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NOTES ON ACCEPTED SIGHT RECORDS OF BIRDS IN SRI LANKA1 Thilo Hoffmann2 In connection with my notes on some Sri 376. Caspian plover Lankanbirds (Hoffmann 1989) aslistedbyRipley Charadrius asiaticus asiaticus (1982), Dr Ripley had requested additional infor- One specimen collected by Phillips in 1951; mationin regard to the various sight records men- next seen 1960. In recent years frequent, almost tionedinthepaper. Outof81 species treatedthere, regular, winter sightings in Bundala-Hambantota 16 are documented by sight records only. In view area, three in 1985, one in 1986, seven in 1987, of possible wider interest the additional ex- all by reliable Bird Club members. planatory details are embodied inthepresent con- 378. Ringed plover tribution which may be regarded as a supplement Charadrius hiaticula tundrae to the earlier paper. Also included here are 3 Only two sightings before 1973. Since then species in respect of which recent sight records mainly single birds are seen almost every winter appear more relevant than old specimens. Num- in various parts ofthe dry zone (e.g. Bundala) by bers and names are again identical with those of very reliable Bird Club members such as T.S.U. Ripley (1982). De Zylva, John and Judy Banks, and also by All newrecords whicharebasedonsightings myself. There can be no doubt. Most of the birds only, including those listed by Phillips (1978), have been seen in the Bundala Sanctuary, around have been carefully scrutinised by the Ceylon Hambantota, a few inthe Mannar area, one ortwo Bird Club Rarities Committee. It has become inYala National Park and Wilpattu National Park. almost impossible to collect bird specimens in Sri 403. Asian dowitcher Lanka, and it would be unreasonable to exclude Limnodromus semipalmatus all sightrecords as such. The Committee took into One bird noticed by C. Brewster of Derry, account three mainaspects: the quality and details Northern Ireland, at Karagan Lewaya near Ham- of the description, the likelihood of the species bantota on 22 July 1982, first together with some occurring in Sri Lanka and the standing and blacktailed godwitsLimosa limosa then among a , reliability ofthe observer. Details in respect ofthe party of common redshanks Tringa totanus 19 species are as follows: totanus. He suspected the Asian dowitcher which 63. White stork Ciconia ciconia was confirmed as most likely by Dave Allan on This unmistakable bird has been sighted the basis of Brewster’s notes. As small numbers several times in the last century and again since ofthis species are knownto visit eastern Indiaand the middle of this century by reliable observers Bangladesh, a stray specimencouldwell reach Sri (CBCN)3 Lanka. . 153. Longlegged buzzard Buteo rufinus 413. Great or eastern knot On 26 January 1988 Ben King of the Calidris tenuirostris American Museum of Natural History, Bird First reported by Ben King from Mannar Department, togetherwithJames and Robert Cle- when one was seen amongst a flock of knots on ments, identified a longlegged buzzard, probably 27 February 1981. King gave a detailed descrip- a first-year bird, at Horton Plains National Park tion. In February 1983 A. Mac Greham and three A (elevation approximately 2134 m). careful others saw several great knots in a flock of knots description was supplied. at Mannar and they too supplied careful descrip- tions. The knot Calidris canutus canutus too is a Accepted June 1989. 2Ceylon Bird Club, P.O. Box 11, Colombo, Sri Lanka. rare winter vagrant to the northern coasts of Sri 3 Lanka. Ceylon BirdClub Notes (monthly since 1944). 382 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST SOCIETY, Vol. 88 423. Spoonbilled sandpiper 456. Slenderbilled gull Larus genei Eurynorhynchuspygmeus Seen on 2 September 1978 by Berg (1982) First reported by BenKing fromBundala on and two others along the causeway at Mannar. 2 March 1978. This remains the only record. 425a. Buffbreasted sandpiper 480. Sandwich tern Tryngites subruficollis Sterna sandvicensis sandvicensis First bird obtained by T.S.U. De Zylva on 5 No specimen but a number of reliable sight March 1960. Subsequently also seen by J.C. records and one ring recovery without specimen Sinclair of Durban (S.A.) at Trincomalee in (Hoffmann 1987). November 1974 and again by T.S.U. De Zylva at 910. Sand martin Riparia riparia Embilikala Kalapuwa in the Bundala Sanctuary First sight record in January 1976 from on 19 January 1985, when good photographs of Anuradhapura. Subsequently seen on telegraph thebird weretaken. ANearctic species which one wires near Hambantota in February 1981, and would not readily expect