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BIRDS of SRI LANKA GEHAN DE SILVA WIJEYERATNE, DEEPAL WARAKAGODA and T.S.U. DE ZYLVA P O C K E T P H O T O G U I D E 9781472932938_Birds of Sri lanka.indb 1 12/03/2016 11:49 Bloomsbury Natural History An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square 1385 Broadway London New York WC1B 3DP NY 10018 UK USA www.bloomsbury.com BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published by New Holland UK Ltd, 2000, 2011 as A Photographic Guide to Birds of Sri Lanka This edition first published by Bloomsbury, 2016 This electronic edition published in 2016 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2016 © text Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne and Deepal Warakagoda 2016 Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne and Deepal Warakagoda have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Authors of this work. All rights reserved. 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Here you will find extracts, author interviews, details of forthcoming events and the option to sign up for our newsletters. 9781472932938_Birds of Sri lanka.indb 2 12/03/2016 11:49 CONTENTS Introduction 4 The climatic zones 4 The avifauna of Sri lanka 5 Information for visitors 8 Map of Sri Lanka 11 The species descriptions 11 Key to coloured tabs 12 Bird topography 13 Species descriptions 14 Glossary 140 Useful organisations 141 Index 141 9781472932938_Birds of Sri lanka.indb 3 12/03/2016 11:49 INTRODUCTION Sri Lanka is a birdwatching destination with much to offer. A good network of roads and national parks combined with a good infrastructure for tourism place the 33 endemics within easy reach of birders. Dedicated birders will spend most of their time in the wet lowlands and the highlands where the endemics are concentrated, but there is much for the casual birdwatcher throughout the country. There is still enough forest cover around the major archaeological sites for a family on a general tour to combine birdwatching with culture. Over 100 species of birds can be seen, for example, in the environs of the cultural cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Who should read this book? A pocket guide such as this suffers from the inevitable restrictions of space in order to make it pocket sized. Most birds covered here are those likely to be seen by a visitor on a short tour, or by residents with a casual interest in birds. However, we have included a few rare migrants as well. ‘Birders’ (more serious birdwatchers) are more likely to use one of the comprehensive field guides and be on a bespoke tour. However, birders on a family holiday with less time for birding may find a compact guide such as this easier to carry around. To meet their needs clues are given or brief descriptions are included in the text on separating similar looking species. In particular, attention has also been drawn to endemics and potential endemics which are likely to be of interest. THE CLIMATIC ZONES Topographically, Sri Lanka can be described as comprising three peneplains or erosion levels. The lowest level, from 0-30 m forms the coastline and much of the north-central plains. This encircles a hilly centre in the southern half formed of a second peneplain rising to 480 m and a third higher peneplain rising to 1,800 m. The central hills are an obstacle to the path of the two monsoons causing them to shed rain. The north-east monsoon occurs between October and January bringing rain mostly to the north-east, and the south-west monsoon brings rain between May and August to the south-west. Some parts of the hills receive rain from both monsoons. The Peak Wilderness Sanctuary in the hills has been described as ‘the most constantly wet part of Asia west of Borneo’. The combination of rainfall and topography has resulted in climatic zones supporting races of animals and birds confined to a particular zone. Broadly speaking, the zones are divided into the dry zone comprising the coastal areas in the north, east, south and the north central parts of the country, and the wet zone comprising the west and the hilly central massif. The wet zone could be further sub divided into the low, mid and high elevations. The wet zone is where much of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity is concentrated. Despite a long tradition of natural history study, species await description even amongst the higher animals such as small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Some of Sri Lanka’s endemic species probably vanished before science could even describe them as the hill forests were cleared in the 19th century for coffee. 