Asian Koel - Resident Breeder in Sri Lanka

The Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. It is found in South Asia, China, and Southeast Asia. It forms a superspecies with the closely related Black-billed and Pacific Koels which are sometimes treated as subspecies. The Asian Koel is a brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of crows and other hosts, who raise its young. They are unusual among the cuckoos in being largely frugivorous as adults.The name koel is echoic in origin with several language variants. The bird is a widely used symbol in Indian poetry.

The Asian Koel is a large, long-tailed, cuckoo measuring 39–46 cm (15–18 in) and weighing 190–327 g (6.7–11.5 oz). The male of the nominate race is glossy bluish-black, with a pale greenish grey bill, the iris is crimson, and it has grey legs and feet. The female of the nominate race is brownish on the crown and has rufous streaks on the head. The back, rump and wing coverts are dark brown with white and buff spots. The underparts are whitish, but is heavily striped. The other subspecies differ in colouration and size. The upper plumage of young birds is more like that of the male and they have a black beak.They are very vocal during the breeding season (March to August in South Asia), with a range of different calls. The familiar song of the male is a repeated koo-Ooo. The female makes a shrill kik-kik-kik... call. Calls vary across populations.

They show a pattern of moult that differs from those of other parasitic cuckoos. The outer primaries show a transilient (alternating) ascending moult (P9-7-5-10-8-6) while the inner primaries are moulted in stepwise descending order (1-2-3-4)

The Asian Koel is a bird of light woodland and cultivation. It is a mainly resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka to south Chinaand the Greater Sundas. They have great potential in colonizing new areas, and were among the pioneer birds to colonize the volcanic island ofKrakatau.^[17] They first arrived in Singapore in the 1980s and became very common birds.Some populations may make long distance movements.


Asian Koel - Male - Captured in Malambe - Colombo

Asian Koel - Female - Captured in Malambe - Colombo

Lesser Whistling Duck - Resident Breeder in Sri Lanka

The Lesser Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna javanica), also known as Indian Whistling Duck or Lesser Whistling Teal, is a species of whistling duckthat breeds in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They are nocturnal feeders and during the day may be found in flocks around lakes and wet paddy fields. They can perch on trees and sometimes build their nest in the hollow of a tree. This brown and long-necked duck has broad wings that are visible in flight and produces a loud two-note wheezy call. It has a chestnut rump, differentiating it from its larger relative, the Fulvous Whistling Duck, which has creamy white.

This is a largely resident species distributed widely across lowland wetlands of the Indian Subcontinent andSoutheast Asia. The species ranges across India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia,Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. They also occur on islands in the region including the Andamans, Nicobars and Maldives.They sometimes make local movements in response to weather and changes in water availability and the more northern birds winter further south. They are found in freshwater wetlands with good vegetation cover and often rest during the day on the banks or even on the open sea in coastal areasDowny chicks are black with a white eyebrow and white patches on the back of the head, the wing, lower back and rump. Albino individuals have been seen in the wild.

Lesser Whistling Duck are usually gregarious. They feed mainly on plants taken from the water as well as grains from cultivated rice apart from small fish, frogs and invertebrates such as molluscs and worms.They dabble as well as dive in water. They will often waddle on the land and Common Mynas have been noted to follow them on grass.Courtship involves the male facing the female and dipping and raising its bill in the water and swimming around the female.hey breed during the monsoon or rainy season and may vary locally in relation to the food availability. The nest site may be a tree hole lined with twigs and grass or built in the fork of large tree, sometimes reusing and old nest of a kite or heron or even on the ground. The clutch varies from 7 to 12 white eggs that are incubated by both the parents. Large clutches of up to 17 have been noted although these may be indications of intraspecific brood parasitism.The eggs hatch after about 22–24 days. More than one brood may be raised in a single season. Young birds may sometimes be carried on the back of the parents.


Captured in Kumana National Park

Black-winged Stilt - Migrant Bird in Sri Lanka

The Black-winged Stilt, Common Stilt, or Pied Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stiltfamily (Recurvirostridae). Opinions differ as to whether the birds treated under the scientific name H. himantopus ought to be treated as a single speciesand if not, how many species to recognize. The scientific name Himantopus comes from the Greek meaning "strap foot" or "thong foot". Most sources today accept 2–4 species.