in Sri Lanka (no records since then almost annually by various bird from Indian subcontinent), but the evidence is watchers and visiting ornithologists from U.K. indisputable. and U.S.A., some of whom also have obtained 427. Rednecked phalarope photographs. All recent sightings ofupto 10birds Phalaropus lobatus together (usually with eastern swallows, Hirundo The first sighting in the Jaffna area by G.M. rustica guttruralls') have been in the extreme Henry in 1944 remained the sole record till the south from Kalametiya through Hambantota to early ’80s. Since then small flocks (up to six) are Bundala. regularly seen every winter in the Bundala, Ham- 933. Grey shrike Lanius excubitor lahtora bantota and Kalametiya area by John and Judy Banks and others. First reliable sight record in 1940 near 447. Pomatorhine skua Kekirawa, second in 1974 near Murunkan. Since Stercorariuspomarinus then several reliable observations, at Yala (1986) Single specimen from Colombo in 1912. and in the Hills (Hantane 1985, Haputale 1987). Sight record 1954 in Hambantota. Then in 1978 988. Greyheaded myna several were identified by van den Berg et al. Sturnus malabaricus blythii A (1982) accompanying the mass movement of small flock of 11 birds noted in January bridled terns Sterna anaethetus along the coast at 1984 at Anuradhapura by B.A. Dukes, a British Colombo. As this migration is an annual event, ornithologist. Dukes and others saw the birds this skua is probably also a regular visitor to the again in subsequent years (1985 and 1986) at the Sri Lankan west coast. same place, and five birds were noted inthe south 455. Blackheaded gull Larus ridibundus at Kalametiya (1985) in a very large assembly of This species was first reported by J.C. brahminy mynas Sturnus pagodarum and rosy Sinclair from Nilaveli (east coast) in November pastors Sturnus roseus, and in Yala. In 1986 and 1974. In December 1976 P.A. Dukes saw one at 1987 several immatures were noted by Dukes in Arugam Bay, in February 1981 Ben King and the flockatAnuradhapura, and it isvery likelythat party noted one at Talaimannar, and on 8 March the species is now a breeding resident in Sri 1978 one was seen by Robert Fleming, Jr. at Lanka, in small numbers. Yala. In flight it can be quite readily distin- 1710. Desert wheatear Oenanthe deserti guished from the brownheaded gull Larus Seen by R.W. Lekkerkerk of Holland on 13 brujiicephalus with which it might be confused, February 1986 at Bundala. He supplied a very but it may be easily overlooked by local bird careful and detailed description which does not watchers (CBCN). leave room for doubt. The only record so far. DISTRIBUTION OF THE RARE TREE FROG RHACOPHORUS TAENIATUS 383 1852. Indian tree pipit 1981. In 1983 two birds wereseenonDelftIsland, Anthus hodgsoni hodgsoni and in January 1984 one at Punkudutivu off Jaf- A flock reported in January 1982 by Robert fna. I have seen three of these birds and feel that Fleming, Jr. at Anuradhapura. Subsequently two the species mightbe breeding onnorthern islands. and one seen in the Wilpattu National Park. Since about 1978 there have been dis- 1891. Large pied wagtail coveries of new species for Sri Lanka, mainly Motacilla maderaspatensis winter migrants, almost every year, chiefly by One ancient specimen from Jaffna is visiting ornithologists. Due to the unsettled con- recorded (Phillips 1978). First sight record ditions in the country during recent years, such November 1976 by P.B. Karunaratne from visits have sharply declined, and so have new Mahaweli riverbed near Kandy; seen in same sightings. The expected revival of tourism will place in the following year, also by other ob- doubtless produce further exciting discoveries in servers, and againin December 1980 and January the years to come. ReferENCES Hoffmann, T. (1987): TheSandwichTern(Sterna sandvicen- Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Bombay Natural History sis) in Sri Lanka. J. Bombay nat. Hist Soc. 84 (2): Society, Bombay. 440-442. VandenBerg,A.B. etal. (1982): Mass movementofBridled Hoffmann, T.W. (1989): Notes on the status and distribution Terns (Sterna anaethetus) and Wilson’s Petrels of some birds in Sri Lanka J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. (Oceanites oceanicus offColombo, Sri Lanka.Ardea ) 86(1): 1-16. 70: 81. Phillips, W.W.A. (1978): Annotated Checklistofthe Birds of Van den Berg, A.B et al. (1982): First record of Slender- Ceylon. Colombo. billed Gull Larus genei) in Sri Lanka.Ardea 70: 82. ( A Ripley, S. D. (1982): Synopsis of the Birds of India and Wuesinghe, D.P. (1989): List of Sri Lanka Bird Species. Pakistan, together with those of Nepal, Bhutan, CBCN: 17a.