanka Frogmouth Batrachostomus moniliger NIGHTJARS AND ALLIES CAPRIMULGIDAE Jerdon's Nightjar Caprimulgus atripennis Indian Nightjar Caprimulgus asiaticus SWIFTS APODIDAE

Brown-backed Needletail Hirundapus giganteus Indian Swiftlet Aerodramus unicolor Alpine Swift Apus melba Little Swift Apus affinis Asian Palm-Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis TREESWIFTS HEMIROCNIDAE Crested Treeswift Hemiprocne coronata TROGONS TROGONIDAE Malabar Trogon Harpactes fasciatus KINGFISHERS ALCEDINIDAE Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher Ceyx erithaca Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis BEE-EATERS MEROPIDAE Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaulti ROLLERS CORACIIDAE Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis HOOPOES UPUPIDAE Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops HORNBILLS BUCEROTIDAE Sri Lanka Gray Hornbill Ocyceros gingalensis Malabar Pied-Hornbill Anthracoceros coronatus ASIAN BARBETS MEGALAIMIDAE Brown-headed Barbet Megalaima zeylanica Yellow-fronted Barbet Megalaima flavifrons Crimson-fronted Barbet Megalaima rubricapillus Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala WOODPECKERS PICIDAE Brown-capped Woodpecker Dendrocopos nanus Yellow-crowned Woodpecker Dendrocopos mahrattensis Rufous Woodpecker Celeus brachyurus Lesser Yellownape Picus chlorolophus Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense Crimson-backed Flameback Chrysocolaptes stricklandi FALCONS & CARACARAS FALCONIDAE Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus peregrinator PARROTS PSITTACIDAE Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala Layard's Parakeet Psittacula calthropae Sri Lanka Hanging-Parrot Loriculus beryllinus PITTAS PITTIDAE Indian Pitta Pitta brachyura VANGAS, HELMETSHRIKES & ALLIES VANGIDAE

Sri Lanka Woodshrike Tephrodornis affinis Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus picatus WOODSWALLOWS ARTAMIDAE Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus IORAS AEGITHINIDAE Common Iora Aegithina tiphia White-tailed (Marshall's) Iora CUCKOOSHRIKES CAMPEPHAGIDAE Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus Orange Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus Large Cuckooshrike Coracina macei Black-headed Cuckooshrike Lalage melanoptera SHRIKES LANIIDAE Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus OLD WORLD ORIOLES ORIOLIDAE Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus DRONGOS DICRURIDAE White-bellied Drongo Dicrurus caerulescens Sri Lanka Drongo Dicrurus lophorinus FANTAILS RHIPIDURIDAE White-browed Fantail Rhipidura aureola MONARCH FLYCATCHERS MONARCHIDAE Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea Asian Paradise-Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi CROWS, JAYS & MAGPIES CORVIDAE Sri Lanka Blue-Magpie Urocissa ornata House Crow Corvus splendens Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos LARKS ALAUDIDAE Jerdon's Bushlark Mirafra affinis Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix griseus Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula SWALLOWS HIRUNDINIDAE Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Hill Swallow Hirundo domicola Sri Lanka Swallow Cecropis hyperythra FAIRY FLYCATCHERS STENOSTIRIDAE Gray-headed Canary-Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis CHICKADEES & TITS PARIDAE Cinereous Tit Parus cinereus NUTHATCHES SITTIDAE Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis BULBULS PYCNONOTIDAE Black-capped Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer Yellow-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus penicillatus White-browed Bulbul Pycnonotus luteolus Yellow-browed Bulbul Iole indica Square-tailed Bulbul Hypsipetes ganeesa humii