4 9781472932938_Birds of Sri lanka.indb 4 12/03/2016 11:49 A new species of owl, the Serendib Scops-owl (Otus thilohoffmanni) discovered in 2001 by Deepal Warakagoda, demonstrates how many vertebrate species still await discovery. Five years of patient field work led to a discovery which overturned the myth that the Sri Lankan avifauna was well documented with no new species likely to be discovered. It was the first species to be discovered in the field (as opposed to ‘cryptic species’ already in museum collections) in Asia in over a century. THE AVIFAUNA OF SRI LANKA The island has 234 breeding bird species, of which 33 are recognised as endemic by Pamela Rasmussen and John Anderton in their book, Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide, published in 2005. The bulk of the resident breeding species are shared with the Asian mainland, with a few confined to Sri Lanka and the Indian mainland. A few resident birds have a cosmopolitan distribution. A further 209 species have been recorded purely as migrants to the country. The majority of these migrate to Sri Lanka during the northern winter and are present from about August to April. In contrast, pelagic species of seabirds like shearwaters, petrels and storm-petrels migrate to Sri Lankan waters from southern oceanic islands during the southern hemisphere’s winter. Of the migrants, about 120 species regularly visit the country. The rest are occasional visitors and vagrants. Within the country, some species are distributed according to the climatic zones, being restricted to either the wet or dry zone. The endemics are largely confined to the wet zone. The distribution of birds is also influenced by altitude and some species may be restricted to the low country wet zone with others confined to the montane wet zone. In total 82 families are represented in the Sri Lankan avifauna. How many endemics? There is no clear consensus on how many bird species are endemic to Sri Lanka. A detailed taxonomic discussion is outside the scope of this book. For the purpose of this book we have followed the treatment in Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide by Pamela Rasmussen and John Anderton. The 33 species recognised as endemic by Rasmussen are listed below: Ceylon Spurfowl Galloperdix bicalcarata Ceylon Junglefowl Gallus lafayetii Ceylon Woodpigeon Columba torringtonii Ceylon Green-pigeon Treron pompadora Ceylon Hanging-parrot Loriculus beryllinus Layard’s Parakeet Psittacula calthropae Green-billed Coucal Centropus chlororhynchos Red-faced Malkoha Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus Serendib Scops-owl Otus thilohoffmanni Chestnut-backed Owlet Glaucidium castanonotum Ceylon Grey Hornbill Ocyceros gingalensis Yellow-fronted Barbet Megalaima flavifrons Ceylon Small Barbet Megalaima rubricapillus 5 9781472932938_Birds of Sri lanka.indb 5 12/03/2016 11:49 Crimson-backed Flameback Chrysocolaptes stricklandi Ceylon Swallow Hirundo hyperythra Ceylon Woodshrike Tephrodornis affinis Black-capped Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus Yellow-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus penicillatus Spot-winged Ground-thrush Zoothera spiloptera Ceylon Scaly Thrush Zoothera imbricata Ceylon Whistling-thrush Myophonus blighi Dusky-blue Flycatcher Eumyias sordidus Ashy-headed Laughingthrush Garrulax cinereifrons Brown-capped Babbler Pellorneum fuscocapillus Ceylon Scimitar-babbler Pomatorhinus melanurus Ceylon Rufous Babbler Turdoides rufescens Ceylon Bush-warbler Elaphrornis palliseri Legge’s Flowerpecker Dicaeum vincens Ceylon White-eye Zosterops ceylonensis White-faced Starling Sturnia albofrontata Ceylon Hill-myna Gracula ptilogenys Ceylon Crested Drongo Dicrurus lophorinus Ceylon Blue Magpie Urocissa ornata Birds to look out for For visiting birders, the birds of most interest will be the endemic species. For this reason, expanded accounts are provided in the text. In the case of a few highly sought after but ‘difficult to see’ birds such as the Ceylon Spurfowl, details on the best places to see them are given in the text. The sections on the endemics are drawn heavily drawn from an unpublished manuscript by Deepal Warakagoda on finding the endemic birds. A carefully timed and planned itinerary with a local bird tour leader may succeed in seeing or hearing all of the endemics in as little as a week! The island has a large number of endemic races (subspecies). Most are distinguished from the mainland forms by subtle differences such as wing length that are often not apparent in the field. There are, however, a