Adults are 33–36 cm long. They have long pink legs, a long thin black bill and are blackish above and white below, with a white head and neck with a varying amount of black. Males have a black back, often with greenish gloss. Females' backs have a brown hue, contrasting with the black remiges. In the populations that have the top of the head normally white at least in winter, females tend to have less black on head and neck all year round, while males often have much black, particularly in summer. This difference is not clear-cut, however, and males usually get all-white heads in winter.

Immature birds are grey instead of black and have a markedly sandy hue on the wings, with light feather fringes appearing as a whitish line in flight.

The breeding habitat of all these stilts is marshes, shallow lakes and ponds. Some populations are migratory and move to the ocean coasts in winter; those in warmer regions are generally resident or short-range vagrants. In Europe, the Black-winged Stilt is a regular spring overshoot vagrant north of its normal range, occasionally remaining to breed in northern European countries, for example in Britain.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana - Resident Breeder in Sri Lanka

The Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is a jacana in the monotypic genus Hydrophasianus. Jacanas are a group of waders in the family Jacanidae that are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes, their preferred habitat. The Pheasant-tailed Jacana is capable of swimming, although it usually walks on the vegetation. The females are more colourful than the males and are polyandrous.

The Pheasant-tailed Jacana breeds in India, southeast Asia, and Indonesia. It is sedentary in much of its range, but northern breeders from south Chinaand the Himalayas migrate into peninsular India and southeast Asia. It is also resident in Taiwan, where it is considered endangered. It has been recorded as a vagrant in Australia.

This is the only jacana to have a different breeding plumage. The Pheasant-tailed Jacana is a conspicuous and unmistakable bird. They are around 39–58 cm (15–23 in) in length, about 25 cm (9.8 in) of which is comprised by the pheasant-like tail. Body mass is reportedly 113–135 g (4.0–4.8 oz) in males and 205–260 g (7.2–9.2 oz) the larger females. The outermost primaries have a spatulate extension of 2 cm and the seventh primary has a broad protrusion.

Breeding adults are mainly black other than white wings, head, and fore neck. The hind neck is golden. There is a striking white eyestripe. The legs and very long toes are grey. Non-breeding adults lack the long tail. The underparts are white except for a brown breast band and neck stripe. The side of the neck is golden. Young birds have brown upperparts. The underparts are white, with a weak brown breast band.

Measurements (From Rasmussen and Anderton): length 310 mm 390–580 mm (breeding) Wing (with extension of primary) 190–244 mm (adults) 168–228 mm (juveniles) Bill 23–30 mm Tarsus 45–58 mm Tail 194–376 mm (breeding) 110–117 mm (non breeding).

These jacanas breed on floating vegetation from March to July. In southern India, it breeds in the monsoon season, June–September. They are polyandrous and a female may lay up to 10 clutches. Four black-marked brown eggs are laid in the floating nests.

The Pheasant-tailed Jacana's main sources of food are insects and other invertebrates picked from the floating vegetation or the water's surface

Captured in Kumana National Park Sri Lanka.

Wild water buffalo

The wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee), also called Asian buffalo and Asiatic buffalo, is a large bovine native to Southeast Asia. It is listed asEndangered in the IUCN Red List since 1986, as the remaining population totals less than 4,000, with an estimate of fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. The population decline of at least 50% over the last three generations (24–30 years) is projected to continue.

The global population has been estimated at 3,400 individuals, of which 3,100 (91%) live in India, mostly in Assam.

The wild water buffalo represents most likely the ancestor of the domestic water buffalo

Wild water buffalo are larger and heavier than domestic buffalo, and weigh from 700 to 1,200 kg (1,500 to 2,600 lb). Their head-to-body-length is 240 to 300 cm (94 to 118 in) with a tail 60 to 100 cm (24 to 39 in) long, and a shoulder height of 150 to 190 cm (59 to 75 in). Both sexes carry horns that are heavy at the base and widely spreading up to 2 m (79 in) along the outer edges, exceeding in size the horns of any other living bovid. Their skin color is ash gray to black. The moderately long, coarse and sparse hair is directed forward from the haunches to the long and narrow head. There is a tuft on the forehead, and the ears are comparatively small. The tip of the tail is bushy; the hooves are large and splayed.

The origin and genetic status of the so-called wild buffalos in Sri Lanka is unclear. There is crossbreeding with domestic stock and it is believed to be unlikely that there are true wild buffalos left on the island. Wild living populations found elsewhere in Asia are feral. Water buffaloes were introduced to northern Australia, Argentina and Bolivia, where they became feral.