LEAF-WARBLERS PYLLOSCOPIDAE Green Warbler Phylloscopus nitidus Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides Large-billed Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus magnirostris REED-WARBLERS & ALLIES ACROCEPHALIDAE Blyth's Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum Clamorous Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus GRASSBIRDS & ALLIES LOCUSTELLIDAE Sri Lanka Bush-Warbler Elaphrornis palliseri CISTICOLAS & ALLIES CISTICOLLIDAE Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius Gray-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii Jungle Prinia Prinia sylvatica Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis Plain Prinia Prinia inornata PARROTBILLS, WRENTIT & ALLIES PARADOXORNITHIDAE Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense YUHINAS, WHITE-EYES & ALLIES ZOSTEROPIDAE Sri Lanka White-eye Zosterops ceylonensis Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus TREE-BABBLERS, SCIMITAR-BABBLERS & ALLIES TIMALIIDAE Tawny-bellied Babbler Dumetia hyperythra Dark-fronted Babbler Rhopocichla atriceps Sri Lanka Scimitar-Babbler Pomatorhinus melanurus GROUND BABBLERS & ALLIES PELLORNEIDAE Brown-capped Babbler Pellorneum fuscocapillus LAUGHINGTHRUSHES & ALLIES LEIOTHRICHIDAE Orange-billed Babbler Turdoides rufescens Yellow-billed Babbler Turdoides affinis Ashy-headed Laughingthrush Garrulax cinereifrons OLD WORLD FLYCATCHERS MUSCICAPIDAE Brown-breasted Flycatcher Muscicapa muttui Indian Robin Copsychus fulicatus Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus Tickell's Blue-Flycatcher Cyornis tickelliae Dull-blue Flycatcher Eumyias sordidus Indian Blue Robin Larvivora brunnea Sri Lanka Whistling-Thrush Myophonus blighi Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata THRUSHES AND ALLIES TURDIDAE Pied Thrush Geokichla wardii Spot-winged Thrush Geokichla spiloptera Scaly (Sri Lanka) Thrush Zoothera dauma imbricata Indian Blackbird Turdus simillimus STARLINGS STURNIDAE Southern Hill Myna Gracula indica Sri Lanka Myna Gracula ptilogenys

Common Myna Acridotheres tristis White-faced Starling Sturnia albofrontata LEAFBIRDS CHLOROPSEIDAE Jerdon's Leafbird Chloropsis jerdoni Golden-fronted Leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons FLOWERPECKERS DICAEIDAE White-throated (Legge's) Flowerpecker Dicaeum vincens Pale-billed Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhynchos SUNBIRDS & SPIDERHUNTERS NECTARINIIDAE Purple-rumped Sunbird Leptocoma zeylonica Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus Long-billed Sunbird Cinnyris lotenius WAGTAILS & PIPITS MOTACILLIDAE Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava Gray Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi Blyth's Pipit Anthus godlewskii Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus OLD WORLD SPARROWS PASSERIDAE House Sparrow Passer domesticus WEAVERS & ALLIES PLOCEIDAE Streaked Weaver Ploceus manyar Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus WAXBILLS & ALLIES ESTRILIDAE White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata Black-throated Munia Lonchura kelaarti Nutmeg Mannikin (Scaly-breasted Munia) Lonchura punctulata Tricolored Munia Lonchura malacca ! Mammal!List! ! Asian Elephant Elephas maximus Toque Macaque Macaca sinica Tufted Gray Langur Semnopithecus priam Purple-faced Langur Trachypithecus vetulus Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura Layard's Palm Squirrel Funambulus layardi Indian Palm Squirrel Funambulus palmarum Dusky Palm Squirrel Funambulus sublineatus Indian Hare Lepus nigricollis Indian Flying-fox Pteropus giganteus Indian Pipistrelle Pipistrellus coromandra Leopard Panthera pardus Indian Brown Mongoose Herpestes fuscus Ruddy Mongoose Herpestes smithii Stripe-necked Mongoose Herpestes vitticollis Golden Jackal Canis aureus Boar Sus scrofa Chevrotain Moschiola meminna Sambar Deer Cervus unicolor Chital (Spotted Deer) Axis axis Indian Muntjac Muntiacus muntjak Wild Asian Water Buffalo Bubalus arnee !