number of races that are distinguishable in the field and are of particular interest to the birder as there is potential for some of them to be elevated to full species status. The birder is advised to pay attention to the following distinct races. Common Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius ciceliae Indian Blackbird Turdus simillimus kinnisii Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis brevicauda Jungle Prinia (Large Prinia) Prinia sylvatica valida Tawny-bellied Babbler Dumetia hyperythra phillipsi Dark-fronted Babbler Rhopocichla atriceps siccata and Rhopocichla atriceps nigirifrons Yellow-billed Babbler (Southern Common Babbler) Turdoides affinis taprobanus Black-throated Munia Lonchura kelaarti kelaarti 6 9781472932938_Birds of Sri lanka.indb 6 12/03/2016 11:49 Threatened Species To highlight the perilous state of many of the resident birds, the threat category has been shown based on Thilo Hoffmann’s Threatened Birds of Sri Lanka: A National Red Data List (1998). Hoffmann identified two threat categories. The category used in this book is what he considered as the threat category by the strict application of criteria laid by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). An empirical threat category employed by him often places the same bird in a less severe threat status. The threat category is in the context of a bird’s distribution in Sri Lanka. For a country with a reasonable number of amateur birdwatchers surprisingly few quantitative surveys have been undertaken. The lack of monitoring may mask the actual decline of many species. What will you see? The birds you see at a given place will be determined by the type of habitat or habitats the site has to offer. A national park like Ruhuna (Yala) and Bundala will often comprise a mixture of habitats comprising wetlands, lakes, dry scrub, grassland and rivers. A day’s birding may yield over a hundred species. A rain forest like Sinharaja may throw up far fewer species, but they are likely to be more special. If you encounter a good mixed feeding flock, half a dozen endemics and a dozen other birds may be seen. To illustrate the diversity of bird life at different sites, actual examples of birds seen on field visits by the main author are reproduced below: Uda Walawe National Park – dry zone scrub, grassland and lakes. The park is in the dry lowlands of Sri Lanka and comprises a varied mix of grassland, scrub jungle, tall forest and lakes. The list below is from a visit in April. A birdwatching trip could result in over a hundred species in a day, treble the list below. Spot-billed Pelican, Little Cormorant, Indian Pond Heron, Intermediate Egret, Painted Stork, Woolly-necked Stork, Black-winged Kite, White- bellied Sea-eagle, Grey-headed Fish-eagle, Crested Serpent-eagle, Indian Peafowl, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Black-winged Stilt, Whiskered Tern, Green Imperial-pigeon, Spotted Dove, Little Swift, Crested Treeswift, Common Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfsher, Little Green Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Coppersmith Barbet, Black-rumped Flameback, Jerdon’s Bush Lark, Brown Shrike, Black-headed Oriole, Common Myna, Indian Jungle Crow, Small Minivet, Red-vented Bulbul, Tawny- bellied Babbler, Yellow-eyed Babbler, White-browed Fantail, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Zitting Cisticola, Common Tailorbird, Oriental Magpie-robin, Indian Robin and Grey-headed Wagtail. Talangama Lake – wet zone, suburban wetland Talangama Lake is a beautiful wetland on the outskirts of Colombo with great potential as an urban nature reserve. The list below is based on a late morning visit in December. Lesser Whistling-duck, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Oriental White-eye, Indian Pygmy Woodpecker, Black-rumped Flameback, Asian Palm- swift, Intermediate Egret, Yellow Bittern, Indian Shag, Little Cormorant, 7 9781472932938_Birds of Sri lanka.indb 7 12/03/2016 11:49 Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Little Grebe, Pintail Snipe, Black- winged Stilt, Black-headed Ibis, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Indian Pond Heron, White-breasted Waterhen, Purple Heron, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, White-browed Bulbul, Ashy Woodswallow and Brahminy Kite. Morapitiya – lowland rain forest Morapitiya is a tract of rain forest that adjoins the better known Sinharaja Man and Biosphere Reserve. A few species such as Ashy- headed Laughingthrush are confined to good quality rain forest. The visit was in January when forest migrants