Captured in Kumana & Wasgamuwa National Parks....

Sri Lankan Jungle Fowl - National Bird of Sri Lanka.(Endemic)

The Sri Lankan Junglefowl (Gallus lafayetii), also known during the colonial era as the Ceylon Junglefowl, is a member of the Galliformes bird order which is endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is the national bird. It is closely related to the Red Junglefowl (G. gallus), the wild junglefowl from which the chicken was domesticated. The specific name of the Sri Lankan Junglefowl commemorates the French aristocrat Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette. In Sinhala it is known as වළි කුකුළා (Wali Kukula) and in Tamil it is known as இலங்கைக் காட்டுக்கோழி.

As with other junglefowl, the Sri Lankan Junglefowl is strongly sexually dimorphic: the male is much larger than the female, with more vivid plumage and a highly exaggerated wattle and comb.

The male Sri Lankan Junglefowl ranges from 66–72 cm (26–28 in) in length and 790–1,140 g (1.74–2.51 lb) in weight, essentially resembling a large, muscular rooster. The male has orange-red body plumage, and dark purple to black wings and tail. The feathers of the mane descending from head to base of spine are golden, and the face has bare red skin and wattles. The comb is red with a yellow centre. As with the Green Junglefowl, the cock does not possess an eclipse plumage.

The female is much smaller, at only 35 cm (14 in) in length and 510–645 g (1.124–1.422 lb) in weight, with dull brown plumage with white patterning on the lower belly and breast, ideal camouflage for a nesting bird.

This is one of four species of birds in the genus Gallus. The other three members of the genus are Red Junglefowl(G. gallus), Grey Junglefowl (G. sonneratii), and Green Junglefowl (G. varius).

The Sri Lankan Junglefowl is most closely related to the Grey Junglefowl though physically the male resembles the Red Junglefowl. Female Sri Lanka Junglefowl are very similar to those of the Grey Junglefowl. Like the Green Junglefowl, Sri Lankan Junglefowl are island species that have evolved side by side with their similarly stranded island predators and competitors. Uniquely complex anti-predator behaviors and foraging strategies are integral components in the long evolutionary story of the Sri Lankan Junglefowl.

As with other junglefowl, Sri Lanka Junglefowl are primarily terrestrial. It spends most of its time foraging for food by scratching the ground for variousseeds, fallen fruit and insects.

It lays 2-4 eggs in a nest either on the forest floor in steep hill country or in the abandoned nests of other birds and squirrels. Like the Grey and Green Junglefowl, male Sri Lankan Junglefowl play an active role in nest protection and chick rearing.

t is common in forest and scrub habitats, and is commonly spotted at sites such as Wasgamuwa, Kumana, Wilpattu, Yala National Parks and in Sinharaja as well..

Sri Lankan Axis Deer - Endemic to Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan axis deer (Axis axis ceylonensis) or Ceylon spotted deer is a subspecies of axis deer (Axis axis) that inhabits only Sri Lanka. The name chital is not used in Sri Lanka. Its validity is disputed, and some maintain that the axis deer is monotypic - has no subspecies...

Sri Lankan axis deer are active primarily during early morning and again during the evening, but they are commonly observed near waterholes anytime. The Sri Lankan axis deer eats primarily grasses, but it also eats fallen fruits and leaves. The Sri Lankan axis deer graze closely withlangur, peacock, wild buffalo, and sambar deer. They usually lives in groups of between 10-60 animals, though herds may include up to 100 animals.

Axis deer are important prey for the Sri Lankan leopard. It is also prey for sloth bears and jackals.

These deer inhabit lowland dry forests, savannas, and shrub lands. Very rarely, these deer inhabit dry mountain areas.

Unlike the mainland axis deer (Axis axis) which is plentiful, Sri Lankan axis deer populations are considered to be vulnerable. Threats include hunting for meat and deforestation. Historically, axis deer were found in very large numbers in the entire dry zone of Sri Lanka, but these numbers have been significantly reduced. Today several thousands of these deer are found in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan axis deer are mainly found in protected areas in the dry zone, with a small number of herds living outside the protected forest areas. Large herds can be found only in protected areas.

Wasgamuwa, Kumana, Yala & Wilpattu National Parks are the best places to spot the Sri Lankan Axis Deer.

Caputured in Kumana National Park