such as Brown-breasted Flycatcher were present. Degraded habitat comprising a mixture of mature Jak trees, tea, abandoned paddy, rubber with pockets of secondary forest. Square-tailed Black Bulbul, White-bellied Drongo, Lesser Hill-myna, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Ceylon Small Barbet, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Green Imperial-pigeon, White-breasted Waterhen, Ceylon Hanging- parrot, Brown-headed Barbet, Greater Coucal, Black-headed Oriole, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Yellow-billed Babbler, Black-rumped Flameback, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Brown-capped Babbler, Black-capped Bulbul, Ceylon Swallow, Brown Shrike, Common Iora, Emerald Dove and Indian Swiftlet. Good secondary forest Pied Flycatcher-shrike, Dark-fronted Babbler, Malabar Trogon, Green- billed Coucal, Ceylon Crested Drongo, Ceylon Blue Magpie, Ceylon Spurfowl (heard), Orange Minivet, Crested Serpent-eagle, Brown- breasted Flycatcher, Ashy-headed Laughing-thrush, Ceylon Rufous Babbler and Ceylon Scimitar-babbler. INFORMATION FOR VISITORS Preparation Some preparation can make a lot of difference in a small accessible island like Sri Lanka. A good deal of information is available both on the internet as well as from traditional bookshops. Internet For information on any recent trip reports, the internet flyway in the Oriental Bird Club’s web page (http://www.orientalbirdclub.org) is a good place to start a search. Email discussion forums like UK BirdNet and the NatHistory South India are also good places from which to solicit information. Details on signing up for these free e-mail discussion groups are on the OBC web site. Past copies of the Sri Lanka Wildlife eNewsletter compiled by the lead author Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne are on the OBC website and on www.jetwingeco.com. Books For pre-trip reading and use in the field A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Sri Lanka published by the Oriental Bird Club and Sri Lankan Wildlife by Bradt Travel Guides, lead authored by Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, are invaluable. Sri Lankan National Parks & Reserves and a number of photographic guides to butterflies, dragonflies, mammals, etc are 8 9781472932938_Birds of Sri lanka.indb 8 12/03/2016 11:49 available as free, downloadable pdf files on www.jetwingeco.com. A pocket photographic guide such as this is adequate for most birds that a visitor on a short trip, or a resident with a casual interest is likely to see. Keen birdwatchers should consider a fully fledged field guide although these are heavier and more expensive. The best is A Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka by John Harrison and Tim Worfolk. Sound recordings Keen birdwatchers should consider familiarising themselves with the calls and songs of Sri Lankan birds. Wildsounds (www.wildsounds. co.uk) stocks Sri Lankan sound recordings. A comprehensive compilation on four tapes and also a CD has been issued by wildlife sound recordist Deepal Warakagoda, a co-author of this book. These are the benchmark sound recordings. Contact Drongo Nature Sounds Library on [email protected] or 011 2 817 370. Wildlife art The Wildlife & Artist Group includes well known Sri Lankan artists such as Jayantha Jinasena, Kulasiri Ranawira, Lester Perera, Prasanna Weerakkody, Shantha Jayawera, Vasantha Perera and Vishy Dhramasiriwardana. They will be setting up a website in due course. Well known Sri Lankan artists overseas include Gamini Ratnavira. The work of Lester Perera, arguably the best known resident Sri Lankan wildlife artist, can be seen on the ‘Art Gallery’ section of www. birdandwildlifeteam.com. The work of a number of artists are also on www.jetwingeco.com. Organised tours A number of overseas birding companies operate tours to Sri Lanka. These may not always be convenient for a family with young children or for those for whom birding may not be the only priority. A number of local tour companies will organise a package involving birdwatching, culture and even chilling out on the beach, all tailored to individual request. Some of the better known companies, most of whom are in Colombo, are listed below. A. Baur & Co (Travel) Ltd Travel.baurs.com Aitken Spence Travels www.aitkenspencetravels.com Bird and Wildlife Team (Pvt) Ltd www.birdandwildlifeteam.com Birdwing Nature Holidays www.birdwingnature.com Eco Team (Pvt) Ltd www.srilankaecotourism.com Hemtours www.hemtours.com High Elms Travel (Pvt) Ltd www.highelmstravel.com 9 9781472932938_Birds of Sri lanka.indb 9 12/03/2016 11:49